Afghanistan
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis commented on the request of the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus to extradite Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Lithuania has been and will be a wall behind which all the democratic forces that are persecuted by regimes can seek refuge. Therefore, everyone who finds refuge in Lithuania can feel safe that they will not be extradited to regimes – neither for their struggle for democracy, nor freedom of expression and religious views. Thus, we can tell the Belarusian regime that we would rather watch hell freeze over than consider its demands."
On 4 March, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis had a virtual conversation with the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó.
On 2 March, the Council of the European Union imposed targeted restrictive measures on four Russian officials responsible for the jailing of Alexei Navalny and the repression of peaceful protests. This is the first time that the EU imposes sanctions in the framework of the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime or the so-called EU Magnitsky Law. The scheme that was adopted on 7 December 2020 enables to target individuals, entities, and other bodies responsible for constant serious human rights violations.
On 26 February, marking the Day of Resistance to Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. We strongly condemn the Russian military aggression against Ukraine that started seven years ago and still continues, and the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol in gross violation of international law.
On 25 February in Chişinău, during the first visit to Moldova, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis met with the President of Moldova Maia Sandu and other high-ranking government officials. The meeting with the President of Moldova focused on bilateral relations, the political situation in the country, the agenda of European integration, the reform process in Moldova, the pandemic and vaccination, and other international policy issues.
We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania express serious concerns over the political situation developing in Georgia and urge all political forces to act with restraint, de-escalate the situation and seek constructive solution in the interest of Georgia and all its citizens. We stress the critical importance of the rule of law and political dialogue in order to resolve the current crisis.
Annual interactive debate on the rights of persons with disabilities
Intervention by the Nordic and Baltic States
delivered by the Ambassador Andrius Krivas, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva
On 1 March, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Mantas Adomėnas took part in a virtual High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, which was co-hosted by the United Nations and the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland. During the event, Lithuania announced its pledge to allocate EUR 100, 000 for humanitarian aid to the Yemen Humanitarian Fund.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania notes that on February 26 an information attack was carried out against Lithuanian-Polish relations and against NATO.
On 25 February, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Mantas Adomėnas took part in an enhanced interactive dialogue on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet's comprehensive report on the situation of human rights in Belarus in the context of the 2020 presidential election.
On 24 February, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Mantas Adomėnas took part in a virtual ministerial meeting of the Alliance for Multilateralism, which for the second time convened in the margins of the High Level Segment of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. The meeting looked into new challenges for human rights and preparedness and response to health crisis.
On 24 February, Kęstutis Kudzmanas, Ambassador of Lithuania to Moldova, handed over to the Moldovan representatives a donation of protective equipment from NATO, consisting of 25,000 disposable suits for biological protection.
On 18 February, a virtual side-event on the human rights violations in Belarus took place in the run-up to the 46th session of the Human Rights Council. The event aimed to discuss the ongoing human rights violations in Belarus and possible ways of how the international community, and the UN Human Rights Council in particular, could contribute to ensuring the accountability for those violations.
On 16 February, the Ambassador of Lithuania to the United Kingdom Renatas Norkus presented his letters of credence to the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said and conveyed the Lithuanian President's congratulations to the people of Oman on the occasion of the country's 50th National Day in November 2020.
Lithuania deposited with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe the instrument of ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events. Its purpose is to go from a violence-focused approach towards an integrated approach based on safety, security and service. The Convention also promotes co-operation between all public and private stakeholders, including supporters, in order to provide a safe, secure and welcoming environment at football matches and other sports events.
On 12 February, the Permanent Representative of Lithuania Ambassador Andrius Krivas took the floor at the 29th Special Session of the Human Rights Council, initiated by the United Kingdom and the European Union, on the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar.