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LITHUANIAN-AZERBAIJANI RELATIONS COULD AND SHOULD BE MORE INTENSIVE - LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
May 25 2006
Trend's exclusive interview with the Lithuanian President, Valdas
Adamkus, on the eve of his forthcoming visit to Baku on 8-9 June 2006.
Question: How do you estimate the current level and perspectives of
bilateral relationships between Azerbaijan and Lithuania?
Answer: I may evaluate Lithuanian-Azerbaijani relations as friendly,
based of sympathy from the past and on the common future goals -
to live in prospering and safe Europe.
These relations could and should be more intensive - especially in
economical sphere. We receive the signals from our businessmen about
their interest in developing trade relations with Azerbaijan and
I hope that the foreseen visit to Baku this April will serve as an
impulse for the intensification of such cooperation. I am going to
have a group of businessmen accompanying me.
Azerbaijan - is and should be safe and stable transit country between
Europe and South Caucasus region.
I also see open possibilities for fostering our cultural relations,
renewing people-to-people contacts, encouraging flows of tourists
between Lithuania and Azerbaijan.
Lithuania's, as a new member's, integration experience is still "fresh"
and we are ready to share it upon the interest of your country. We
have gained a lot from the regional cooperation in this regard, we
suggest basing such a sharing of experience on a regional level -
this is the core of 3+3 initiative (cooperation between three Baltic
and three South Caucasus countries), which implementation depends on
common efforts.
Question: Have you defined the exact date of your official visit to
Azerbaijan? What issues will be on focus of discussions during the
forthcoming visit?
Answer: I think the agenda of this visit should reflect all major
issues of common interest - bilateral cooperation and possibilities
to develop it in particular fields, EU and NATO integration, energy
security, business development. As well, a very important subject of
discussions should be regional issues and Baltic-Black-Caspian sea
regions cooperation.
Question: What aid can Lithuania render to Azerbaijan in its
integration into the international establishments?
Answer: Lithuania welcomes Azerbaijan's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. We
are ready to share with you all the lessons learned in our way towards
NATO. We already have good traditions of cooperation as Lithuania
and Azerbaijan have been cooperating bilaterally for several years
in various fields of defence. Our experiences in restructuring
security and defense sectors, establishing legal basis and setting
coordination mechanisms for Euro-Atlantic integration might be of
particular interest of your country in the current implementation of
Azerbaijan-NATO IPAP (Individual Partnership Action Plan).
Question: In what stage is the realization of your initiative on
regional cooperation 3+3 (three Baltic countries and three South
Caucasus countries)?
Answer: Having learned from our own experience, how advantageous is
regional cooperation in reaching strategic goals, we are willing to
encourage regional approach in South Caucasus as well. Therefore 3+3
initiative is an essential part of these efforts, as it could provide
opportunity to share Baltics' experience with the South Caucasus
countries and promote links between them.
As I know the first informal meeting of five Ministers of Foreign
Affairs and Azerbaijani representative, held last December in Liubjana,
was considered as successful step into the implementation of this
initiative, the participants have agreed on the continuation of such
meetings. Let's work together.
Question: Does Lithuania support the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan? How do you view the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh?
Answer: Lithuania has also suffered complicated historical situations
in relations with the neighbouring countries, though since the
independence our aim is not forgetting the past, to work for the
future and to strengthen friendly cooperation with neighbours -
as it is an inevitable precondition of the wealth of whole region.
The territorial integrity of each country should be respected. We stand
for resolution of any related disputes only in a peaceful manner and
truly hope that such peaceful breakthrough will be reached in your
region in the shortest run.
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
May 25 2006
Trend's exclusive interview with the Lithuanian President, Valdas
Adamkus, on the eve of his forthcoming visit to Baku on 8-9 June 2006.
Question: How do you estimate the current level and perspectives of
bilateral relationships between Azerbaijan and Lithuania?
Answer: I may evaluate Lithuanian-Azerbaijani relations as friendly,
based of sympathy from the past and on the common future goals -
to live in prospering and safe Europe.
These relations could and should be more intensive - especially in
economical sphere. We receive the signals from our businessmen about
their interest in developing trade relations with Azerbaijan and
I hope that the foreseen visit to Baku this April will serve as an
impulse for the intensification of such cooperation. I am going to
have a group of businessmen accompanying me.
Azerbaijan - is and should be safe and stable transit country between
Europe and South Caucasus region.
I also see open possibilities for fostering our cultural relations,
renewing people-to-people contacts, encouraging flows of tourists
between Lithuania and Azerbaijan.
Lithuania's, as a new member's, integration experience is still "fresh"
and we are ready to share it upon the interest of your country. We
have gained a lot from the regional cooperation in this regard, we
suggest basing such a sharing of experience on a regional level -
this is the core of 3+3 initiative (cooperation between three Baltic
and three South Caucasus countries), which implementation depends on
common efforts.
Question: Have you defined the exact date of your official visit to
Azerbaijan? What issues will be on focus of discussions during the
forthcoming visit?
Answer: I think the agenda of this visit should reflect all major
issues of common interest - bilateral cooperation and possibilities
to develop it in particular fields, EU and NATO integration, energy
security, business development. As well, a very important subject of
discussions should be regional issues and Baltic-Black-Caspian sea
regions cooperation.
Question: What aid can Lithuania render to Azerbaijan in its
integration into the international establishments?
Answer: Lithuania welcomes Azerbaijan's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. We
are ready to share with you all the lessons learned in our way towards
NATO. We already have good traditions of cooperation as Lithuania
and Azerbaijan have been cooperating bilaterally for several years
in various fields of defence. Our experiences in restructuring
security and defense sectors, establishing legal basis and setting
coordination mechanisms for Euro-Atlantic integration might be of
particular interest of your country in the current implementation of
Azerbaijan-NATO IPAP (Individual Partnership Action Plan).
Question: In what stage is the realization of your initiative on
regional cooperation 3+3 (three Baltic countries and three South
Caucasus countries)?
Answer: Having learned from our own experience, how advantageous is
regional cooperation in reaching strategic goals, we are willing to
encourage regional approach in South Caucasus as well. Therefore 3+3
initiative is an essential part of these efforts, as it could provide
opportunity to share Baltics' experience with the South Caucasus
countries and promote links between them.
As I know the first informal meeting of five Ministers of Foreign
Affairs and Azerbaijani representative, held last December in Liubjana,
was considered as successful step into the implementation of this
initiative, the participants have agreed on the continuation of such
meetings. Let's work together.
Question: Does Lithuania support the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan? How do you view the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh?
Answer: Lithuania has also suffered complicated historical situations
in relations with the neighbouring countries, though since the
independence our aim is not forgetting the past, to work for the
future and to strengthen friendly cooperation with neighbours -
as it is an inevitable precondition of the wealth of whole region.
The territorial integrity of each country should be respected. We stand
for resolution of any related disputes only in a peaceful manner and
truly hope that such peaceful breakthrough will be reached in your
region in the shortest run.