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On 28 March, the Ambassador of Lithuania to Japan Egidijus Meilūnas presented his letters of credence to the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Le Luong Minh.

The ceremony was held at the ASEAN headquarters in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia. The Secretary-General of ASEAN welcomed the first Lithuanian Ambassador to the organisation and called on Lithuania to cooperate actively with Southeast Asian countries both on a bilateral basis and within the framework of the European Union-ASEAN dialogue. Le Loung Minh particularly highlighted the importance of economic relations, trade, and investment.

Meilūnas noted that Lithuania was very interested in a mutually beneficial cooperation with ASEAN member states in the fields of economy, energy, agriculture, science, education, and transport.

“Today we usher in a new era of cooperation between ASEAN and Lithuania, and we hope that our country will become a gateway for your organization’s member states to the European market,” said the Ambassador.

Meilūnas handed the Secretary-General of ASEAN an invitation letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius to visit Lithuania. At a meeting in Jakarta last August, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister and Le Loung Minh agreed to push for more active dialogue between Lithuania and Southeast Asian countries.

The Ambassador also discussed an opportunity to boost practical cooperation in various fields with representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat and the Executive Director of the ASEAN Centre for Energy.

The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established in 1967. ASEAN aims to accelerate the economic growth, social progress, scientific and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations.