Rasa Budbergytė: Lithuanian Presidency’s success begins with the rallying of partners

Press release, 6 October 2026 (News ● Photos ● Broadcasts and videos)

On 4–5 October 2026, at the invitation of Rasa Budbergytė, Chair of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs, Kaunas welcomed the chairpersons and representatives of the European Union affairs committees of the Parliaments of the Nordic and Baltic States, Poland and Germany, as well as the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Norwegian Parliament. The parliamentarians discussed the changing security environment, the European neighbourhood, the strengthening of European defence capabilities, and the role of unmanned systems in modern warfare.

Welcoming the participants, Ms Budbergytė underlined the following: ‘Baltic and Nordic countries, Poland and Germany have many opportunities to work together, from joint defence industry projects to the protection of airspace and Baltic Sea infrastructure. Our people have a legitimate expectation that we will embrace these opportunities to the fullest. We must therefore agree on where we can join forces and which initiatives to prioritise.’

According to Ms Budbergytė, the success of the Lithuanian Presidency begins with the partners we are bringing together today. ‘Our aim is to secure the widest possible European backing for the priorities of our region so that our collective defence grows stronger, Ukraine can count on long-term support, and both Ukraine and Moldova move forward on the path towards EU membership. The meeting in Kaunas helps us to prepare for this work together,’ Ms Budbergytė said.

During the meeting, the speakers emphasised the need for swift decision-making: Europe must respond more quickly to security challenges and, with winter approaching, must first and foremost help Ukraine protect its airspace and energy infrastructure, while accelerating the development of its own defence industry. A key message was that Russia is attempting to divide European societies and weaken support for Ukraine through hybrid means. Therefore, there is a need for open communication with the public, the clear identification of those responsible, and the ability to respond decisively. The speakers also highlighted that civil society and a free press contributed to the timely identification of threats.

The parliamentary debate focused primarily on a joint response to hybrid threats, the protection of critical infrastructure, public resilience, and civil preparedness. The participants agreed that Russia’s hybrid activities pose a threat to the whole of Europe. Therefore, it is important to convey this message more clearly to other countries, to maintain political support for Ukraine, and to ensure that sanctions remain effective. Particular emphasis was placed on the strategic importance of EU enlargement and on the role of national parliaments in building support for Ukraine.

As regards the strengthening of European defence capabilities and the role of unmanned systems in modern warfare, it was emphasised that Europe needs to rapidly expand the production of unmanned systems and train their operators, while keeping solutions flexible, as technology can become obsolete within a matter of months. The participants also noted that unmanned systems are an important, but not the only defence tool.

Informal meetings of the chairpersons of the European affairs committees of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Nordic countries are held in rotation prior to each plenary meeting of COSAC. The LXXVI Plenary Meeting of COSAC will take place in Dublin on 6–8 December 2026.

The Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC) is the largest and most important forum of the European affairs committees of Parliaments of the EU Member States held for discussing key items on the EU agenda. COSAC is hosted by the Parliament of the Member State holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU. 

Martynas Lukoševičius, Adviser, Office of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs, tel. +370 5 209 6881.