Speaker of the Seimas in Tallinn: regional security is a crucial prerequisite for the future of the Baltic States

Press release, 24 November 2023

Photo by Ilona Šilenkova, Office of the Seimas

Speaking at the 42nd session of the Baltic Assembly in Tallinn, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, noted that nothing could be more important for the Baltic States’ future than regional security, without which it would be impossible for them to exist. She also stressed that the Baltic Assembly must fight to eliminate all forms of dependence on Russia.

‘Apart from ending the dependence on physical supply chains, it is also essential to break free from the Kremlin’s narrative of the 20th century European history, and the Baltic Assembly can be very helpful in pursuing this task. With regard to our future, it is critical to emphasise that regional development must go hand in hand with progress in innovation and sustainability. This imperative is not a luxury; in fact, this is the only solution that will stand the test of time. The unity of our countries has withstood enormous hardships. Therefore, I look forward to welcoming you all at the next year’s Baltic Assembly session in Vilnius,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

According to the Speaker of the Seimas, the Baltic Assembly, as an organisation that was born in the joint struggle of the Baltic States connected by friendly relations, testifies to the resilience and unity of our nations.

‘We are bound by a spirit of endurance that has stood the test of time and continues to light our way into the future. The unity that is our strength will take us there,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen pointed out.

Photo by Ilona Šilenkova, Office of the Seimas

At the same time, the Speaker of the Seimas highlighted that the Baltic States, being at the forefront of the European Union and NATO, must continue to respond effectively while remaining engaged, active and determined.

‘I have invited the participants of the Assembly to build a strong international coalition of Parliaments standing in solidarity with Ukraine. It is imperative that the coalition membership extends to different regions worldwide. I have reiterated that Russia’s invasion is not a local conflict, but an open violation of international law, which means that democracies and people of good will across the world must join their forces to oppose autarchies,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

Parliaments and their leaders have an important role to play in this task. Therefore, the Speaker of the Seimas proposed to continue building on the good practice of holding a pre-summit Parliamentary Speakers meeting ahead of the NATO Summit, modelled on the pre-summit Parliamentary Speakers meeting ahead of the NATO Summit in Vilnius in 2023. Concurrently, she called for the BA members to demonstrate unity proving that the Kremlin was terribly mistaken to hope that this winter and the new political cycle of elections in the EU and the US would deflect people’s attention away from Russia.

‘Let us respond to their ungrounded expectations by strengthening Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against missiles and drones with advanced air defence systems; by holding Russia’s political and military leaders accountable to the world community for the war crimes they have committed; by introducing new sanctions and strictly implementing the existing ones; by providing assistance for the reconstruction of Ukraine; by supporting President Zelenskyy’s peace plan; by launching EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova as soon as possible; and by granting candidate status to Georgia,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

Regional security, in the words of the Speaker of the Seimas, is a crucial prerequisite for the future development of the Baltic States. However, security is not limited to defence; it also involves deeper integration.

Ilona Petrovė, Spokesperson for Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, tel.+ 370  5 239 6030, mob. + 370 698 42071, e-mail: [email protected], www.lrs.lt