Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas: Germany is Lithuania’s strategic partner

Press release, 5 July 2017

On Wednesday, 5 July 2017, Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas, met with Norbert Lammert, President of the German Bundestag, and Hans-Peter Bartels, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces.

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

Mr Pranckietis and the German delegation led by Mr Lammert discussed the security situation in the Baltic region, Germany’s role in ensuring regional security, its leadership in deploying NATO-led multinational forces in Lithuania, the importance of developing the EU’s Energy Union in ensuring energy security of Member States, and the potential for developing the bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Germany as well as enhancing it in different fields.

The Speaker of the Seimas maintained that Lithuania was grateful to the German Government for its decision to take on a leading role in forming the enhanced forward presence forces in Lithuania. He believed that Germany’s role in ensuring the security of the region was crucial.

“We are grateful to Germany for its role in reassuring regional security and its leadership in deploying NATO-led multinational forces in Lithuania. This demonstrates the solidarity of NATO member countries and their commitment to collective defence as envisaged in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. It equally leads to deeper integration between EU Member States,” Mr Pranckietis said.

The Speaker of the Seimas noted that Germany was Lithuania’s strategic partner that was instrumental in attracting investment, technologies and transit flows of goods, developing trade, and enhancing scientific cooperation and student exchange.

After the meeting with Mr Pranckietis, the German delegation visited NATO’s enhanced forward presence battalion in Rukla.

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