Vice-Minister Verbickas: The presence of the U.S. troops in Lithuania is proof of a strong transatlantic partnership and NATO unityBilateral RelationsNews of the Ministry

On 10 November, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Vidmantas Verbickas met with a delegation of advisors to members of the U.S. Congress, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, who were visiting Lithuania.

On 10 November, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Vidmantas Verbickas met with a delegation of advisors to members of the U.S. Congress, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, who were visiting Lithuania.

During the meeting, the security situation in Lithuania and the region was discussed, including the intensification of hybrid threats, support for Ukraine and further measures to end Russian aggression, imposing sanctions against Russia and hostile regimes supporting it. Current issues of bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and the United States in the areas of security and defence, economy and energy were also addressed.

The Vice Minister Verbickas thanked the representatives of the U.S. Congress for consistent and strong U.S. support for the security of the Baltic states, stressing the importance of the deployment of the U.S. troops in Lithuania and support for the protection of critical infrastructure. The meeting highlighted the importance of the strategic partnership between Lithuania and the U.S. in achieving common goals and strengthening regional deterrence and defence, resilience to hybrid threats and energy independence.

"A strong transatlantic bond tops our political agenda. Lithuania is not only a security recipient, but also a leading NATO ally, consistently increasing investment in defence, capability and military infrastructure development. We are grateful to the U.S. for the deployment of forces in Lithuania and for the attention and support to the security of the Baltic states. The presence of the U.S. troops in our country is an indispensable element of deterrence and defence, demonstrating that the transatlantic link remains strong and vital for the NATO Alliance," said the Vice-Minister.

A delegation of advisors to members of the U.S. Congress was visiting Lithuania from 9 to 11 November. During the visit, they got acquainted with the security situation in Lithuania and the Baltic Sea region, the political situation of the Baltic states, and discussed issues and perspectives of bilateral cooperation. These visits to Lithuania are organised twice a year in order to enhance mutual understanding and strategic dialogue. After the visit to Lithuania, the delegation will visit Latvia and Estonia.

During the visit, the delegation of advisors to members of the U.S. Congress also met with advisors to the President of the Republic of Lithuania, representatives of the Seimas Committees on Foreign Affairs, National Security and Defence, the Group for Inter-Parliamentary Relations with the United States of America, the Ministry of National Defence and the National Crisis Management Centre, visited the U.S. troops deployed to the Pabradė Training Area and inspected the newly-built military infrastructure.