The next meeting of NATO leaders will take place in Vilnius on July 11-12, 2023, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has announced.
He informed representatives of NATO member states about the official dates of the summit on Wednesday.
“We are very proud to host a NATO summit in Vilnius; hopefully, it will be a celebration of victory. For this to happen, we call on our partners not only to continue but also to increase their support for Ukraine,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis was quoted as saying in a press release.
President Gitanas Nausėda said that he was looking forward to welcoming allies and like-minded partners in the Lithuanian capital.
“Facing Russia’s bloody war in Ukraine, we stand in unity and solidarity, committed to collective defense,” he wrote on Twitter.
It‘s official: #NATO Summit in Vilnius will take place on 11-12 July, 2023.
— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) November 9, 2022
Looking forward to welcoming allies & partners at #VilniusSummit!
Facing Russia's bloody war in Ukraine, we stand in unity & solidarity, committed to collective defense. #WeAreNATO #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/Y4qbHvCqCu
Landsbergis noted that the choice of Vilnius for the NATO summit highlighted the security of NATO’s eastern flank and sent a strong signal that ensuring the Baltic region’s security was important for the entire NATO.
“At the same time, it is a recognition and evaluation of Lithuania as a reliable ally which implements agreed commitments. Leaders from all NATO countries will gather in the capital of Lithuania and will take decisions related to strengthening the security of all of us and our allies,” he said.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Stoltenberg also thanked Lithuania for its readiness to host the meeting of the alliance.
I thank our valued Ally #Lithuania for hosting the 2023 #NATOSummit in Vilnius on 11-12 July next year. This will be an opportunity to further strengthen our Alliance, step up support to #Ukraine & address key security matters at this critical time. https://t.co/95WOSU8o8f
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) November 9, 2022
The NATO summit will be held for the first time in Lithuania. It will bring together high-level delegations from NATO allies and partners, as well as international media representatives.
The Vilnius summit will focus on strengthening the Alliance’s collective defence and deterrence and on increasing support for Ukraine.
It is expected that Finland and Sweden will participate in the summit as full-fledged NATO members for the first time in Vilnius.
Read more: NATO’s 2023 summit in Vilnius to cost €30m
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
