News

On 6 May, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Vidmantas Verbickas met with Hans Kluge, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, who was visiting Lithuania.

The meeting focused on close and successful cooperation between Lithuania and the WHO, including the WHO Regional Office for Europe in the Danish capital Copenhagen. The participants highlighted relevant issues of WHO activities, funding, and reforms implemented by the WHO management.

Coherent and continuous support of Lithuania and the WHO for Ukraine, suffering from the Russian aggression, was underlined as a particularly important priority. The Republic of Lithuania is a strong supporter of multilateralism and functioning in international organisations, including the WHO. Lithuania attaches great importance to the WHO's support for and activities in Ukraine", said Vice-Minister Verbickas.

He also stressed the need to further limit the aggressor Russia’s activities in international organisations and welcomed  the decision adopted by the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in 2023 to close the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in Moscow and relocate its functions to Copenhagen.

The meeting discussed the strengthening of cooperation between Lithuania and WHO on preparedness for major crises, the ongoing negotiations by the WHO on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex, a part of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, the 79th session of the World Health Assembly to be held in Geneva this month, Lithuania's readiness to hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2027 and possible interaction with the WHO at that time, as well as other relevant issues.