Chairs of Nordic and Baltic Foreign Affairs Committees discuss energy security and supporting Ukraine

NordenBladet —

Today and tomorrow, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Marko Mihkelson participates in the meeting of the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the parliaments of the Baltic States and the Nordic Countries in Lithuania. Ensuring of regional energy security, granting security guarantees to Ukraine and forming an international special tribunal to investigate Russia’s crimes of aggression are discussed at the meeting.

Mihkelson said that all topics of the meeting were motivated by Russia’s ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine, which, among other things, had led to a rise of energy prices and the need for common solutions across Europe. “Russia’s war is affecting the whole Western world, for which Ukraine is fighting now. Therefore, we must act even more intensely to help Ukraine win and to support in every way possible the strategic defeat of Russia’s regime,” he underlined. “As well as supporting Ukraine’s army, people and economy, we must also offer them a clear NATO perspective, and a special tribunal must be set up to ensure that every war criminal in Russia will be punished.”

The meeting in Palanga, Lithuania, will begin with a discussion on ensuring the energy security of the Baltic States and the Nordic Countries in the situation where Russia is continuing the war in Ukraine. Director of the Lithuanian Energy Agency Virgilijus Poderys will present a report at the discussion.

On Monday, the Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees will discuss providing international security guarantees to Ukraine. Harry Nedelcu, representative of Rasmussen Global, the consultation company founded by former Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen, will make a presentation about the strategic document giving recommendations on the guarantees. Ambassador of Ukraine in Lithuania Petro Beshta and Vice-Minister of National Defence of Lithuania Žilvinas Tomkus will participate in the discussion.

The Chairs of the eight Foreign Affairs Committees will also speak about establishing of an international special tribunal to investigate Russia’s crimes of aggression. Former representative of Ukraine in the International Court of Justice in The Hague Anton Korynevych and representative of the Ministry of Justice of Lithuania Ričard Dzikovič will participate in this discussion.

The meeting, which is held in the Baltic and Nordic NB8 format, brings together the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

Source: Parliament of Estonia