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

At his welcome address during the opening of the business forum, with Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Massimov present, the Prime Minister of Lithuania has stressed that Kazakhstan is a major political and economic partner of Lithuania in the region of Central Asia.

“Mutual trade volumes have been growing for six successive years, and have exceeded 1 billion US dollars in 2014, which makes up 75% of Lithuania’s trade turnover in Central Asia”, said Prime Minister of Lithuania, and stressed that we should be grateful for business representatives and their organisations for this excellent result.

However, according to the Prime Minister of Lithuania, there is room for strengthening economic cooperation in the fields of food and wood industry, electric equipment, information technologies, medical services, logistics, and other areas that have high development potential. Prime Minister Butkevicius has cited dairy products sector as a successful example: exports of Lithuanian dairy products to Kazakhstan has doubled over the period of August 2014 – January 2015.

The Prime Minister has expressed his delight that Lithuania and Kazakhstan have been heavily investing into infrastructure and transport sector, which determines the countries’ competitiveness. The Prime Minister has presented favourable investment environment in Lithuania, has mentioned the free economic zones, industrial parks, as well as science and business hubs, and has invited entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan to invest more actively in Lithuania.

Prime Minister Butkevicius has wished the forum participants successful work and fruitful outcomes, and has invited them to make use of the existing advantages with a view to strengthening business relations between the two countries and jointly competing in the external markets.

Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Karim Massimov has remembered economy encouragement programme, as initiated by the President of Kazakhstan, and has invited entrepreneurs from Lithuania to take part at joint projects.

On his visit to Kazakhstan, the Prime Minister of Lithuania will take part at the opening of Lithuania–Kazakhstan Business Forum in Almaty on Wednesday, and will speak at the 8th international Astana Economic Forum “Invest in Kazakhstan” on Thursday.