News

At the meeting of Adriatic–Baltic-Atlantic foreign ministers on 24 March in Riga, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas highlighted the significance of Adriatic–Baltic-Atlantic cooperation and suggested inviting Ukraine and Georgia to the meetings of this format.

„NATO aspirants Ukraine and Georgia could benefit from the experience of our countries in implementing defence, military, political and economic reforms“, head of Lithuania‘s diplomacy said.

The Minister stressed that the Adriatic and Baltic states are responsible NATO members and partners who make an active contribution to the creation of transatlantic security and stability.

“We have demonstrated that we are not only consumers of security guarantees provided by the Alliance, but we also actively contribute to the Alliance's operations and missions thus strengthening security. Today, 602 soldiers from the Baltic States participate in NATO-led operations, and there are 1347 soldiers from the Baltic and Adriatic countries in Afghanistan”, said Minister V.Ušackas.

According to the Minister, as preparations for the NATO’s 60th Anniversary Summit in Strasbourg and Kehl are taking place and the guidelines for a new NATO Strategic Concept are being set, there is a need to renew our commitments and continue the transformation of NATO. It is also important to strengthen defence capabilities, balance the activities of the Alliance beyond the borders of NATO and pursue NATO’s open door policy.

An especially important task is to assure security and stability in Afghanistan, head of Lithuania‘s diplomacy said.

At the meeting, Minister V.Ušackas welcomed the decision of France to return to the Allied military structures.

“It is my belief that this decision by France will only strengthen our collective security in the Alliance”, the Minister said.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs and other high-ranking officials from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Latvia, Lithuania and the United States of America convened in Riga to discuss issues of inter-regional cooperation and the perspectives of such cooperation as Adriatic states integrate into Euro-Atlantic organizations.

The Adriatic–Baltic-Atlantic meetings take place since 2006. They are attended by the Adriatic and Baltic states that have signed Partnership Charters with the U.S. In December 2008, Ukraine signed a charter with the U.S. and Georgia followed the example in January 2009. These facts  serve as a reason to expand this format of cooperation in the direction of Eastern Europe.