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During the visit to Israel, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis held meetings with members of the Israeli Government to discuss bilateral political, economic and cultural cooperation, the advancement of EU-Israel relations, the Middle East peace process and the situation in the Middle East.On 4 March in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Ažubalis held meetings with Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy Dan Meridor,  Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya’alon and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak.

Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that Lithuania and Israel enjoyed special relations, which were determined by six hundred years of shared history. Lithuania’s culture and history are unimaginable without the significant contribution of its local Jewish community.

Ažubalis invited Israel to open its embassy in Lithuania. “I believe that the opening of your embassy in Vilnius would give new impetus to business investments projects in Lithuania and Israel,” the Minister said. According to him, it is necessary to expand bilateral cooperation in the field of culture and education, to gain a better understanding of culture and customs of both nations and to boost the dialogue between civil societies of the two countries.

Head of the Lithuanian diplomacy expressed the EU position on the Middle East peace process, i.e., the goal of peaceful coexistence of the two countries – the state of Israel and Palestine – in the future. The Minister called on both sides to resume negotiations as soon as possible in order to ensure peace and stability in the region.

According to Ažubalis, Lithuania understands Israel’s concern over Iran’s nuclear program and supports international efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region.