North Macedonia opens embassy in Vilnius to deepen ties

North Macedonia opened an embassy in Vilnius on Tuesday, becoming the 40th foreign country to have a diplomatic mission operating in Lithuania, LRT reported, citing BNS.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys, who attended the opening, said the new embassy would give fresh impetus to political, economic and cultural ties between the countries. He said its launch marked a new stage in bilateral relations and reflected both countries’ commitment to cooperation and partnership in Europe and the transatlantic community.

Budrys said a permanent diplomatic presence would create better conditions for promoting investment and strengthening trade. Earlier, he met North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister and Trade Minister Timčo Mucunski to discuss EU enlargement, regional security, support for Ukraine and bilateral cooperation.

Budrys said Lithuania supports North Macedonia’s bid to join the EU, but that progress in negotiations requires the country to fulfil its commitments, including making constitutional amendments. North Macedonia is an EU candidate country and has been a NATO member since 2020.