News

On 25 October in Tashkent, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius and Deputy Minister for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan Shavkat Tulyaganov discussed possibilities to develop economic cooperation between Lithuania and Uzbekistan.

According to Vice-Minister E.Ignatavičius, currently the potential of bilateral economic cooperation is not fully employed to bring benefits. However, the interest of Lithuanian companies in Uzbekistan’s market, including the IT sector and other areas, has been visibly increasing.

The Vice-Minister presented projects of investment in Lithuania and conveyed an invitation for Uzbekistan’s business representatives to come to the Uzbek-Lithuanian intergovernmental commission on trade-economic cooperation, which is scheduled in Lithuania in 2011, and to participate in the exhibitions that are held by Lithuania.

Vice-Minister E.Ignatavičius also invited Uzbek entrepreneurs to develop cooperation with Lithuania in transport sector, in the shaping of international transport corridors.

Uzbek representatives took interest in Lithuania’s experience of establishing free economic zones and multimodal logistics centers. They also showed interest in developing tourism cooperation.

In the opinion of Vice-Minister E.Ignatavičius, Lithuanian and Uzbek entrepreneurs need support in establishing direct contacts.

In Tashkent, the Vice-Minister also met with Deputy Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Rustam Тukhtabaev and discussed bilateral relations, regional issues, Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the European Union, NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and other international organizations.

Vice-Minister E.Ignatavičius acquainted Deputy Foreign Minister with Lithuania’s upcoming chairmanship of the OSCE in 2011. According to the Vice-Minister, the OSCE values Uzbekistan’s constructive role in the settlement of Kyrgyz crisis. The settlement of this issue will be one of the most important topics also during Lithuania’s OSCE chairmanship.

According to Deputy Minister R.Тukhtabaev, water and energy management, environmental problems, and threats from Afghanistan are among the most important issues for Uzbekistan.

Vice-Minister E.Ignatavičius noted that the Lithuanian OSCE chairmanship intended to dedicate a lot of attention to these issues, as well as to border management.

Deputy Minister R.Тukhtabaev emphasized that Uzbekistan saw Lithuania as a viable partner.

Uzbekistan is among Lithuania’s largest trading partners in Central Asia. From January to August 2010, the Lithuanian trade turnover with Uzbekistan amounted to 65.43 million Litas and, as compared with the corresponding period of 2009, increased by 1.65 times.