First-Ever Visit to Lithuania by a Minister from Palau at the GCTF Workshop

Since regaining its independence in 1990, Lithuania has repeatedly faced economic coercion – from the blockade of the early 1990s, to long-term dependence on Russian energy, and most recently to China’s economic pressure. Taiwan, too, has lived through similar experiences: it has weathered decades of trade restrictions, diplomatic isolation, and ongoing attempts to undermine its semiconductor industry, which nevertheless remains the cornerstone of global supply chains. These shared experiences highlight that resilience is not achieved through technical measures alone, but through strategic decisions that safeguard stability, and long-term prosperity.

Against this backdrop, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania, and Civic Resilience Initiative co-hosted the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) Workshop on Strengthening Supply Chain Resilience in Vilnius.

Strategic Importance of Resilience

“This experience has become our national competence,” said Julius Pranevičius, Lithuania’s Foreign Vice-Minister. “I think this is a contribution that our partners in the EU, the U.S., and the Indo-Pacific value, as we all work together to shape a new architecture for collective resilience. One of the main lessons for us is this: supply chain resilience is built not only domestically, but also through partnerships.”

Ambassador McDonald emphasized the critical importance of supply chain resilience to shared security and prosperity. She called for actionable solutions to diversify supply chains, leverage technology, and deepen cooperation among trusted partners to ensure secure, sustainable, and agile supply chains.

Taiwan’s Frontline Experience

Constance Wang of the Taiwanese Representative Office underscored that authoritarian economic coercion remains one of the greatest threats to democracies, making cooperation on supply chain resilience indispensable. She highlighted Taiwan’s readiness to share its hard-earned experience from decades of navigating restrictions, disruptions, and external pressure, noting that resilience-building is vital for sustaining democratic societies.

Tomas Kazulėnas, Co-Founder and Director of the Civic Resilience Initiative, added:
“At Civic Resilience Initiative, resilience has always been at the heart of our mission – from countering disinformation to strengthening democratic societies. Today we turn our focus to another critical challenge: building secure and resilient supply chains, which are not only an economic issue but a cornerstone of security and strategic stability. Lithuania’s shared experience with Taiwan demonstrates how like-minded partners can turn challenges into opportunities for greater resilience.”

A Historic Visit from Palau

The workshop also marked a historic moment: the first-ever visit to Lithuania by a Minister from Palau. Jennifer Olegeriil, Palau’s Minister of Justice, delivered a keynote speech, sharing her country’s experience in countering economic coercion despite its small size and geographic distance. Her participation symbolized the global reach of the GCTF and the importance of collective efforts to safeguard sovereignty.

Building a Global Framework

Established in 2015 by Taiwan and the United States – and later joined by Japan, Australia, Canada, and others – the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) has become a central platform for building international resilience. Since 2021, the initiative has expanded overseas, and this workshop marked the second GCTF event in Lithuania. By uniting voices from Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, the Vilnius workshop underscored that supply chain resilience is a global challenge that requires global solutions.

Pictures by Mindaugas Mikulėnas.