Transport Ministers of the Bucharest Nine and the Nordic Countries to Meet in Vilnius

On Tuesday, 27 May, Minister of Transport and Communications Eugenijus Sabutis will host transport ministers from the Bucharest Nine and the Nordic countries, as well as European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius and other high-ranking EU and NATO officials in Vilnius.

The meeting will focus on the strategic infrastructure projects that support defence and deterrence, EU investment priorities and NATO mobility needs, resilience against hybrid threats of jamming, spoofing, and other disruptions, as well as key areas of regional cooperation.

Particular attention will also be devoted to closing funding gaps and aligning NATO requirements with EU regulations and financial mechanisms, in order to ensure the smoothest possible movement of Allied forces throughout the Member States of the Eastern and North-Eastern flanks of the Euro-Atlantic area.

In addition, on Tuesday, Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications Eugenijus Sabutis, together with the transport ministers of Latvia, Estonia and Poland, will visit the construction site of the Rail Baltica project – a European-gauge railway of strategic continental importance – located in the Jonava district. In pursuit of enhanced regional connectivity and additional EU financial support, the three Baltic ministers intend to sign a joint statement in Vilnius.

The Bucharest Nine (B9) is a political and security cooperation platform comprising nine Eastern and Central European countries that are members of both NATO and the European Union: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary. The format was launched during a summit of heads of state held in Bucharest in 2015.

For the first time, this year’s B9 transport ministers' meeting in Vilnius will also include the participation of senior representatives from the transport ministries of the Nordic countries, the European Union, and NATO.

Attention Media Representatives!

At 12:00 on 27 May 2025, media representatives are invited to attend a press conference at the Rail Baltica railway embankment construction site in the Jonava district.

In accordance with safety regulations, prior registration is mandatory for all media representatives.

Location on the map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XJHXuZBr3LyGGWSQ6

On 27 May 2025, at 16:30, at the VIP terminal of Vilnius Airport (Rodūnios kl. 2B, Vilnius), media representatives will also have the opportunity to speak with the Ministers of Transport of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, as well as with the Polish Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Dariusz Klimczak, and the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Mr. Andrius Kubilius.

To confirm your participation, please send an email to [email protected] no later than 10:00 on 26 May 2025, providing the following information: name, surname, year of birth, contact details, and the media outlet you represent.

For further details, please contact Mr. Lukas Paškevičius, Adviser to the Minister of Transport and Communications, by phone at +370 652 98076.