Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda warns of Ukraine support ‘fatigue’ during visit to Melbourne
A visit to Melbourne by the leader of Lithuania has cemented closer ties with Victoria in fields like cyber security and fintech as he called for continuing support for Ukraine.
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A key European ally of Ukraine has called on Australians not to be “fatigued” by the ongoing war with the “aggressive Russian regime”.
Visiting Melbourne, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said continuing support for Ukraine — including moves for it to join NATO and the European Union — were crucial.
“Lithuania is a very strong supporter of Ukraine because what is going on is a fight for freedom, a fight for independence and territorial integrity,” he told the Herald Sun.
This week, Mr Nauseda led a 40-person delegation from his Baltic nation to build ties with Victorian businesses and universities amid a policy to expand engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.
Addressing a forum held by state trade and business organisation Global Victoria, he said Lithuania and Victoria had common strengths in the fields of biotech, lasers, fintech and cyber security.
“My hope, today, is that this rich and intellectual environment...will encourage productive, insightful and mutually useful discussions among the members of Lithuania’s and Victoria’s business and science communities,” he said.
Victoria’s Agent-General UK and Commissioner for Europe Tim Dillon said that Melbourne fintech unicorn Airwallex had recently set up a service hub in Lithuania — a country in the top 10 global fintech index.
Mr Dillon said the Australian Lithuanian Cyber Research Network, a collaboration between RMIT University and Lithuania’s Mykolas Romeris University, was established in 2021.
“It will serve as a global platform for both countries to cooperate on common cyber security challenges affecting the Asia Pacific and Europe,” he said.
Mr Nauseda, who recently hosted a NATO summit in his capital Vilnius, was due to discuss issues such as Ukraine and China with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Thursday.
“It’s very important to support Ukraine and not to be fatigued, there’s not time for fatigue because right now we are at a critical stage of this war,” he said.
Mr Nauseda said Ukraine needed more air defence systems and jet fighters and less talk from its allies.
“My request is we should switch from the declarations to the real actions much faster than we do,” he said.
Relations with China are a big issue for Lithuania since the Asian superpower imposed damaging trade sanctions over Lithuania’s decision to open a Taiwan representative office in Vilnius.
In Melbourne, Mr Nauseda also met with Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner, Lord Mayor Sally Capp, Salvation Army Project 614 director Major Brendan Nottle and RMIT deputy vice-chancellor and vice president research and innovation Prof Calum Drummond.
On Wednesday evening he met with Lithuanian community members at their North Melbourne centre and was entertained with traditional songs and dances.
“They (community members) are a very valuable asset to establish economic and cultural bridges between our two countries,” he said.
“I’d like to bring the message to them that their contribution to a much better understanding of our countries is very important and very valuable.”
Mr Nauseda is due to have dinner in Canberra on Thursday with South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas who has Lithuanian heritage.
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