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On 9 February, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis, who continues his visit to Australia, called Australia’s decision to open its trade representative office in Lithuania an important and timely step for a unified response to economic pressure exerted by autocratic states.

In a meeting with Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne in Canberra, Landsbergis, noted that shared values and long-standing people-to-people ties laid a solid basis for further development of relations between the two countries, and that the growing focus of both the European Union and Australia on the Indo-Pacific region would provide new opportunities for regional cooperation. M. Payne informed that Australia had taken a decision to open its trade representative office in Lithuania.

“The Australian Foreign Minister highlighted her country’s desire to contribute to the promotion of economic relations between two like-minded states — Lithuania and Australia — and to trade diversification. The opening of the trade representative office will be an important and concrete step toward achieving these goals,” said Landsbergis. 

According to Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, the prosperity of Lithuania and of the whole world depends on ensuring a rules-based international order, and free and fair trade.

“We speak in favour of all partnerships that will help to defend it. We must not give in to the increasing number of impulses of undemocratic regimes to violate agreements and to use economic blackmail. We must make a joint effort to counter this flawed trend,” Landsbergis said, thanking Australia for standing in solidarity with Lithuania and for taking interest in the issues raised in the dispute brought by the European Union regarding discriminatory trade practices imposed on Lithuania. The country has requested to join these consultations. In addition, Landsbergis said that Lithuania supported a swift conclusion of negotiations on the Australia-EU free trade agreement.

The Foreign Ministers also discussed threats to international security facing the Eastern neighbourhood, expressed particular concern over Russia's aggression towards Ukraine, and condemned the persecution of the opposition in Belarus and the instrumentlisation of migrants for political purposes by the Belarusian regime.

As regards geopolitical factors and the growing need to strengthen  the democratic world's solidarity and to boost its resilience to economic blackmail, Landsbergis stressed that Lithuania's Embassy in Canberra, which was established in 2021 and officially inaugurated today, would actively contribute to strengthening bilateral economic relations and would help to create partnerships with Australia, a strong and reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific region. In addition, it will make a significant contribution to the strategic diversification and the reduction of Lithuania's dependence on the market of a single autocratic state.

After their meeting, the two Foreign Ministers issued a joint statement.

In a short meeting with Lithuania's Foreign Minister, the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison voiced his support for Lithuania’s commitment to a principled, values-based foreign policy.

In Canberra, the Foreign Minister also participated in a discussion with representatives from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) on Lithuania's foreign policy and challenges facing the international security.

Photos: Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade