Lithuania has a new strategic relationship with the USA, focusing on defense and security

Gairs highlighted political cooperation, focusing mainly on security and defense issues, economic relations, areas of cooperation attributed to the devil’s power, such as relations with the Lithuanian community, academic centers, educational organizations, culture and sports.

The strategic guidelines state that the US will pay more and more attention to China, and Washington’s attention to Europe will inevitably decrease.

Members of our community will feel more and more pressure to take more responsibility for their own safety. It cannot be ruled out that the United States, pragmatically evaluating whether each side contributes enough to collective security, will continue to keep the union’s unity as a priority until now, according to the report.

Therefore, it is necessary to identify right now what to choose and what action Lithuania must take, the authors of the guidelines add.

In the strategy, 50 measures and recommendations have been identified for how Lithuania can strengthen its cooperation with the United States.

The document envisages the pursuit of an uninterrupted US military presence in Lithuania, and Defense Minister Laurynas Kasinas has announced that he will listen to such a statement from US officials within a week.

It is also intended to ensure very good conditions for exercises, accommodation and training infrastructure, and to improve the conditions of military mobility.

It is planned to aim for Lithuania’s defense expenditure as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) to consistently approach the level of funding allocated to defense in the United States, which allocated 3.49% of GDP to defense last year.

The strategy aims to increase arms acquisitions to the USA, as well as to initiate cooperation between the USA, Germany and Lithuania in the 2+1 format regarding the deployment of allied forces in Lithuania.

Such a working tool will improve the partner’s plan and coordination of actions, strengthen the close cooperation between the USA, Germany and Lithuania, according to the strategy.

Attention to the media

Lithuania also intends to expand the network of cooperation with the US Congressional Committee and other parliamentary groups and factions, to increase the number of visits to Lithuania by US Congress members and their advisers organized by Lithuania’s initiative to at least three per year, with the aim of increasing Lithuania’s access to US decisions, expanding knowledge and interests for issues relevant to Lithuania.

The strategy also envisages developing contacts with the young generation of American politicians, for whom, according to the author of the guide, the experience of the Second World War and the importance of the transatlantic relationship have not been directly experienced and emotionally affected.

Closer cooperation with individual states is also planned, taking into account priority areas for Lithuania, for example, in the field of biotechnology with Massachusetts, in energy with Texas.

The strategy envisages the creation of US political analytical center units in Lithuania, as well as laying the foundations for the US study center to be established in Lithuania, which will analyze US political processes, build and maintain relations with partners in the United States, and organize information about US political processes.

It is planned to promote US investments and business development in Lithuania, to strive for Lithuania to become a major US nation, especially in the life sciences, information communication technologies and advanced engineering sectors.

The arrival of US companies, which hold leading positions in these fields, will contribute to the development of advanced technologies and will add value and job creation, and the economic interest of the US in Lithuania will expand to a greater emphasis of US decisions on our security and priorities, according to the strategy.

It is also intended to strengthen relations with the American media. It is planned to appoint a single person responsible for communication and relations with the media at the Lithuanian Embassy, ​​to regularly maintain contacts with journalists, to invite them to formal and informal conversations, to give priority to interviews of Lithuanian politicians and public figures on the networks with the largest audiences, CNN, Fox News, NBC, ABC, CBS, develop contacts with networks with a more conservative audience

As stated in the MFA commentary published by BNS, the document foresees the current close cooperation between Lithuania and the USA.

Some of the actions set out in the strategic plan are already being implemented, but the strategic guidelines also include new measures aimed at fully strengthening traditional friendly relations with one of our most important strategic partners in foreign and security policy, economy, investment, science and technology, culture and other important areas. , say representatives of the ministry.

According to him, this year it is planned to renew measures to strengthen Lithuania’s interests in relations with the USA in 2022-2024, by formulating the corresponding measures for the period of 2025-2026.

According to the ministry, the approval guidelines for the project will be decided at the next Government meeting.

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