President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Lauri Hussar said at the meeting with President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda in Vilnius that Estonia and Lithuania must continue close cooperation to support Ukraine on its path to the European Union and NATO.

Hussar noted that both Estonia and Lithuania had been at the forefront of providing comprehensive assistance to Ukraine and of raising the cost of aggression to Russia. “It is necessary to continue the close cooperation between Estonia and Lithuania in supporting Ukraine on its path to the EU and NATO,” he underlined.

Speaking of the upcoming NATO Summit, Hussar said that in the current complicated security policy situation, all NATO member countries should contribute to increasing their defence capability. “Two per cent of GDP for defence spending should not be a target for NATO member states but a minimum level,” he said.

At the meeting, Hussar and Nausėda also discussed the current state of regional infrastructure projects. “We hope that Rail Baltic will be completed as soon as possible, and that Estonians and Lithuanians will soon be able to travel between the two countries using a comfortable and fast train connection,” the President of the Riigikogu said.

In Vilnius, Hussar also met with his Lithuanian counterpart Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, with whom he discussed the relations between the two countries, the security situation of the region, the implementation of regional infrastructure projects and supporting Ukraine.

Hussar was in Vilnius to attend the meeting of Speakers of parliaments of NATO member countries, where increasing defence spending and defence investments by member countries, strengthening deterrence and defence posture, and plans for long-term support for Ukraine were discussed in preparation for the NATO Summit in July. Today, the Speakers visited the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area in Pabradė.

Within the framework of the meeting of Speakers, Hussar met with Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons of the UK Rosie Winterton and Vice-President of the National Assembly of France Valérie Rabault. He also had a meeting with the representatives of the Estonian community in Vilnius.

Hussar was accompanied on the visit by Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Marko Mihkelson and Chairman of the Estonia-Lithuania Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Riigikogu, Deputy Head of the Estonian delegation to the Baltic Assembly Enn Eesmaa.

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
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