LITHUANIA, March 25 - Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has sent a message of greetings to Greece celebrating the Independence Day of the Hellenic Republic.

‘This year we mark the 100th anniversary since Greece has officially recognized Lithuania. I am delighted to note that the bilateral cooperation between our countries is getting more active in many areas, including on fighting illegal migration, and we enjoy effective partnership within the EU and NATO’, reads Prime Minister’s letter. The Prime Minister underlines that Russia’s shocking and brutal 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. In this regard, I appreciate the principled stance of Greece and the Greek people in supporting Ukraine and its people. We must augment the pressure on Putin and his supporter Lukashenko regimes with the strongest sanctions. We must continue calling for international persecution and personal accountability for all those responsible for the crimes against humanity in Ukraine’, reads the letter.

Most of the EU member states, including Greece and Lithuania, are already welcoming Ukrainian refugees, fleeing the atrocities of Putin’s war.

‘I commend the Greek leadership in providing humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of civilians in Mariupol. I sincerely hope that international pressure will result in secure humanitarian corridors from Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities under Russia’s inhumane siege, leading victims of war into safety.  I hope that Lithuania and Greece can 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 would get reassurance that we truly see them as an integral part of the European family’, reads the letter of greetings.