Vice-Minister Audra Plepytė: Lithuania supports Armenia’s democratic reforms and its efforts to deepen relations with the EU

On 13-14 April, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Audra Plepytė is visiting Armenia. On the first day of the visit, meetings were held with the Armenian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vahan Kostanyan; the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Ruben Rubinyan; the Secretary of the Security Council, Armen Grigorian; the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Armen Ghazaryan; and other government representatives.

During the visit, the active political dialogue between Lithuania and Armenia was highlighted, as well as their expanding cooperation in the fields of home affairs, border security, energy, crisis management, combating disinformation, and other areas.

The Vice-Minister emphasised Lithuania's strong support for Armenia's efforts to deepen relations with the European Union, including Lithuania's expert assistance in pursuing the EU-Armenia visa liberalisation process.

"We consistently support Armenia's commitment to implementing a comprehensive reform agenda based on the principles of democracy, transparency, and the rule of law," the Vice-Minister emphasized.

Plepytė expressed hope that the National Assembly elections scheduled for 7 June would reinforce Armenia's commitment to integration, and that a transparent and fair electoral process would contribute to strengthening democracy in the country.

The meetings also addressed the challenges facing the security of Armenia and the entire South Caucasus region. Plepytė welcomed Armenia's efforts to diversify its economy, trade, and energy sector, as well as to increase its resilience to hybrid threats.

In addition, the importance of supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression for European and broader security was emphasized.