News

On 17 January in Budapest, the Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Rolandas Kačinskas and the Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Levente Benkő harmonized their positions on topical issues of foreign and security policy, as well as the bilateral cooperation agenda.

The Political Directors dedicated particular attention to the EU’s Eastern Partnership and relations with individual member countries, energy security, and NATO’s policy issues in the context of Europe’s changing security architecture.

“Our concerted efforts must be made to deal with the new security challenges. This is a responsibility of all member states, and only by being united we can do it,” stressed Kačinskas.

The Political Directors stressed the importance of transatlantic cooperation, discussed perspectives for relations with the new U.S. administration. The officials also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation for strengthening energy and cyber security, fighting against blended threats and implementing strategic communication. The Lithuanian representative called for intensifying mutual relations and cooperation in the spheres of education and culture.

The Political Director Kačinskas also delivered a public lecture entitled “Is this the new normal?” The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the József Antall Foundation co-organized the lecture. When speaking about today’s security situation, the Political Director emphasized that the reality of our life was not the same as fifteen years ago, but it had absolutely nothing in common with the concept of newness. It is rather a threat of returning to the state of affairs as it was in the 19th century, dominated by geopolitical power and brutal force. “Only together can we address security challenges of today and nothing is a given – each generation has to protect and fight for the achievements of their parents and grandparents,” said R. Kačinskas.

During the discussion, most questions were asked about the threats facing Lithuania that were posed by Russia, the position of the new U.S. administration toward security situation in the Baltic Sea region. Kačinskas called on Hungary and other EU member states to be active and enter Lithuania to disseminate their culture, art, knowledge and European values.