Deputy Minister G. Aliksandravičius met with New Zealand Ambassador P. Ballantyne
Deputy Minister of the Interior Gintaras Aliksandravičius met with the Ambassador of New Zealand to the Baltic States, Poland, Ukraine and Georgia, Paul Ballantyne. During the meeting, the security situation in the region, emerging hybrid threats, and bilateral cooperation in the fields of migration and mobility were discussed.
The Deputy Minister emphasised that Lithuania and its neighbouring countries are facing targeted and systemic hybrid operations carried out by the regimes of Russia and Belarus. These include the instrumentalisation of migrants, violations of airspace, smuggling, disinformation, and other destabilising actions.
“These are not isolated incidents – they are organised hybrid operations aimed at testing our resilience, disrupting the work of institutions, and causing economic damage across the entire region,” said Deputy Minister G. Aliksandravičius.
Since 2021, more than 24,000 attempts to illegally cross the state border have been recorded in Lithuania. In order to manage this threat, comprehensive legal, diplomatic, operational and economic measures have been employed. National sanctions against Russian and Belarusian citizens have been extended until 2 May 2026.
Considerable attention was also given to support for Ukraine. The Deputy Minister stressed that Russia remains the main source of instability in the region, and that its military aggression against Ukraine has a direct impact on the security of the entire region. Since the start of the war, Lithuania has received more than 102,000 Ukrainian citizens. Currently, around 51,000 Ukrainians are under temporary protection in the country, and in total more than 79,000 Ukrainian citizens live in Lithuania.
Legal migration was also discussed during the meeting. Simplified immigration procedures apply to New Zealand citizens residing in Lithuania when applying for a temporary residence permit in Lithuania on the basis of employment or other lawful activities. “We are ready to welcome highly qualified specialists from New Zealand who wish to build their lives in Lithuania,” the Deputy Minister emphasised.