Statement by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Lithuania to the United Nations Mr. Julius Pranevičius at the ECOSOC Special Meeting on “Safeguarding energy and supply flows: Supporting global development through international cooperation”
Statement by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Lithuania to the United Nations Mr. Julius Pranevičius at the ECOSOC Special Meeting on “Safeguarding energy and supply flows: Supporting global development through international cooperation” on Friday, 15 May 2026.
Mr. President, thank you for organizing this timely meeting on safeguarding energy and supply flows.
Reliable access to energy and functioning supply chains enables countries to maintain healthcare, food security, transportation, industry, and communication systems, while supporting sustainable growth and international trade.
However, armed conflicts and geopolitical tensions increasingly disrupt critical infrastructure, energy networks, and global supply routes. Attacks on energy facilities, ports, transport corridors, and communication systems create humanitarian crises, increase economic instability, drive up global prices, and threaten regional and international security as well as negatively affecting SDGs implementation.
The blocking of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran poses a serious threat to global trade, civilian shipping, and energy and economic security. Free and secure transit through the strait is a shared interest. Lithuania supports the efforts of the international community and will continue to actively contribute to them by supporting diplomatic measures, and international pressure against those who destabilize the region.
The Russia’s war against Ukraine is another example that clearly demonstrates how the deliberate targeting of energy infrastructure can have consequences far beyond national borders, affecting global markets, environmental safety, and the resilience of interconnected economies.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has deliberately and repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. These attacks are systematic, coordinated, and aimed at disrupting the functioning of society and undermining critical supply systems.
Repeated attacks on transformer substations and electricity grids have threatened the safe functioning of nuclear facilities, including the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned about the grave dangers posed by attacks on energy infrastructure in the vicinity of nuclear installations.
The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam illustrated how attacks on critical infrastructure can create severe environmental consequences with long-term regional implications.
The international community, including the United Nations has a critical role to play in strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure, promoting accountability, supporting conflict prevention, and reinforcing resilience against disruptions to global energy and supply systems. Safeguarding these systems requires coordinated international action, respect for international law, and effective multilateral cooperation.
Our collective commitment must remain firm: to strengthen resilience, uphold the UN Charter and international law, and ensure that critical energy and supply systems contribute to sustainable development, peace and stability.
