Juknevičienė, a member of the conservative Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats, succeeded Paolo Alli, whose mandate as a member of the Italian parliament expired.
“At a time when our countries face an unprecedented set of challenges, strengthening our unique alliance and transatlantic bond is essential, and I will make it one of my top priorities to ensure that the Assembly supports this goal through parliamentary dialogue and diplomacy,” she said in a press release.
Juknevičienė has been the head of the Lithuanian parliament’s delegation in the NATO PA since 1999, except for the period between 2008 and 2012 when she served as the country’s defense minister.
She was elected the Assembly’s vice-president in 2016, a position she held until her election as president last March.