Lithuania hosts NATO Parliamentary Assembly to discuss security issues

Europe, News June 1, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Lithuania hosted the two-day Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Vilnius on May 29-30.

The meeting was attended by NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, Chair of the Defence Committee in the German Bundestag Marie Agnes Strack Zimmermann, representatives of the Ukrainian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and the Speakers of the Swedish and Finnish Parliaments, Andreas Norlén and Matti Vanhanen.

The delegates debated and voted on a draft declaration that affirms the Assembly’s solidarity with Ukraine in addition to a draft declaration on confronting Russia’s threat.

NATO officials also held discussions on several key topics including: the lessons learned from NATO’s engagement in Afghanistan, NATO partnerships and the future of the Open Door policy, challenges to stability in the Western Balkans and the Middle East and North Africa, the growing strategic importance of Asia and the Indo-Pacific, the continued threat of terrorism, the important role and contribution of women to peace and security, Allied resilience efforts, cyber security and defence, the security impact of climate change, and strategic trade and corruption challenges.

During the session, NATO Deputy Secretary General Geoana noted how parliamentarians in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly have “a key role in encouraging strategic patience, public support for the long haul, and unity amongst our ranks” in the face of the Ukraine war.

The Deputy Secretary General of NATO stated that since the start of the war in Ukraine, the alliance members have “significantly stepped up our support for Ukraine.”

“We must be prepared to stay the course and sustain our efforts applying maximum pressure on President Putin to end this war and to do all we can to support Ukraine for the long haul,” Geoana added.

Geoana said in his closing remarks at the Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly that he continues to count on the alliance members “as the voice of our one billion people. As the guardians of our democratic values” to maintain the unity, solidarity, and strength of NATO.

*^{NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana with President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Gerald E. Connolly. (Image Credit: NATO)}*

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly was established in 1955 to engage parliamentarians from NATO member states in transatlantic issues and help build parliamentary and public consensus in support of the alliance policies.

The inter-parliamentary organization brings together legislators from NATO member countries to consider security-related issues of common interest and concern. Since the 1980s, the organization assumed additional roles by integrating into its work parliamentarians from NATO partner countries in Europe and beyond.