On 28 January 2026, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania approved the Strategic Guidelines for Lithuania’s International Partnerships for 2026–2030, which define the direction of Lithuania’s development cooperation and international partnerships for the next five years. The guidelines reflect a strong political commitment to a more active Lithuanian role in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment, responding to global challenges such as declining development financing, the growing need to use available financial resources more efficiently, and strengthening partner countries’ resilience.
The new strategic guidelines identify two priority areas of action: the creation of mutually beneficial, equitable partnerships and the strengthening of long-term resilience. This demonstrates Lithuania’s ambition to move away from the traditional donor–recipient model toward principles of co-creation, empowerment, and sustainable impact.
The guidelines emphasize that the development of countries is inseparable from their security; therefore, investments in strengthening partner countries’ resilience, democratic institutions, and people contribute to the stability of Lithuania and the world.
As a donor country, Lithuania focuses on specialization and scalability of solutions. Priority is given to areas where Lithuania has the strongest expertise and where its experience can be effectively applied together with the European Union, international financial institutions, and other donors. Ukraine remains Lithuania’s top priority, with support guided by the Guidelines for Lithuania's Engagement in UKRAINE's RECONSTRUCTION AND RECOVERY 2024-2027 (Annexes). Their aim is to ensure effective and coordinated involvement of Lithuanian institutions, businesses, and NGOs in Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery by identifying priority areas and planned modes of engagement.
The International Partnerships Guidelines set out five interlinked priorities, all united by the principle of strengthening resilience:
Democratic resilience – support for reforms, protection of democratic processes, and combating disinformation, corruption, and unlawful foreign influence.
Social resilience – investments in people, communities, education, and skills development.
Digital resilience – digital solutions, efficiency of public services, transparency, and cybersecurity.
Environmental and climate resilience – renewable energy, energy efficiency, water management, and waste management.
Economic resilience – strengthening public financial management, mobilizing domestic resources, and improving the business environment.
These priorities are based on an analysis of Lithuania’s past initiatives and best practices, which will be further developed over the next five years through international cooperation projects. New financial and institutional instruments are planned to facilitate the participation of Lithuanian organizations and businesses in EU Global Gateway, Team Europe, and other international donor initiatives, reducing administrative burdens and enabling larger‑scale, higher‑impact projects.
