Prime Minister: Lithuania is faithful to the United Nations Charter principles

On Thursday, at the Office of the Government, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius has met with Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva Michael Møller, who had arrived in Lithuania on the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of Lithuania’s membership of the United Nations.     

“Having become member of the United Nations on 17 September 1991, Lithuania has returned to the international community of independent states. During those 25 years, having successfully completed its state-building process and reform process, Lithuania has turned stronger and more determined”, said the Prime Minister.    

Michael Møller has stressed that Lithuania is clearly visible in the international arena as a member of NATO, the European Union, and other international organisations, and acts in compliance with the principles of justice, democracy, and respect for fundamental human rights. 

The Head of Government has assured the Director-General that Lithuania will always remain faithful to the UN Charter principles of peace and security, disarmament, protection of human rights, reduction of poverty, sustainable development, and provision of immediate humanitarian assistance in cases of crisis.       

In the meeting, the Prime Minister has also briefly introduced implementation of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 in Lithuania, the national coordination mechanism, and Lithuania’s actions in development cooperation, with the focus on Eastern Partnership and provision of humanitarian assistance.  

“We aim to be responsible donors and to use the available budget in compliance with the principles of humanitarian assistance. In 2015, Lithuania allocated EUR 611,000 to humanitarian assistance, while this year, the amount has already reached EUR 711,500, with the major share offered to Ukraine”, said the Head of Government.

The United Nations Office at Geneva represents the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and is the second-largest UN Office in the world (after UN headquarters in New York). The Office is the major point of UN’s international diplomacy and information exchange, with 1,600 employees and approx. 10,000 bilateral and inter-governmental meetings, conferences, and other events held every year. The Office provides financial and administrative assistance services to approx. 20 Geneva-based organisations and agencies of the UN.