News

On 13 February, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas received new ambassador of Kazakhstan Galymzhan Koishybayev. The Ambassador handed in a letter of Kazakhstan’s foreign minister to the Lithuanian head of diplomacy.

The Minister expressed satisfaction that in the past few years the political dialogue between Lithuania and Kazakhstan became even more intensive. According to Minister V.Ušackas, Lithuania wishes to develop economic cooperation and implement mutual investment projects.

The interlocutors also discussed possibilities to cooperate in the context of the European Union.

“Lithuania is ready to cooperate with Kazakhstan in developing the relations of this country with the European Union as well as in implementing its European initiatives”, Lithuania’s foreign minister said.

Mutual work while preparing to chair the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) was also discussed during the meeting in Vilnius. It was mentioned that the countries have a plan of joint actions in the Quintet of the OSCE. The OSCE Quintet is composed of a country that chaired the OSCE the previous year, the country holding the current chairmanship and three countries which would hold the rotating OSCE chairmanship during the next three years. Kazakhstan will chair the OSCE in 2010 and Lithuania will take these duties over in 2011.

According to Lithuania‘s head of diplomacy, in terms of preparations to chair the OSCE and the priorities of the organization, the cooperation of foreign  ministers was important, therefore it would be useful to hold a meeting with Kazakhstan’s foreign minister in order to discuss these issues as well as trade and economic cooperation matters.

The ambassador of Kazakhstan informed the Minister about his country’s decision to facilitate the visa issuance for the citizens of Lithuania and preparedness to conclude an agreement which would allow visa-free travels for the holders of diplomatic passports. It was agreed to discuss this issue at the level of experts.

Kazakhstan’s ambassador presented his credentials to the President of Lithuania on 12 January 2009.

Trade turnover between Lithuania and Kazakhstan amounted to 1 128,8 million Litas in 2008 and was higher by 8 per cent in comparison to the data of 2007. Kazakhstan is the largest Lithuania’s trade partner in Central Asia.