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On 25 May in Vilnius, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius met with the Minister of State for External Affairs of India Mobashar Jawed Akbar and discussed possibilities for strengthening bilateral political, economic and cultural relations, important international issues.

“Relations between Lithuania and India have developed dynamically. Each year, there is an increase in the volume of bilateral trade, the number of Indian youths studying in Lithuania is growing rapidly, as well as the number of cultural initiatives that are bringing our nations closer together,” said Lithuania’s Foreign Minister.

This year marks the 25 anniversary of our bilateral relations and the next year – the centenary of the restoration of the state of Lithuania. Therefore, the possibility of exchanging high-level visits was discussed. The Ministers welcomed the fact that our bilateral trade exceeded EUR 130 million in 2016. Last  year, compared with 2015, exports increased by more than 70 percent. It is expected that exports of Lithuanian goods will continue to grow and that all emerging obstacles will be eliminated. The interlocutors also dedicated attention to negotiated agreements, including an extradition treaty, which has been almost fully negotiated.

After the meeting, the Ministers held a press conference, during which the book “India and Lithuania – A Personal Bond” was presented. It was published on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and contains articles about Hermann Kallenbach, Antanas Poška and Vydūnas by Lithuanian and Indian scholars.

M.J. Akbar came to Lithuania at the invitation of Lithuania’s Foreign Minister. He attends the ASEM conference “Women’s Economic Empowerment: Creating Equal Opportunities in the World of Work” that kicked off on 25 May in Vilnius. India’s Minister of State for External Affairs will also hold meetings with the Minister of Education and Science of Lithuania, members of the Seimas Group for Inter-Parliamentary Relations with India, business representatives. He will also visit the Centre of Oriental Studies at Vilnius University, will deliver a lecture at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University, and attend an unveiling ceremony of plaques in Hindi and Sanskrit in Užupis.

View more photos on MFA’s Flickr account.