News

On 18-19 June in Minsk, the delegation of Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs headed by Foreign Vice-Minister Evaldas Ignatavičius is taking part in political consultations of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and Belarus. During the consultations, bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Belarus, EU-Belarus relations, perspectives of economic cooperation, environment protection and other issues are being discussed.  

The consultations are held pursuant to the agreement between Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Sergei Martynov on development of relations. During the consultations, the delegation of Belarus is headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Valery Voronecky.

During the consultations, Vice-Minister E.Ignatavičius highlighted the need for a pragmatic position of the countries in solving the issues of bilateral cooperation. Vice-Minister spoke about the goal of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States for Belarus to play a more active role in this organisation, raised the issues that were important for the Community of Lithuanians in Belarus.

During the meeting, the delegations discussed the agreement that is being concluded regarding the travelling of border residents of Lithuania and Belarus. This agreement is intended to be signed in the nearest future. It would allow for border residents to cross the border and enter the border territory of another country without visas, but with special permits.

Vice-Minister E.Ignatavičius invited Belarus to take an active part in the forthcoming bilateral Lithuania – Belarus business forum this September in Vilnius, to which representatives from the Baltic Sea States associated business structures are invited.

Vice-Ministers discussed the preparation for a scheduled visit of Lithuania’s Prime Minister to Belarus in the nearest future.

During the bilateral consultations, joint conclusions were made that both Lithuania and Belarus were interested to develop cooperation between the border regions, people-to-people contacts, infrastructure and communications, to encourage the Municipalities and nongovernmental organisations to actively make use of possibilities provided by the Eastern Neighbourhood programme.

During the meeting, concrete measures of cooperation based on the Eastern Partnership initiative and possible projects were discussed. It was highlighted that at the request of Belarus, Lithuania was ready to share its experience of the path to European integration.

“An active dialogue between Belarus and the EU on issues of human rights and freedoms would open up possibilities for a broader cooperation between Belarus and the EU economic cooperation and would contribute to increasing of volumes of bilateral trade and implementation of the projects of investment business,” said Vice-Minister E. Ignatavičius.

Aiming at efficiently solving practical issues of bilateral cooperation, officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and Belarus hold consultations annually. In 2008, analogous consultations took place in Palanga, Lithuania.