News

On 4 November, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Asta Skaisgirytė Liauškienė received Ambassador of Libya to Lithuania Abulhafed Gaddur, who came to present his credentials to President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė. The diplomat, who resides in Rome, is the first Libyan ambassador accredited to Lithuania. The same day in Tripoli, Lithuanian Ambassador Petras Zapolskas also presented credential letters to Secretary of the Libyan General People’s Congress Muhammad Abu Al-Qasim Al-Zuwayy.

According to Vice-Minister A.Skaisgirytė Liauškienė, Lithuania is interested in developing mutually beneficial bilateral relations with Libya, intensifying business contacts and signing bilateral economic agreements, which would provide a legal basis for more intensive business exchanges. Lithuania is holding talks with Libya on agreements regarding double taxation avoidance and prevention of tax evasion.

Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs drew Libyan ambassador’s attention to the potential for mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of education and science.

According to Ambassador A.Gaddur, cooperation of universities and student exchange programmes, particularly in the field of medicine, are necessary to Libya, which in its turn could offer Arabic language and culture studies to Lithuanian students.

Prospects of Lithuania-Libya economic cooperation, people-to-people contacts and possibilities to promote youth and student exchanges were discussed after the ceremony, during which Ambassador P.Zapolskas presented his credentials in the capital of Libya.

The Ambassador and the Secretary of the Libyan General People’s Congress also spoke about the implementation of the memorandum of understanding to establish a mechanism for political consultations between the foreign ministries of Libya and Lithuania that was signed in 2008 and about possibilities to sign  a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement.

In Tripoli, Ambassador P.Zapolskas met with other Libyan officials and discussed with them   cooperation in the oil and gas sector. At the meeting with Lithuanian businessmen in Tripoli, the Ambassador and entrepreneurs exchanged opinions on possibilities to improve business environment for Lithuanian business representatives in Libya and opportunities of export promotion to Libya.

Ambassador P.Zapolskas is the first Lithuanian Ambassador accredited to Libya. Ambassador A.Gaddur is the first Libyan diplomatic representative accredited to Lithuania. Both ambassadors reside in Rome.

Lithuania and Libya established diplomatic relations on 11 June 2008.