Lipavsky held talks with Lithuanian minister on strengthening defence and limiting Russian diplomats

PRAGUE - Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský met his Lithuanian counterpart Kęstutis Budrys in Prague on Monday. The main topics of the meeting were the strengthening of the defence policy of both countries, the preparation of the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague and the coordination of steps against Russian influence in the Schengen area. The two statesmen stressed the need for a continued increase in defence spending. "Europe's security is not a given and requires long-term investments," Lipavsky told the press conference. Lithuania, like the Czech Republic, is striving to reach the 2 percent defence spending threshold in line with NATO commitments.

An important part of the talks was the preparation for the NATO summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, in July. Both sides supported strengthening the eastern wing of the alliance and further assistance to Ukraine, both military and political. Another point discussed was the restriction of the movement of Russian diplomats within the Schengen area. "Russia uses diplomatic missions for subversive activities. We must defend ourselves," Budrys said. Ministers agreed on the need for more intensive information exchange between EU member states and a coordinated approach to limiting Russian diplomatic staff.

According to both diplomats, the meeting confirmed the close bilateral relations between the Czech Republic and Lithuania and their common interests in the field of security policy. At the end of the meeting, cooperation within regional formats, including the Three Seas Initiative and the Eastern Partnership, was also praised.

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