VILNIUS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Norway's support for Lithuania should be addressed at solving issues of civil society and enforcing the system of justice, Norway's Crown Prince Haakon said on Tuesday during his first visit day in the Baltic country's capital.
"We want to draw the two main trends, enforcing of civil society and cooperation in the area of justice," Crown Prince Haakon said at a press conference in Vilnius.
Norway's Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit came to Lithuania on the royal couple's first official visit. On Tuesday, they met with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite.
During the visit two bilateral memorandums on Norway's grants under the EEA (European Economic Area) financial mechanism for 2014-2021 were signed at the Presidential Palace.
Norway's support to Lithuania over this period will amount to more than 115 million euros (140 million U.S. dollars) and will be used to promote and develop social dialogue, civil society, health care, environmental protection, business, innovation, and research, the Lithuania's presidency said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite emphasized the importance of strategic partnership between Lithuania and Norway. According to Grybauskaite, the two countries maintained strong ties throughout the 28 years of Lithuanian independence, and one of the areas of close cooperation is defense.
Norwegian soldiers were among the first to join NATO's enhanced forward presence in Lithuania, the presidency said. Lithuania is buying the Nasams air defense system from Norway, while Norwegian navy ships are part of NATO's anti-missile shield, the statement reads.
During their visit to Lithuania, the royal couple are accompanied by the Norwegian defense minister and a high-level business delegation.
