To: Prof. Corrado Moretti, President of UENPS

The Executive Board of UENPS

2022-02-28

Kaunas

Lithuania

Dear Prof. Moretti, dear Board members,

I am writing this letter on behalf of Lithuanian Neonatology Association to express our position on the membership of Russian Neonatal Society in UENPS.

Lithuanian Neonatology Association is a member of UENPS since 2007. We are proud of this membership and our participation in UENPS activities. We appreciate the values of the organization – the promoting of the knowledge of the perinatal indicators and developing any other tool to achieve the best healthcare for every newborn, the importance to develop recommendations, guidelines, training of the healthcare providers and any other tool to achieve surveillance of neonatal rights wherever they are born.

In these days, when Russia invaded Ukraine violating all principles of human rights, and innocent people are being killed, the newborns were born in bombshelters and our Ukrainian colleagues move their NICUs to the basements lacking vital medicines and supplies, we can not stay aside. We think that UENPS values are incompatible with the organization of the aggressor‘s country, i.e., Russian Neonatal Society

The Board of Lithuanian Neonatology Association had urgent meeting on Feb 27th, 2022 and decided to address the UENPS to suspend  Russian Neonatal Society membership in UENPS. We prompt to hold the UENPS Board meeting regarding this issue as soon as possible.

Respectfully,

On behalf of Lithuanian Neonatology Association

Prof. Rasa Tamelienė,

President of Lithuanian Neonatology Association