Bilateral Assembly of the Seimas and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine sign a joint statement on further support

Press release, 21 October 2024

On 21 October 2024, the Assembly of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine signed a joint statement focused in particular on security and defence.

The statement stresses the need to fully support joint military cooperation projects between Lithuania and Ukraine, including joint manufacturing, investment in Ukraine’s defence industry, as well as the ZBROYARI initiative, demining and rehabilitation projects, and sharing of experience gained both in the military field and in institutional and societal preparedness for civil defence.

The Bilateral Assembly welcomes the plan of the Lithuanian Government to allocate 0.25 % of the Lithuanian annual gross domestic product (GDP) for Ukraine’s security and defence needs

The participants of the Assembly endorse the Victory Plan presented by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, at the Verkhovna Rada on 16 October 2024. They also call on the parliaments and governments of other countries to support the plan.

The document also notes that the support of the Lithuanian Parliament is needed to consolidate international support for Ukraine’s Victory Plan and advocate a Lithuanian-Ukrainian position on the timely provision of arms to Ukraine as well as, among others, on the lifting of restrictions on striking legitimate military targets on the Russian territory and on the authorisation of using air defence systems at NATO’s eastern borders.

The joint statement was signed by Žygimantas Pavilionis, Head of the Seimas Delegation to the Assembly, and Pavlo Sushko, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the Assembly. 

In addition to members of the delegations of the Seimas and of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Second Session of the Assembly hosted by the Seimas was also attended by Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas; Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Minister of National Defence. 

Agnė Radžiūtė, Chief Specialist, Press Office, Information and Communication Department, tel. +370 5 209 6210, e-mail: [email protected]