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During a meeting on 3 December in Delhi, India’s Minister of External Affairs Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna and Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas agreed to develop partnership relations in the areas of business, investments, culture and politics, they also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and efforts to combat climate change.

During the meeting, India’s Minister of External Affairs and the Foreign Minister of Lithuania voiced support for the strategy regarding Afghanistan that U.S. President Barack Obama had announced. Minister S.M.Krishna expressed gratitude to Lithuania and other countries that were sending troops and financial aid to Afghanistan that borders with the region where India is situated. Minister S.M.Krishna emphasized the importance of international military presence in Afghanistan, especially due to the continuing terrorist attacks.

The Ministers of India and Lithuania stressed that the NATO mission in Afghanistan, in which Lithuania is also participating, was a noble mission of the international community, which eliminated sources of terrorism and allowed to create preconditions for Afghanistan’s people to govern their country safely and stably.

India is one of the biggest Afghanistan’s financial donors. During the last five years, India allocated 1.2 billion. U.S. dollars for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

During the meeting with India’s Minister of External Affairs, preparation for the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen was also discussed. Minister S.M.Krishna informed Minister V.Ušackas that the government of India intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20-25 per cent until 2020.

Minister V.Ušackas welcomed this decision and drew attention to the fact that the EU has taken a leadership role encouraging the countries of the world to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and to aim at reducing the emissions by 20 per cent until 2020, and if other countries followed it, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 per cent. The Ministers expressed trust that the U.S.A. and other countries of the world would assume similar responsibilities already at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on 7-18 December.