Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Vilnius Tuesday, met with his Lithuanian counterpart and attended a ceremony in Ponar to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust there.

Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky told foreign minister Sa’ar the LJC and the organizations it represents fully support the state of Israel which is defending itself from terrorists who seek to destroy it.

According to LNK television evening news Tuesday, Sa’ar met with Lithuanian foreign minister Kęstutis Budrys and they discussed EU efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Budrys, Kukkliansky, Israeli embassy staff and other Lithuanian Foreign Ministry officials accompanied Sa’ar to Ponar, the largest Jewish mass murder site in Lithuania.

LNK reported the Israeli foreign minister at a press conference at the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said “Lithuania is our friend.” He also said both of his wife’s parents are Litvaks from Vilnius. He said this was his first but not his last trip to Vilnius.

Gideon Sa’ar replaced Israel Katz as foreign minister in November of 2024.