NATO country leaders and delegations start gathering in Vilnius on Monday for the alliance’s summit due to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
US President Joe Biden, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and other guests are expected to arrive in Lithuania on Monday.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Stoltenberg will on Monday meet at Litexpo, the exhibition and convention space where the NATO summit will be held, to discuss the final details of preparations for the gathering and hold a joint news conference, the president’s office has said.
Nausėda will welcome Biden at Vilnius Airport on Monday evening and will host him for a bilateral meeting at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė will host Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau at the capital’s Gediminas Castle Tower.
Stoltenberg has called a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Vilnius on Monday evening to discuss Ankara’s ratification of the Nordic country’s accession protocols.
The NATO summit is expected to bring together 48 delegations with 2,400 members, including 40 heads of state. Lithuania is hosting an event of this scale for the first time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected in Lithuania. Support for Ukraine will be a key topic of discussion during the two-day summit.
In a show of support for Ukraine’s membership bid, blue and yellow flags have been placed around Vilnius. Zelensky says he expects to receive a clear signal in Vilnius on Ukraine’s prospects for joining the alliance.
The Lithuanian capital has spent around 10 million euros on preparations for the summit, including re-paving some roads and upgrading infrastructure.
The government has said earlier that the hosting of the NATO summit will cost Lithuania a total of about 38 million euros.
Traffic restrictions will be in place in Vilnius during the summit and most of the Old Town will only be accessible on foot.
Vilnius Airport will be closed for commercial flights not related to the NATO event from 12:00 on Tuesday to 16:00 on Wednesday.
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