EU – Baltic States, Forum, Legislation, Lithuania, Markets and Companies, Transport

At the meeting of Algirdas Butkevicius and Nursultan Nazarbayev. Astana, 21.05.2015. Photo: lrv.lt

“Kazakhstan is a major partner of Lithuania in Central Asia. We are pleased that political relations gather momentum and trade relations improve, yet we have not fulfilled the potential yet: we aim at developing partnership in the fields of transport and logistics, science and education, medicine, culture, and tourism”, said Prime Minister Butkevicius.

President Nazarbayev has invited Lithuania’s experts of construction and road infrastructure to take part in the projects pursued in Kazakhstan, and said that Kazakhstan highly appreciates experience of Lithuanians. The President has emphasized that the Intergovernmental Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation between Lithuania and Kazakhstan does an excellent job and plays an ever more active role in the partnership between the two states. In his turn, the Prime Minister of Lithuania has pointed out that the 10th meeting of the Commission took place in Vilnius last year, while active preparations are under way for the participation in the next meeting to be held in Astana the coming autumn.

The meeting has expressed appreciation of intergovernmental agreements that were signed during the visit: on mutual protection of classified information, on cooperation in the prevention of legalisation of criminal proceeds and financing of terrorism, and on cooperation in the veterinary field. The Prime Minister has thanked for fast and efficient work aimed at the development of bilateral cooperation.

“Following our talks with the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan about a possibility to designate the Sun Container Train as the official carrier of Expo 2017, the idea was instantly put into action. If its implementation is successful, the container train between Lithuania and Kazakhstan will be able to carry both the necessary equipment for the exhibition and the materials for the construction of exhibition pavilions. Hence, the cargo transportation volumes will grow”, said the Prime Minister of Lithuania to the President.

In the meeting, Prime Minister Butkevicius has stressed that Lithuania is in favour of strengthening the EU-Kazakhstan relations and trusts that the EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement will be signed and come into force shortly. “I am convinced that the agreement would not only stimulate bilateral cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan, but would also encourage development of bilateral economic relations between Kazakhstan and Lithuania”, said Prime Minister.

Prime Minister of Lithuania has extended his greetings to the President of Kazakhstan on several important events: the 550th anniversary of the Statehood of Kazakhstan, the 20th anniversary of the Constitution of Kazakhstan and the 20th anniversary of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan.