BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. Lithuanian Minister
of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys, participating in the NATO
Summit in The Hague, joined Estonian Foreign Minister Margus
Tsahkna in a high-level discussion at the NATO Public Diplomacy
Forum titled “Making our Societies more Robust, Ready and
Resilient,” Trend
reports.
In his remarks, Minister Budrys emphasized the critical need to
enhance societal resilience, increase defense industry capacity,
and establish credible deterrence as the foundation for lasting
peace in Europe.
“If we want peace, we must invest in credible deterrence — it’s
the only path forward,” Budrys stated. “We need to back our
regional defense plans with real capabilities. That means
investment, expanding production capacity, signing contracts — and
we need to do this now.”
Minister Budrys noted that today’s threats are not always
physical or military in nature. He pointed to disinformation,
hybrid attacks, and efforts to divide societies as immediate and
pressing challenges.
“These are realities we are already facing,” he said. “In
Lithuania, such threats have strongly mobilized civil society and
driven more proactive preparedness efforts.”
He stressed that defense readiness must be a shared
responsibility involving not only governments but also industry and
the private sector.
“We have the necessary tools, plans, and initiatives both at the
EU and transatlantic level,” Budrys said. “Now is the time to use
them.”
The Public Diplomacy Forum is one of several key events held on
the sidelines of the NATO Summit, where leaders and experts are
gathering to reinforce collective defense strategies and foster
stronger transatlantic cooperation.