News

On 17 June, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys took part remotly in an extraordinary EU Foreign Affairs Council, convened in response to the increased tensions in the the Middle East following the military escalation between Israel and Iran.

The Minister stressed that Iran's violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty  pose an existential threat to Israel, neighboring countries, and international security. This threat, according to the head of Lithuania's diplomacy, must be stopped as soon as possible.

"We must do our utmost to ensure that Iran resumes negotiations and provides all information related to its nuclear activities without delay, gives access to the IAEA inspectors, and resumes full cooperation with this organisation," the Minister said.

Budrys called on both sides to avoid further escalation and take urgent measures to stabilise the situation in the region. According to the Minister, the decisive factor for stabilization would be Iran's decision to resume negotiations on the nuclear agreement and to eliminate violations of  Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty  identified by the IAEA.

He also condemned Iran's military support to Russia, which has been ongoing for three years, and called for a strentghened EU response.

EU foreign ministers also discussed coordinated action to assist European citizens wishing to leave Israel and Iran.