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Photo: salcininkai.lt

"Regional economic growth is a significant step in further recovery of Lithuania's economy. Investment, stronger businesses, new jobs, growing income will help faster tackle the social divide between rural and urban areas. You have energetic and enterprising people who can benefit from various business promotion programmes," the prime minister said at a conference-round-table discussion Regional Economic Strategy: Growing Business Potential and Creating Well-being.

At the conference the head of the Government also noted that it will be sought to allocate more European Union support to the regions, to provide funding under as favourable conditions as possible and to shift capital from cities in order to create new jobs.

It was noted that investment in Salcininkai reduced in recent years and more effort should be put to attracting investment in Vilnius district on the whole. Unemployment also remains high in Salcininkai region and exceeds the country average by 10%. The town of Salcininkai was second in 2013 in social benefit rate.

The prime minister stressed that Vilnius and Salcininkai districts which are situated in favourable geographic location – near the capital city – still have not used the full potential of more active investment and faster business development. According to Butkevicius, many countries regard such locations as having an advantage due to more developed infrastructure and convenient transport links.

Butkevicius urged entrepreneurs of the region to apply for the EU support to create and develop business, and search for export markets.