PM to visit US next week

Simonyte is scheduled to visit Washington and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, from Sunday to Thursday.

The program of the visit includes meetings with US Vice President Kamala Harris, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Major General Mark J. Schindler, commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard, as well as members of the Lithuanian-American community in Washington, DC and representatives of Jewish organizations, the government's press office said on Friday.

Simonyte and the US officials will discuss bilateral relations between Lithuania and the US, with a special focus on security and defense cooperation, it said.

"In Washington, DC, the prime minister will also discuss security issues in our region and in Europe, as well as the strengthening of the resilience of democracies to challenges posed by autocratic regimes, support for Ukraine and the tightening of sanctions against Russia and Belarus, NATO's long-term adaptation, and the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius," it said.

Simonyte will be presented with the Madeleine K. Albright Democracy Award during the National Democratic Institute's 2022 Democracy Gala event.

She is also scheduled to attend the ASPEN Security Conference in Washington, DC, visit the museums for the victims of the Holocaust and communism, and give interviews to the US media.

The prime minister's visit to the US was originally planned for June, but was cancelled after she tested positive for COVID-19.