News

On 24-25 August, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas is paying a visit to the regions of Belarus at the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belarus Sergei Martynov. Lithuanian and Belarusian foreign ministers and representatives from the local administration discussed the issues of intensifying bilateral relations and cooperation in the areas of culture, preservation of the heritage of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, joint academic projects, tourism, business and people-to-people ties.

The Ministers paid attention to the importance of the preservation of the historical past and its monuments, as they were visiting Lida, Navahrudak, Mir and Nesvizh which are the sites of historical and cultural heritage of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and which reflect the closely interrelated history of both countries as well as their potential for cooperation According to Minister V.Ušackas, the notion of the importance of mutual history would encourage residents of both countries, especially the youth, to take interest in it.

Head of Lithuania’s diplomacy suggested discussing a possibility to establish a joint forum of historical memory, to open up prospects of cooperation between the national museums of art of Lithuania and Belarus, aiming at the restoration and conservation of the objects of heritage of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The list of joint projects could include a guide for travelling along the roads of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Minister V.Ušackas stressed that in order to implement such projects, it was important to attract the funds of the European Union.

Minister V.Ušackas emphasized that cooperation between Lithuania and Belarus would be intensified also by the bilateral agreement between Lithuania and Belarus on the facilitation of travels for the residents of border areas. The agreement is being finalised at the moment.

“I hope that after this agreement is signed, cooperation between the two neighbouring countries will expand, people-to-people ties will strengthen and more possibilities for economic cooperation will appear. Our compatriots living on the border with Belarus will be the main beneficiaries of this agreement,” Minister V.Ušackas stressed.

The Minister indicated that the Lithuanian-Belarusian business forum on 16-17 September in Vilnius would open new perspectives for mutually beneficial economic cooperation, also in the area of transport.

In his conversation with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belarus S.Martynov, Minister V.Ušackas emphasized that the EU was ready to make further steps in the development of the EU-Belarus dialogue, if Belarus demonstrated its will for such a dialogue by concrete actions of creating a civil society and respect for democratic principles. In the opinion of Minister V.Ušackas, the dialogue and cooperation were important both to Belarus and the EU.