Striving for EU membership is not a short or easy way – we believe in the European perspective of your country and we believe that it will become a consolidating factor for the Government to carry out reforms, – Lithuanian President said after meeting with President Salome Zurabishvili.
As Gitanas Nauseda mentioned said, at the meeting with the Georgian colleague, they talked about the need to increase the resilience of the society, strengthen the capabilities of the country’s institutions and pro-European, pro-Atlantic aspirations.
“Lithuania and its people are supporters of Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration. This visit once again confirms our mood and strength. At the meeting, we had the opportunity to discuss in detail the prospects of bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Georgia – political dialogue, support for Euro-Atlantic integration, institutional cooperation.
Congratulations, President. Your people were awarded a European perspective last year. We sincerely wish Georgia success in achieving its goal and becoming a member of the European Union. Striving for EU membership is not a short or easy way – it is a path of transformation, clear and tangible reforms that benefit the citizens of the country. We believe in the European perspective of the country and we believe that it will become a consolidating factor for the Government to carry out reforms.
At the meeting, we also talked about security challenges – hybrid threats and disinformation; on the need to increase the resilience of the society, to strengthen the capacities of the country’s institutions and pro-European, pro-Atlantic aspirations. Politically motivated cases and pressure on the media and non-governmental organizations are not what strengthen democracy or citizen resilience.
We also discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine, which has major implications for both European and regional security. Russia continues the devastating war that destabilizes the region, including the South Caucasus. Political, military, financial and humanitarian support to Ukraine is vital. Lithuania is a strong and consistent supporter of Ukraine. It is important to impose economic sanctions on the aggressor because economic pressure reduces the ability of the aggressor to continue to achieve imperialist goals. President, I want to assure you that Lithuania supports Georgia’s aspirations to deepen mutual cooperation with NATO. We will continue to support you to choose your own alliances. External forces have no right to interfere in the decisions of other countries. Lithuania supports Georgia’s independence, territorial integrity and constant efforts to strengthen the country’s statehood and democracy,” said Gitanas Nauseda.
The President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, has started an official visit to the Republic of Lithuania. The welcoming ceremony was held at Vilnius International Airport.
