Baltic States – CIS, Business, Lithuania, Markets and Companies, Ukraine

Adam Martyniuk.

Instead of the planned meeting with the Ukrainian Supreme Rada's head of administration Valentin Zaichiuk, the meeting with deputy head of administration Adam Martyniuk was held.

At the meeting, Ukrainian-Lithuanian political topicalities, planned bilateral parliamentary initiatives were discussed as well as the issue of monumentalizing the memory of Taras Shevcenka in Vilnius that was raised by Irena Degutiene during her visit to Kyiv in autumn last year, informs LETA/ELTA.

The head of the Lithuanian Seimas noted that Lithuania was waiting for Ukraine's decisions to promote business relations and accelerate customs procedures in Ukraine.

"We are looking forward to Ukraine's favorable decisions with regard to Lithuania. In turn, Lithuania has already committed to monumentalize the memory of poet Taras Shevchenka. I discussed the issue with current Vilnius Mayor Raimundas Alekna and I hope that this commitment will be implemented after the elections to municipal councils that will be held soon," Degutiene said.

Late in the evening, after the meeting with heads of the Ukrainian Supreme Rada, Irena Degutiene met with Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Lithuanian Embassy in Kyiv to discuss Lithuanian foreign policy topicalities.

On Monday night, Degutiene and her delegation departed from Ukraine to Azerbaijan.

On February 8, the Seimas speaker will meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Parliamentary Speaker Ogtaj Asadov and Prime Minister Artur Rasizade. Degutiene will also lay flowers at the grave of the former Azerbaijani president, Heydar Aliyev.

On February 9, the Seimas speaker will welcome the participants of the Lithuania-Azerbaijan business forum, meet with Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Economic Development Minister Shahin Mustafayev. Degutiene will also be introduced to the activities of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, visit the Azerbaijan State Museum of History.

On February 10, the Lithuanian Seimas speaker will meet with Minister of Industry and Energy Natig Aliyev and Tax Minister Fazil Mamadov. On the same day, the Seimas speaker will hold a news conference, visit the Nizami Museum of Azerbaijan Literature and listen to a concert in the Magomayev Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall.

On the last day of the visit, on Friday, the Seimas speaker will depart from Baku to Kiev, where she will meet with the Speaker of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Volodimir Litvin. The head of the parliament will return to Vilnius on Friday night.

The Seimas speaker's delegation to Azerbaijan will be accompanied by a Lithuanian business delegation which will take part in the joint business forum on opportunities to invest in Azerbaijan as well as to encourage Azerbaijani entrepreneurs to invest in Lithuania. The Lithuanian business delegation's visit is organized by the Lithuanian Business Confederation – ICC Lithuania, which unites over 1,500 companies and 16 businesses.

The Seimas speaker hopes that this visit will contribute to better opportunities for the development of the Lithuanian business in Azerbaijan, whose economy is now one of the fastest growing in the world. "The meetings between the highest Lithuanian and Azerbaijani politicians are an opportunity not only to strengthen bilateral political relations, but also try to open the gates more for Lithuanian businesses. Also, we expect to draw the attention of the leaders and entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan to Lithuania's ongoing projects, particularly in the energy sector," said Degutiene.