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Zagreb - Bilateral relations between Croatia and Lithuania are excellent and their cooperation is increasingly intensive, Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Viktorija Čmilyte-Nielsen said in Vilnius on Thursday.
Jandroković is on an official visit to Lithuania during which he will participate in a conference of NATO member-states' parliament speakers in Vilnius.
The two countries' cooperation is increasingly intensive, notably in the defence sector. Croatia and Lithuania also have excellent cooperation within the EU's Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the two officials said.
Jandroković said that Croatia has participated in NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence since its establishment in 2017, as part of which it has a 180-member contingent currently deployed in Lithuania.
Despite the geographical distance, economic cooperation between Croatia and Lithuania has been improving, as evidenced by an increase in trade in 2022.
The two officials again condemned the Russian aggression against Ukraine and reiterated support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, with Jandroković underlining the importance of continuing strong political, financial, humanitarian, technical, military and other help to Ukraine.
The two officials also underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation between partners in NATO, and discussed the enlargement of the EU to Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries.