BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

16/09/2009

Lithuanian and Belarusian Presidents discussed cooperation opportunities

Petras Vaida, BC, Vilnius,

President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and the accompanying delegation visiting Lithuania. In the meeting, the two Presidents discussed opportunities for economic and cultural cooperation, human rights situation and democratic developments in Belarus, and exchanged views concerning closer cooperation between law enforcement institutions of the two countries.

President Grybauskaite emphasized that Lithuania was upholding the EU's common position regarding democratisation processes in Belarus. Belarus has started implementing certain requirements imposed by the EU and OSCE concerning political prisoners, registration of organisations, and mass media. In November, the EU will consider the extension of its suspension of sanctions against Belarus, reports BC press service of the Lithuanian president.

Talking about cooperation opportunities, the Lithuanian and Belarusian Presidents shared the view that economic and cultural cooperation could serve as a platform for good neighbourhood relations. Belarusian and Lithuanian delegations discussed the possibility to cooperate in energy and transport, in particular by using more efficiently the Klaipeda Seaport and the Butinge terminal for oil import and export and establishing a joint logistics centre.

President Grybauskaite thanked the Belarusian leader for preserving and maintaining Lithuanian heritage in the Belarusian territory. According to the President of Lithuania, closer cultural relations with the neighbouring Belarus could promote people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

The Presidents also underlined the need to make more efficient use of facilitated travel opportunities provided for in the Schengen Agreement.

According to President Grybauskaite, this meeting could be a start of good neighbourhood with Belarus that could eventually grow into closer economic and cultural cooperation.

Source:

http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/baltic_states_cis/?doc=18279

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