Preparations for the meeting of NATO leaders in Vilnius discussed in Canada
During his visit to Canada on June 11-13, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Egidijus Meilūnas met with officials of the Global Affairs Canada and the Prime Minister's Office, representatives of the Lithuanian Canadian Community, and appeared as a witness before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the House of Commons of Canada.
In the meetings with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison and Political Director Heidi Hulan of Global Affairs Canada and Assistant Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Defence Policy to the Cabinet Jordan Zed the discussions included the preparation for the NATO Summit in Vilnius, support for Ukraine and its NATO membership, the need to strengthen NATO forces for deterrence and defense on the eastern flank.
"We highly value Canada's contribution to the security of the Baltic States. As we approach the NATO Summit in Vilnius, it is important to implement the objectives on deterrence and defence raised during the Madrid Summit to ensure the forward defence of NATO's eastern border," – Vice-Minister E. Meilūnas said after his meetings in Ottawa.
During his meeting with Weldon Epp, Assistant Deputy Minister for the Indo-Pacific of Global Affairs Canada, the Vice-Minister presented Lithuania's position regarding the need to reduce economic dependence on China, opportunities to increase strategic diversification, and to strengthen cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region.
In meetings with representatives of the Lithuanian communities in Ottawa and Montreal, Vice-Minister E. Meilūnas made the presentation on the NATO Summit in Vilnius, the priorities of the Global Lithuania programme, and the upcoming referendum on multiple citizenship.
