Vice-Minister Valys in Brussels highlighted the importance of the transatlantic partnership and Europe's digital resilience

On 1 July, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Taurimas Valys participated in the DIGITALEUROPE Summer Summit 2026 in Brussels, where he discussed priorities for Europe's digital future and presented Lithuania's preparations for its 2027 Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On 1 July, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Taurimas Valys participated in the DIGITALEUROPE Summer Summit 2026 in Brussels, where he discussed priorities for Europe's digital future and presented Lithuania's preparations for its 2027 Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

During the keynote conversation "Europe's digital future: Presidency Priorities", the Vice-Minister stressed that Europe's security and technological progress are interdependent: strong defence must go hand in hand with advances in digital capabilities and innovation.

"Europe must strengthen both its security and its technological foundations at the same time. Only resilience, defence and digital sovereignty can ensure long-term competitiveness and security", said the Vice-Minister Valys.

The discussion highlighted that the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU will focus on strengthening defence readiness, building resilience and protecting critical infrastructure from hybrid threats, including cyberattacks, disinformation and infrastructure disruptions.

The Vice-Minister also stressed the need to reduce strategic digital dependencies and strengthen European powers in the areas of artificial intelligence, data, cloud technologies, and cybersecurity, while maintaining a credible international partnership, particularly at the transatlantic level.

"Digital sovereignty does not mean isolation; it is the ability to act. Europe needs to strengthen its potential while remaining open to cooperation with reliable partners", said Valys.

In Brussels, the Vice-Minister also met with James Lovegrove, the Public Policy Director at Red Hat, and Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director General of DIGITALEUROPE, to discuss digital policy, the development of innovation ecosystems and strengthening cooperation.

DIGITALEUROPE's Summer Summit 2026 brought together representatives of the European institutions, member states and the technology sector to discuss key issues for Europe's digital transformation, competitiveness and security.