Lithuanian leaders congratulate Truss on British PM nomination

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Monday congratulated Liz Truss on winning her Conservative Party’s nomination to be the next British prime minister.

“I would like to offer you my sincere congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,” Šimonytė wrote in her message of congratulations. “Lithuania is honoured to call the United Kingdom a great friend and a strategic partner.”

The prime minister said that Lithuania “highly values” the UK’s “continuous commitment to the security of the NATO Eastern flank and the Baltic region in particular and the outstanding leadership in supporting Ukraine’s fight against brutal Russian aggression”.

“As Ukraine heroically continues fighting for its own freedom and the global security order, our unity and joint support efforts are crucial in withstanding and stopping this unjustified Russian aggression, as well as in not letting the global community get used to the flames of war on the European soil,” she said.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Landsbergis also congratulated Truss on her new position.

“It was a pleasure working with you at the Foreign Office in support of Ukraine and I am looking forward to increasing our cooperation even further. Lithuania is ready to welcome you!” he wrote on Twitter.

Congratulations on making it to the top job, @trussliz. It was a pleasure working with you at the Foreign Office in support of Ukraine and I am looking forward to increasing our cooperation even further. Lithuania is ready to welcome you! pic.twitter.com/HthW5YBHs4
— Gabrielius Landsbergis (@GLandsbergis) September 5, 2022

Truss, who previously served as UK’s foreign secretary, will formally take office on Tuesday. She will be the UK’s third female prime minister after Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher.

In March this year, Truss visited Lithuania and met with the foreign ministers of the Baltic states.

“The UK stands with our allies and does all we can do to support Ukraine against Putin’s war choice. We must ensure Putin fails in this horrific enterprise and his ambitions go no further,” she said in Vilnius.