Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas: Slovenia is an important EU and NATO partner for Lithuania

Press release, 16 May 2017

Photos of the Office of the Seimas (author Olga Posaškova)

On 16 May 2017, Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas, had a meeting with Milan Brglez, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia. The meeting addressed bilateral relations between Lithuania and Slovenia, and matters pertaining to their economic cooperation and security.

Mr Pranckietis noted the worrying increase in influence of third countries, in particular that of Russia, in the Western Balkan region. “It is very important for us to maintain the EU’s active role in the region, to keep a sound European perspective, and to enhance the EU’s strategic communication,” the Speaker of the Seimas said.

He believed that priority should be given to increasing the EU’s resilience by countering hybrid threats, ensuring energy and cyber security, safeguarding internal and external security, combating propaganda, and enhancing public trust in and support to the European project. The Speaker noted that Slovenia was an important EU and NATO partner for Lithuania.

When addressing the issue of cooperation between Lithuania and Slovenia in the areas of economy and education, the parliamentary leaders stressed the need for strengthening the links between both economies.

“Increasing the volumes of bilateral trade is one of the directions of our common work. We see good potential for more active cooperation in the fields of life sciences, chemical industry, electronics, and IT,” the Speaker of the Seimas said.

The delegation under the leadership of the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia paid a visit to Lithuania on 16–17 May 2017.

Dalia Vencevičienė, Senior Adviser to the Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6016, mob. +370 698 42 071, e-mail: [email protected]