Preparations for the meeting of NATO leaders in Vilnius discussed in bilateral consultations between Lithuania and the United States
During his visit to the United States on June 8-11, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Egidijus Meilunas met with officials of the US National Security Council and the State Department, representatives of the Lithuanian community in the US, and participated in a discussion at the North American - Lithuanian Business Forum (NALB). During the meetings with the US institutions, preparations for the NATO Summit and cooperation between Lithuania and the US on bilateral, regional and global issues were discussed.
In the meetings with the Special Assistant to the US Preside and Senior Director for Europe in the National Security Council Amanda Sloat and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Douglas D. Jones discussions included preparations for the NATO leaders' meeting in Vilnius, as well as further support for Ukraine fighting against Russian aggression and its NATO membership aspirations, the need to strengthen NATO forces for deterrence and defense on the eastern flank, also bilateral cooperationon security and defense issues between Lithuania and the United States.
In the meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Geoffrey R. Pyatt, cooperation between Lithuania and the US in increasing energy security, further support to Ukraine in the field of energy security was discussed.
The need to reduce economic dependence on China, opportunities to increase strategic diversification, and cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region were discussed with Sarah Beran, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs at the US National Security Council, and Rick Waters, China Coordinator and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for China and Taiwan.
In meetings with representatives of the Lithuanian community in Washington and Baltimore, the development of Lithuanian education, repatriation to Lithuania, and preparation for the referendum on the preservation of Lithuanian citizenship were discussed.
The Vice-Minister also participated in the second North American - Lithuanian Business Forum held in Chicago, and presented Lithuanian support projects for the reconstruction of Ukraine. More than 300 business representatives from the US and Lithuania took part in the forum.
