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On 29 July, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Vidmantas Verbickas met with the newly appointed Ambassadors of Namibia, Ecuador, and Guatemala to Lithuania.

During the meeting with Namibia’s Ambassador to Lithuania, Gebhard Benjamin Kandanga, who resides in Helsinki, the parties discussed bilateral relations, opportunities to strengthen economic cooperation, the development of business contacts, prospects for expanding cultural and academic exchanges, and cooperation within international organizations. The interlocutors positively assessed the first Lithuanian-Namibian political consultations, which took place in Vilnius in May 2026; these consultations provided additional momentum for the development of bilateral relations and helped identify promising areas for cooperation. Particular attention was paid to emerging partnerships, drawing on Lithuania’s accumulated experience in developing solutions for data governance and water management.

“We appreciate the growing dialogue between Lithuania and Namibia and see a great deal of untapped potential in both political and economic cooperation. Let’s ensure that this is realized not only through our hopes, but also through concrete actions,” said Verbickas.

They also exchanged views on current items on the international agenda.

The meetings with Vicente Francisco Albornoz Guarderas, the Ecuadorian Ambassador to Berlin, and Sandra Noriega Urízar de Kugler, the Guatemalan Ambassador to Warsaw, bilateral political and economic relations and opportunities for further cooperation were addressed. The Ambassadors of Ecuador and Guatemala expressed interest in Lithuania’s high-tech sector and the country’s accumulated experience in this field. Vice-Minister Verbickas presented Lithuania’s business environment and the potential of the information and financial technology, cybersecurity, and other high-tech sectors. The meetings also addressed prospects for strengthening political dialogue. Plans are in place to hold the first bilateral political consultations with Ecuador and to sign a memorandum of understanding with Guatemala in the near future regarding the establishment of a mechanism for bilateral political consultations.

In his talks with the Ambassadors, the Vice-Minister emphasized the importance of international law, the principles of the United Nations Charter, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and called for the international community to maintain a principled stance regarding Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine within the United Nations and other multilateral forums.

Namibia recognized Lithuania’s independence on 30 September 1991, and diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Namibia were established on 22 December 2005. Lithuania established diplomatic relations with Ecuador on 20 October 1992, and with Guatemala on 14 December 1993.