UK-Lithuania joint declaration on bilateral cooperation 2022 - GOV.UK 05/08/2022, 19:14 14. We will work together in advancing and sustaining democracy, independence, economic and societal reforms in Eastern Europe. Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have the right to freely set the course of their foreign policy. Successful economic, governance and judicial reforms, and determination to fight corruption, are essential in making them safe, resilient, prosperous and successful states and societies. We remain fully committed to Georgia’s, Moldova’s and Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and in this context are deeply concerned by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. 15. Both our countries remain concerned by ongoing repression and the growing number of political prisoners in Belarus. We support the democratic rights of the people of Belarus, including free and fair elections under international observation. We will continue working to counter the harmful and aggressive behaviour of the Lukashenko regime, including the instrumentalisation of migration as hybrid tools directed against Belarus’ neighbours. We support a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Defence and security 16. NATO is the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security and the bedrock of our collective defence. Deterrence and defence, underpinned by our Article 5 commitment and based on a strong transatlantic bond, remain central pillars of the Alliance. 17. In order to respond to Russia’s aggressive military posture, the Alliance should further strengthen deterrence and collective defence. This new peacetime baseline should be an enabled and expanded forward presence, which is credible and combat effective. It should be supported via enhanced persistent presence and rapidly scalable reinforcements in crisis and conflict. Adequate and efficient defence spending is of paramount importance. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-lithuania-joint-declar…n-2022/uk-lithuania-joint-declaration-on-bilateral-cooperation-2022 Page 8 of 13