LITHUANIA, March 17 - On behalf of the Government, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has greeted Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the people celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day, the National Day of Ireland.

‘I am certain that tens of thousands of Lithuanians residing in Ireland will join the celebration. Taking this opportunity, I note, with appreciation, the favourable conditions your Government provides for Lithuanian diaspora in Ireland. I am particularly grateful that Lithuanian children can learn the Lithuanian language in Irish schools. Our people-to-people contacts contribute greatly to strengthening of bilateral relations between our countries. Noting our effective partnership within the EU, I would also like to extend my greetings on the 50th anniversary of Ireland’s membership of the Union this year’, reads Prime Minister’s letter.

The Prime Minister has noted that the shocking and brutal Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows that no country can take its independence and territorial integrity for granted, as we witness how fragile peace and stability in Europe is.

‘There is an urgent need for our countries, the EU, and all the democratic world to stay united and help Ukraine in its heroic efforts to defend itself and Europe’s future. We must augment the pressure on Putin and his supporter Lukashenko regimes with the strongest possible sanctions’, says the Prime Minister. We must continue calling for international persecution and personal accountability for all those responsible for the crimes against humanity in Ukraine’, reads the letter.

According to the Prime Minister, most of the EU member states, including Ireland and Lithuania, are already welcoming Ukrainian refugees fleeing the atrocities of Putin’s war. Everyone tries to alleviate the immense humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, offering urgent humanitarian assistance.

The Prime Minister has expressed hope that Lithuania and Ireland join efforts in supporting Ukraine’s request for immediate granting of the EU candidate status. This would provide Ukraine with a much needed blueprint for reconstruction and long-term reforms – and its people with the reassurance that we truly see them as an integral part of the European family.