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On 20–21 July, continuing his visits to the capitals of European Union (EU) member states, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigitas Mitkus visited Lisbon, where he met with Portuguese politicians, diplomats, and business representatives to discuss preparations for Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2027, strengthening European security, EU enlargement, support for Ukraine, and other issues.

During the visit, Mitkus met with Inês Domingos, the Secretary of State for European Affairs at the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ana Isabel Xavier, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation; and António Rodrigues, a Member of the Portuguese Parliament; and visited the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) in Lisbon.

The meetings focused primarily on the priorities of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, including strengthening European security and defense, support for Ukraine, EU enlargement, boosting competitiveness, and preparations for the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034.

“During Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, we will strive to contribute to building a safer, more competitive, and stronger Europe. It is essential to enhance the EU’s ability to respond promptly to geopolitical challenges, strengthen defense capabilities, and ensure economic competitiveness,” said Vice-Minister Mitkus.

In discussions on the future of the EU, considerable attention was devoted to issues related to the EU’s future financial framework. In this context, the Vice-Minister emphasised that the EU budget must be sufficient to address new geopolitical, security, and competitiveness challenges, while ensuring the implementation of the objectives of cohesion and the Common Agricultural Policy.

Mitkus also stressed that Lithuania and Portugal support Ukraine and advocate for a strong EU response to Russian aggression.

“We must move forward immediately in the enlargement process, not only by opening the remaining negotiating clusters of the EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, but also by setting a date for Ukraine's EU membership and other candidate countries,” said the Vice-Minister.

When speaking about bilateral relations between Lithuania and Portugal, the Vice-Minister thanked the Portuguese soldiers for their contribution to strengthening the security of the Baltic states and emphasized the potential to strengthen cooperation between Lithuania and Portugal in the fields of defense, the economy, innovation, tourism, and culture, as well as to develop joint initiatives contributing to Ukraine’s reconstruction.

During the diplomats' meetings, the importance of strengthening the resilience of democratic institutions, combating disinformation, and fostering Europe’s historical memory was also emphasized.

During his visit to the European Maritime Safety Agency, Mitkus thanked the agency for its role in combating the activities of Russia’s shadow fleet and for monitoring the implementation of other oil-related sanctions. The Vice-Minister noted that Lithuania will continue to cooperate with EMSA to curb the activities of Russia’s shadow fleet.

“We agreed that, in preparation for Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, sanctions policy experts from Lithuania and EMSA will hold bilateral consultations,” said Mitkus.

During a meeting with Lithuania‘s Honorary Consul Luiz José Estrela de Sá Pessoa and João Noronha Lopes, a representative of business organizations, the Vice-Minister discussed the program of events in Portugal for Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, the potential for cooperation between Portuguese companies and Lithuania, investment opportunities, and the expansion of business cooperation in the fields of security and defense, biotechnology, financial technology, information technology, and renewable resources. They also discussed the mutual interest in establishing a Lithuanian-Portuguese Chamber of Industry and Commerce. During the meeting, they exchanged views on new opportunities and prospects for the development of bilateral relations between Lithuania and Portugal and discussed the role of Honorary Consuls in supporting the activities of the local Lithuanian community.