Lithuania’s Foreign Minister: The crisis in the Middle East requires close cooperation between the EU and the Gulf states
On 19 April, on the margins of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys met with the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi. The meeting took place at the GCC’s initiative in order to discuss the region’s security challenges.
The Minister expressed Lithuania’s solidarity with the GCC states in light of Iran’s attacks, which violated their territorial integrity and sovereignty, and stressed that security in the Gulf must not be treated as a secondary issue in any future arrangements with Iran.
“Lithuania strongly condemns Iran’s military actions against the Gulf states. Attacks against civilian infrastructure, energy facilities, and residential buildings constitute a flagrant violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. Lithuania consistently supports the GCC countries and contributes to international efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” said K. Budrys.
The meeting also addressed cooperation between the EU and the GCC. According to the Minister, Lithuania supports strengthening the partnership with the GCC states in the areas of security, trade, investment, energy, green transformation, and people-to-people ties.
According to K. Budrys, Lithuania has already taken concrete steps by facilitating visa issuance for citizens of GCC countries, while trade and investment volumes between Lithuania and these states are growing significantly.
Support for Ukraine was also discussed during the meeting. The Minister thanked the Gulf states for their contribution and called for continued support, alongside stronger pressure on Russia to end its aggression.
K. Budrys also underscored that Iran’s destabilising actions, as well as its support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, have a direct impact on the security of both Europe and the Gulf.
At the end of the meeting, the upcoming EU-GCC political dialogue agenda was discussed, including the forthcoming summit and a ministerial-level meeting. According to the Minister, the current context provides an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation in defence, security, and economic affairs, ensuring a mutually beneficial partnership between Europe and the Gulf states.
