Vice-Minister Verbickas in Washington: Lithuanian-US cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region remains a strategic priorityBilateral RelationsNews of the Ministry

On 2-5 March, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Vidmantas Verbickas visited Washington, D.C., where he discussed strengthening Lithuanian-U.S. cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. During his visit, he met with members of the United States Congress, State Department officials, and experts from major think tanks (Atlantic Council, Heritage Foundation, Hudson, Asia Society, Taiwan Global Institute).

The main focus of the visit was participation in the U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing entitled "Responding to China's Infiltration and Coercion in Europe." The Vice-Minister presented Lithuania's experience in dealing with China's economic coercion and emphasized the importance of solidarity among partners.

"For Lithuania, economic security is not a theoretical concept - it is based on our historical experience. After regaining the country's independence, the Soviet Union imposed an economic blockade on Lithuania. This experience taught us an important lesson that dependence creates vulnerability," said Verbickas.

The Vice-Minister noted that in 2021, China resorted to unprecedented economic and diplomatic coercion. "The case of Lithuania reveals a broader pattern of economic and diplomatic pressure being applied on democratic countries whose sovereign decisions do not align with Beijing's preferences," the Vice-Minister claimed.

According to Verbickas, Lithuania responded to the pressure by acting through the European Union, strengthening cooperation with partners, and rapidly diversifying its export markets. Lithuania has also strengthened its investment controls and made decisions on national security, including the exclusion of high-risk suppliers from 5G infrastructure. "Monitoring and reducing strategic dependencies has become an integral part of our economic policy," the Vice-Minister emphasised.

He also emphasized that Lithuania is strengthening coordination with its partners, especially the U.S., in sectors of particular importance, such as semiconductors, photonics, biotechnology, and defense technologies. Lithuania will continue to seek close cooperation with the U.S. and other partners in strengthening reliable and resilient supply chains among democratic countries.

The Vice-Minister also stressed that Lithuania remains open to dialogue with China, but that it could not be based on coercion: "We believe that stable relations must be based on reciprocity, respect for sovereignty, and compliance with international conventions."

The U.S. Congressmen Joe Wilson, Jake Ellzey, Marc Veasey, and Senator Ruben Gallego, who participated in the hearing, commended Lithuania for its demonstrated firm stance, for the strengthening of the country's resilience, and unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.

For the video of the hearing, please click here: https://www.youtube.com/live/ElLX4JQojzA?si=RRJHn_BObXpVICD3&t=