News

On 25 May, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas started his visit to Hanoi (Vietnam), where he is taking part in the 9th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Minister V.Ušackas held bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of China, Japan and Vietnam and the Mayor of Hanoi City.

During the meeting with Foreign Minister of China Yang Jiechi, opinions were exchanged about the bilateral economic cooperation, the forthcoming ASEM Transport Ministers’ Meeting on 19-20 October in Vilnius that is organised by Lithuania and supported by China. Minister Yang Jiechi promised the support of China in organising this important event.

During the conversation, the issue of Lithuania’s participation in EXPO 2010 in Shanghai was also discussed. The Foreign Minister of China invited Lithuania to present the country’s export potential and incoming tourism possibilities for the Asian region and the entire world at the event, which is expected to receive over 70 million visitors.

During the conversation with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Hirofumi Nakasone, the Lithuanian and Japanese heads of diplomacy welcomed close cooperation of both countries in Afghanistan.

Lithuania leads a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Ghor province, Afghanistan, to which Japan has allotted almost 2 million U.S. dollars over two years for the implementation of projects in the sectors of education, health service, infrastructure and construction.

Minister V.Ušackas thanked Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs H.Nakasone, a long-term chairman of the Japan-Lithuania Parliamentary Friendship Association, for his personal input into bilateral relations and a long-term Japan’s financial assistance to Lithuanian culture. On 17 June, a ceremony of conveying the last part of Japan’s cultural assistance to Lithuania will take place in Vilnius.

Both Ministers condemned the nuclear test that North Korea carried out this week. Minister V.Ušackas supported the suggestion of Minister H.Nakasone for ASEM Foreign Ministers to aim at making a separate strict statement on this issue.

During the meeting of Minister V.Ušackas and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, cooperation in international organizations was discussed. At the meeting with Hanoi City Mayor Nguyen The Thao, Minister V.Ušackas conveyed congratulations to the city of Hanoi from Lithuania, which is celebrating its millennium. The capital of Vietnam will mark its millennium anniversary next year. The Minister also presented a gift from the Vilnius City Mayor to Hanoi.