President Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania presented IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol with the prestigious Knight's Cross of the Order of Merits in a ceremony Sunday at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius, citing Dr Birol's "exceptional contributions" to energy security for Lithuania and the world.
President Nausėda emphasised Dr Birol's strong efforts to support Lithuania's energy security, especially during the energy crisis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Dr Birol thanked the President for the honour and congratulated Lithuania for its success in phasing out Russian energy imports, synchronising its electricity grid with the European continental system, and rapidly advancing renewable power generation.
On Monday, Dr Birol had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas. They discussed the challenges and possible solutions to meeting Lithuania's energy goals, as well as the latest developments in energy markets and the importance of electricity grid resilience. Dr Birol also noted that Lithuania's achievement of energy independence from Russia could serve as an example for other countries in the region and beyond.
During the visit to Vilnius, Dr Birol and Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas took part in the launch of the IEA's new Energy Policy Review of Lithuania - the first since the country became a member of the IEA in 2022. The event, which took place at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, was attended by more than 100 high-profile figures, including Ambassadors, Members of Parliament, business executives and prominent academics. Dr Birol and Minister Vaičiūnas also met bilaterally to discuss several key energy issues.
