News

On 22-23 June in Ashgabat, the delegation headed by Vice-Minister of Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius took part in the political consultations between Lithuania and Turkmenistan. A delegation of Lithuanian businessmen also accompanied the Vice-Minister to Ashgabat.

During the visit, the delegation met with Turkmenistan’s Vice Prime Minister Khozhamuhamed Muhamedov, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Nature Protection, Health Care and Pharmaceutical Industry, Railway Transport and Economy and Development. During the meetings, bilateral relations and perspectives of development of trade-economic cooperation between the countries were discussed.

At the meeting with Turkmenistan’s Vice Prime Minister Kh.Muhamedov, bilateral relations, trade-economic cooperation and cooperation between Turkmenistan and the European Union were discussed. During the consultations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan with First Deputy Minister Vepa Hojiev, the activities of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Central Asia and regional cooperation in the sphere of border protection and counterterrorism were discussed; opinions were exchanged on the situation in Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.

Vice-Minister of Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs E.Ignatavičius was glad that during the few recent years intergovernmental relations between Lithuania and Turkmenistan intensified – Ambassadors were appointed to develop bilateral relations and a permanent political dialogue was maintained. According to the Vice-Minister, further development of trade-economic and humanitarian cooperation between the countries was capacitated for. The cooperation between the countries is gaining particular importance, as Lithuania’s chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is approaching.

During the visit, the Lithuanian delegation also met with the EU Ambassadors, who are residing in Ashgabat, and discussed Turkmenistan’s cooperation with the EU and OSCE. Lithuania will chair OSCE in 2011 and will hold the EU Presidency in 2013.

Together with Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan Nokerugli Ataguliyev and Minister of Economy and Development of Turkmenistan Byashimmyrat Khojamammedov, draft agreements on economic cooperation and a possibility to strengthen representation of Lithuanian economic interests in Turkmenistan by opening the Lithuanian Trade House were discussed. Lithuanian businessmen took interest in possibilities to take part in international competitions that are announced by Turkmenistan’s institutions.

While speaking with Minister of Nature Protection Makhtumkuli Akmuradov and Minister of Health Care and Pharmaceutical Industry of Turkmenistan Ata Serdarov, E.Ignatavičius emphasized that Lithuania was ready to share its experience in the sphere of environment protection and to continue to contribute in raising qualifications of Turkmenistan’s medical faculty.

During the meeting, representatives from the Lithuanian Association of Railroads Services Enterprises GELPA and Minister of Railway Transport of Turkmenistan Dereguly Muhametguliyev took interest in possibilities of Lithuanian enterprises to take part in international competitions for procurement of construction works for the North-South corridor - which will link Russia, Kazakhstan and Iran – 450 km of the Turkmen section.   

In 2008, the trade turnover between Lithuania and Turkmenistan amounted to 7.1 million Litas (2.1 million euros). In 2008 in Turkmenistan, Lithuania’s project of Development Cooperation “The Identification of the Main Trends of Improvement of the Medical Support for Mother and Child in Turkmenistan” was being implemented.