K. Vaitiekūnas at a meeting with EC Vice President R. Fitto: a strong eastern border – a pan-European responsibility
Today in Brussels, Minister of Finance Kristupas Vaitiekūnas and Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reforms, discussed the security of the eastern border of the European Union and Lithuania's preparations for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2027.
"We highly appreciate the efforts of the European Commission in preparing the Communication on Eastern Border Regions. We hope that the recognition of the exceptional challenges faced by these regions, especially those bordering the aggressor countries, will be turned into credible, strategic and forward-looking actions. This is not only a national responsibility of the Eastern countries, but also a shared European responsibility, as these regions protect the stability, security and integrity of the European Union as a whole," Minister Finance Kristupas Vaitiekūnas said at the meeting.
The Minister welcomed the initiative “East Invest” specifically designed for the EU's eastern regions, saying that it was a positive step forward. "We very much hope that in the new financial perspective it will be further strengthened and adequately funded to provide real support to the regions facing the greatest challenges", K. Vaitiekūnas stressed.
During the meeting, the Minister of Finance presented R. Fitto with Lithuania's preparations for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (in the first half of 2027) and presented the main priorities of the Presidency.
"The main objectives of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council are to contribute to strengthening the resilience, unity, strategic autonomy, competitiveness and democratic values of the European Union by ensuring the efficient and smooth work of the Council, aligning the interests and political priorities of the European Union as a whole, taking into account the challenges to European and global security, economy, technological transformation, climate and democracy," K. Vaitiekūnas noted.
The Minister of Finance also invited R. Fitto to continue the discussion on security issues in the Eastern region at the conference "Strengthening Resilience of EU's Eastern Border, Searching for Strategic and Coordinated Actions" to be held in Vilnius on 24 April.
Last updated: 17-02-2026
Related news:
S&P Global Ratings confirmed Lithuania’s credit rating
Defence bonds were distributed for EUR 80.5 million across recent issues