Lithuania’s Minister of Economy and Innovation on Thursday highlighted the growing importance of global partnerships in the field of artificial intelligence while attending India’s AI Impact Summit 2026.
He described artificial intelligence as a “horizontal breakthrough technology” – one that cuts across sectors and industries – and said its full potential could only be realized through cooperation between nations, including India and Lithuania.
Speaking to ANI, Edvinas Griksas said that New Delhi is now the “heart of AI” and pointed to the presence of leaders and experts from across the European Union and other parts of the world.
“In fact, the heart of AI today is New Delhi, India. We can see leaders from all countries, from the European Union, globally. So actually, yes, good ideas, good practices, you know, sharing expertise in AI. Other countries are sharing what they’re doing in their countries, you know, it’s a great event. I’m very happy to be a part of it,” he said.
Lithuania’s efforts to boost AI innovation
Speaking about Lithuania’s initiatives in the AI space, Griksas noted that the country is actively strengthening its domestic AI ecosystem. He highlighted the ongoing efforts to build an artificial intelligence factory along with the launch of an artificial intelligence sandbox, an artificial intelligence regulatory sandbox.
Griksas added that Lithuania is also in the process of preparing a national AI strategy to provide long-term direction for the sector.
Regarding the potential collaboration between India and Lithuania in the digital space, the minister emphasized that AI has applications across sectors. “AI has its own specialism because it’s a very horizontal disruptive technology. It’s important to biotech, to the public sector, to the private sector, to manufacturing, you know, so there are more points for collaboration than, you know, I can count,” he said in a media interview.
Talking about how the two countries could help each other in their growth, he said: “We have some specialized technologies in Lithuania, India is very strong in AI, so we can always complement each other. AI is about cooperation between countries, so that’s where we should move.”
India-EU FTA
When asked about the proposed free trade agreement and its impact on the two nations’ bilateral relations, Griksas said such frameworks will strengthen cooperation beyond traditional sectors.
“It helps, it helps a lot, you know, because it’s not just about some priorities, some products, but it’s about cooperation in general. So yes, we’re positive about it and I think it will also help us work in the field of artificial intelligence,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
He made the announcement on Thursday, February 19, on Day 4 of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.
More than 700 sessions are scheduled for the duration of the summit, covering topics such as AI security, governance, ethics, data protection, AI sovereign capabilities, and the future of work.