The President of France has arrived in Lithuania / Article / LSM.lv

On the evening of Monday, September 28, the President of France Emanuel Macrons and Mrs. Briţit arrived in Lithuania. They are welcomed with honor on the palace of the President of Lithuania.

This is the first bilateral visit of the French President to Lithuania in almost twenty years. Therefore, it is as important an event as we will experience on September 29 in Latvia.

It is planned that President Makron and his Lithuanian counterpart Gitan Nauseda will discuss several topics important for Lithuania and the whole region. These include the presence of about 300 French troops in Lithuania in the NATO Battlegroup, the Lithuanian troops’ mission in Mali, as well as relations with Russia and the situation in Belarus. Lithuania is very active in supporting Belarus and also hosts many opposition students who have been forced to leave Belarus due to the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.

The French president has also expressed readiness to meet with the leader of the Belarusian opposition Svetlana Tikhanovska. She called on Macron to mediate in the political crisis in Belarus, noting that Macron could also involve Russia in the dialogue. There is no concrete answer yet, and it will be known in the near future whether the meeting will take place.

At a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitan Nauseda, Macron said he understood Lithuania’s concerns about Moscow’s policies and the repression of the past. At the same time, he stressed that lasting peace in Europe can only be achieved in cooperation with Moscow. Macron said that “we cannot live as if Europe were an island far from Russia, so we must work strategically”.

Mr Nauseda emphasized that the French President’s visit marked excellent interstate relations. According to the President of Lithuania, the assessment of the two events in Belarus is unanimous, and the summit of European Union leaders scheduled for this week should confirm sanctions against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.

The President of France will also be in Lithuania on Tuesday, September 29, when he is scheduled to visit his country’s soldiers serving in the NATO Battalion in Rukla.

In turn, on Tuesday evening, Makrona is waiting for our visit to Latvia. He and his wife will be greeted by the President of Latvia Egils Levits, then a joint press release will follow, and on Wednesday, September 30, there will be an official program with a meeting with the Prime Minister, laying flowers at the Freedom Monument and a wider discussion at the National Library.

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