UN chief meets presidents of the three Baltic states

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres met with the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia at UN headquarters in New York on Monday, September 21.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda, Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkēvičs and Estonia’s President Alar Karis took part in the meeting with Guterres.

According to Nausėda, the discussions covered regional security and what he described as Russia’s growing threat across the Euro-Atlantic region.

In a post on X, the Lithuanian president said Russia’s ambitions were extending beyond Ukraine. He also discussed the role of the United Nations and praised Guterres for his work to strengthen the organisation’s role.

Nausėda said the next UN secretary-general should be a strong defender of the UN Charter and international law.

The Lithuanian president also marked the 35th anniversary of Lithuania gaining membership of the United Nations during the meeting.

Image Alt: UN Secretary-General António Guterres with the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia

Caption: UN Secretary-General António Guterres meets the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia at UN headquarters in New York.