Minister of the Interior V. Kondratovič met with the Ambassador of the Netherlands J. Van Ufford
The Minister of the Interior, Vladislav Kondratovič, met with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Lithuania, Jack Twiss Quarles van Ufford. During the meeting, the discussions primarily focused on civil protection, preparedness to respond to threats, and the challenges of illegal migration.
The Minister emphasized that the agencies under the Ministry of the Interior are working intensively to ensure the safety of the state and its citizens. “In response to the current geopolitical challenges, we are placing significant attention on civil defense, which is part of our national defense. The military and law enforcement officers continuously improve their skills to counter threats – this is part of their job – to be prepared. Meanwhile, it is crucial to take care of the population, which is why we are focusing on the construction of shelters and have created the mobile application LT72, which aims to help people be as prepared as possible to respond to any danger,” said Minister V. Kondratovič.
Currently, there are 6,453 shelters in Lithuania's municipalities, which could accommodate around 1.5 million people – that is 54% of the country's population. 28 municipalities already have enough shelters, while 32 are still facing shortages. In Lithuania's cities, there should be enough shelters for at least 60% of the population, while in rural municipalities, 40% should be covered.
Speaking about illegal migration, the Minister emphasized that Lithuania is consistently and actively working to ensure a strong response to challenges in migration management, border security, and safety, with particular attention to hybrid threats arising from Belarus and Russia. Lithuania is also implementing stricter control over legal migration to ensure that migration occurs only through legal and safe channels, thus reducing the risk of illegal migration and the problems it causes.
The Ministry is also paying significant attention to the Migration and Asylum Pact, but, as the Minister pointed out, the instrumentalization of migration remains one of the most pressing issues. Therefore, in his view, it is necessary to continue discussions within the European Union context and look for innovative solutions for migration management to strengthen the EU’s resilience and ensure the long-term effectiveness of solutions.