The President received letters of credence from the Ambassadors of France, Thailand and Austria

On Thursday, President Gitanas Nausėda received letters of credence from three ambassadors: Lucie Stepanyan, Ambassador of the French Republic; Suphanvasa Chotikajan Tang, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand; and Johannes Aigner, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria.

During his meeting with the new Ambassador of France, the President discussed the strategic partnership between the two countries, grounded in shared democratic values and the pursuit of a secure and strong Europe. He noted that last year's successful Season of Lithuania in France and its counterpart program, French Echoes in Lithuania, marked a vivid cultural revival and gave fresh impetus to strengthen cultural and academic ties. According to the President, Lithuania highly values France's leadership in ensuring European security, reinforcing NATO's eastern flank, supporting Ukraine, and rallying the Coalition of the Willing. He also conveyed his personal gratitude to President Emmanuel Macron for his significant contribution in supporting Ukraine, for key deterrence initiatives against Russia, and for his continued attention to the security of our region.

During his meeting with the Ambassador of Austria, the President discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations and expand economic cooperation, particularly in innovation and high technologies. He underlined the importance of the REPowerEU action plan for the European Union in phasing out Russian fossil and nuclear fuel imports by 2027. Lithuania, which stopped importing energy from Russia in 2022, welcomes Austria's decision this year to end gas imports from Russia. The President thanked Austria for its support to Ukraine and invited Austria to join Lithuania in contributing to the restoration and long-term rebuilding of Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

In his meeting with the Ambassador of Thailand, the President emphasized Lithuania's interest in expanding bilateral relations and cooperation in the international arena. He stressed the importance of the EU-ASEAN strategic partnership, particularly in strengthening the rules-based world order, promoting trade and developing resilient supply chains. The President noted that Russia's war against Ukraine poses a threat to international order and security that the international community must stop. The meeting also addressed prospects for bilateral economic cooperation.