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Lithuania will follow closely the work of Extraordinary Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty) which is to start on 12 June in Vienna.

“The Treaty is a cornerstone of security and stability in Europe and our state has a genuine interest in maintaining and further strengthening of the CFE regime,” Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas says.

The Head of Lithuanian Diplomacy stresses that Lithuania has on numerous occasions and at the highest level expressed its intention to join the adapted CFE Treaty, when agreement on the Treaty’s adaptation signed at the Istanbul Summit in 1999 enters into force opening the Treaty to new accessions and when Russia fulfils its commitments on complete withdrawal of its forces from Georgia and Moldova.

P. Vaitiekūnas voiced hope that the states participating in the Extraordinary Conference would reconfirm their adherence to the goals and principles of the Treaty and will persistently seek full implementation of their obligations through enhanced credibility of CFE Treaty provisions.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister draws attention to the importance of fulfilment of Russia’s commitments on Georgia and Moldova undertaken at the Istanbul Summit on 17-19 November.

“The core principle of the Treaty that no foreign forces shall be stationed on the territory of sovereign state against its will and without its explicit consent should be respected unconditionally,” P. Vaitiekūnas emphasises.

Lithuania is willing to join the CFE Treaty once it becomes open to the new members. At the moment Lithuania contributes to the strengthening of the CFE regime through bilateral arrangements with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus on confidence and security building measures that also include the instruments and provisions of the CFE Treaty.

Lithuania is not among 30 CFE Treaty members from Europe and North America therefore representatives of our state are not taking part in the Extraordinary Conference.

The CFE Treaty Extraordinary Conference starting on 12 June was called on Russia’s initiative after Russian President Vladimir Putin had publicly questioned the strategic importance of the currently valid Treaty.