Lithuanian Seimas Inter-Parliamentary Group Holds First Official Visit to Prague
From May 29–30, 2025, the Lithuanian Parliament’s Inter-Parliamentary Group for Relations with the Czech Republic conducted its first official visit to Prague. This marks the inaugural visit of a parliamentary group of this nature in the history of bilateral parliamentary relations; previously, only delegations of parliamentary leaders and committees had visited the Czech Republic.
The delegation’s program focused on strengthening inter-parliamentary diplomacy and enhancing cooperation with the Czech Parliament. High-level meetings were held at both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, alongside discussions with political experts and representatives of civil society.
Welcoming the delegation, Lithuanian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Rolandas Kačinskas emphasized:
“Parliamentary diplomacy is an essential part of broader Lithuanian efforts to build a stronger and more unified Europe, especially amid current geopolitical challenges. The meetings in Parliament were conducted in an extremely friendly atmosphere, highlighting shared Lithuanian and Czech values, EU and NATO partnership, and the desire of both parliaments to cooperate more actively bilaterally and multilaterally.”
The delegation was led by Vytautas Juozapaitis, Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Group for Relations with the Czech and Slovak Republics. Members included Seimas Vice-Chair Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen and Vice-Chair of the group Aidas Gedvilas.
On May 29, the delegation met with:
Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies; Pavel Fischer, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Security; Members of the Czech-Lithuanian Inter-Parliamentary Group, led by Jan Berki. The delegation also attended a Chamber of Deputies session as honorary guests. Discussions covered European security, NATO strengthening, energy resilience, support for Ukraine, EU enlargement, hybrid threats, and bilateral cooperation.
Delegation members visited the European Values Center for Security Policy and participated in an international conference on European resilience to hybrid threats organized by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Vice-Chair Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen spoke as a panelist.
The first day concluded at the Lithuanian Embassy in Prague, where the delegation met with members of the Czech-Lithuanian community. Journalist Edward Lucas also attended the event.
On May 30, the delegation visited the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty headquarters in Prague, highlighting the importance of parliamentary support for independent media – a cornerstone of democracy. Meetings with RFE/RL President Stephen Capus and the heads of Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian news services focused on the role of independent media in countering propaganda and disinformation.
Before departing Prague, the delegation planned visits to sites significant to Lithuanian history and culture in the Czech capital.
