GUIDELINES ON COOPERATION BETWEEN LITHUANIA AND THE KALININGRAD REGION DISCUSSED
On April 25, the eighth meeting of the Council on Long-term Cooperation between the Regional and Local Authorities of the Kaliningrad Region and Lithuania took place in Kaliningrad. During the meeting, participants signed a protocol which provides for further cooperation between Lithuania and Kaliningrad in the fields of energy, economy, transport, environment protection, tourism, education and culture.
The document highlights Lithuania’s concerns about the environmental threats of the Baltic nuclear power plant that is to be constructed in Kaliningrad.The meeting, which was co-chaired by Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius and Governor of Kaliningrad Region Nikolai Tsukanov, also discussed further implementation of the Lithuania-Poland-Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme that continues and broadens the cooperation in the border area of the three states.
Considerable attention was given to issues related to teaching of the Lithuanian language in the Kaliningrad region. Participants of the meeting agreed on common measures to prepare for the 300th birth anniversary of Kristijonas Donelaitis in 2014.
As flows of tourists from the Kaliningrad region to Lithuania are quickly growing, participants of the meeting emphasized the necessity to open the Nida-Rybachiy (Rasytė) cross-border point in the Curonian Lagoon region, which would promote water tourism.
The third issue of the Russian edition of the journal “Santara” was presented at the meeting. It is dedicated to the perpetuation of the memory of the Lithuanian poet Maironis, Russian man of letters and thinker Lev Karsavin, and Russian statesman and reformer Pyotr Stolypin, who lived in Lithuania.
Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius and Governor of the Kaliningrad Region Nikolai Tsukanov met separately to discuss trade relations of Lithuania and the Kaliningrad region, investment projects and Lithuanian language teacher training perspective.
Next meeting of the council is due in Lithuania in 2013.
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