Vice-Minister Plepytė: NATO‘s extended deterrence allows Lithuania to stay safeNATO and International SecurityNews of the Ministry

On 27-28 April, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Audra Plepytė participates in the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT ) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York (USA).

During the general debate of the conference, the Vice-Minister emphasized the importance of extended deterrence for both international and Lithuanian security.

"NATO's expanded deterrence and nuclear sharing arrangements ensure our security."...the Alliance guarantees rules-based security, anchored in commitment and collective responsibility, not in nuclear proliferation or coercion," the Vice-Minister said.

The Vice-Minister also condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine, noting that Russia's actions grossly violate international law, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). She strongly condemned Russia's actions at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and demanded the immediate withdrawal from it and return the plant to the full control of the competent Ukrainian authorities. Support for Russian aggression from Belarus, Iran, and North Korea was also condemned.

Plepytė also participated in an event organised by Ukraine, together with Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, to discuss the nuclear security and safety situation in Ukraine. The event underlined that Russia's and Rosatom's actions pose a threat to global nuclear security and that Russia must be held to account.

On the sidelines of the NPT Review Conference, the Vice-Minister met with Stephen Doughty, Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories in the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the US Permanent Representative to the UN Mike Waltz, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, and Izumi Nakamitsu, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.

The NPT is a key international agreement aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, promoting disarmament, and enabling the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The treaty entered into force in 1970. Lithuania acceded to the NPT in 1991. Review conferences are held every five years.