LITHUANIA, March 14 - Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has congratulated His Holiness Pope Francis on the ninth anniversary of his election wishing him inspiration and resolve to continue spreading faith and hope for a more peaceful and just life in the world.

The Prime Minister has also invited the Pope to use all available means to mediate peace talks in Ukraine, while pledging Lithuania’s full support for the efforts to restore peace in the country attacked by Russia.

‘These days, with the cloudy sky full of sparks of war, we would like to see instead the light of hope and peace. We pray with you that this great tragedy end as soon as possible, that hope and peace return to the hearts and homes of the people of Ukraine and all over the world, and that the freedom of Ukraine remain intact’, says Ingrida Šimonytė in her letter to Pope Francis.

The Prime Minister has also thanked the Holy Father for his attention to Lithuania, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania this year.

As the Prime Minister mentions in her letter, Lithuanians know very well what it means to oppose a regime that despises freedom and human rights, so today, amid the threats to peace and security throughout the Western world, they stand wholeheartedly with the Ukrainians.

The Prime Minister has assured His Holiness that Lithuania will continue to support, host, and take care of the Ukrainian people fleeing the brutal war.