Visits

Working visit by President Dalia Grybauskaitė to the South Caucasian countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, 2-5 May 2011

President Dalia Grybauskaitė as head of the OSCE Chairing State visited the South Caucasus countries - Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia - and met with their leaders: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Artur Rasizade, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

The meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Azerbaijan focused on OSCE-related issues, Lithuanian-Azerbaijani bilateral relations, and prospects for cooperation.

The President of Lithuania named resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, one of the most protracted conflicts causing much pain to both peoples, as one of the OSCE priorities during the Lithuanian Chairmanship.

"Lithuania as the OSCE chairing state would support only a peaceful solution of the conflict. As I spoke with President Ilham Aliyev, I suggested that both sides must make trust-promoting steps, e.g. to withdraw snipers or establish a direct contact, the so-called hot-line, between military commanders. An open and well-wishing dialogue is a must," President Dalia Grybauskaitė said.

The Lithuanian and Azerbaijani leaders also discussed further bilateral cooperation in business, education and culture. President Dalia Grybauskaitė underlined our state was prepared for student exchanges with Azerbaijan, ready to host Azerbaijani students who might wish to study in Lithuania.

On the second day of the visit President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade to discuss economic cooperation between Lithuania and Azerbaijan.

"The volumes of bilateral trade that have grown significantly over the past years strengthen economic cooperation between Lithuania and Azerbaijan. The establishment of a direct transport corridor connecting the two states and the participation of Azerbaijan in the container-train Viking project would lead to even more active bilateral trade relations and would unleash a larger potential for economic cooperation," President Grybauskaitė said.

The leader of the Azerbaijani Government expressed interest in the possibility to participate in the Viking project.

The Prime Minister and the President also discussed possibilities to develop economic relations in the field of information technologies.

Prime Minister Artur Rasizade underlined Azerbaijan was open for Lithuania.

The Lithuanian President and the Azerbaijani Prime Minister also talked about prospects of cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan in the energy sector.

Continuing her working visit to the South Caucasus, President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili.

The topics discussed in the meeting included Lithuanian-Georgian relations, political and economic cooperation, OSCE issues of the day, and Georgia's cooperation with the European Union and NATO.

"Lithuania supports Georgia's territorial integrity within the framework of international agreements, and also its euro-atlantic integration process. Talking with the Georgian President I underlined that Lithuania was and would be supporting the Georgian nation and was willing to share its experience. I also noted that how fast Georgia would manage to do its homework in the area of freedom of press, human rights, rule of law, institutional reforms, and fight against corruption, depended on Georgia itself and this would determine Georgia's further progress," President Grybauskaitė said.

The Lithuanian President also underlined the importance of taking concrete practical steps to meet daily needs of people in the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The President as head of the OSCE Chairing State expressed appreciation of Georgia's determination not to use force.

This was the fifth meeting of President Dalia Grybauskaitė with President Mikheil Saakashvili.

On the third day of the visit, President Dalia Grybauskaitė visited the M.Iashvili Children Central Hospital in Tbilisi, infant vision unit, to see how the development cooperation project for treating retinopathy of prematurity supported by Lithuania and Japan worked.

Retinopathy of prematurity is an eye disease that can only be treated by using laser technology. Up to now, no treatment for the disease has been available in the whole South Caucasian region.

"It is very important that we help Georgian people with concrete works. Cooperation between Lithuania, Japan and Georgia is a perfect example of how good will and professionalism can successfully start and develop joint projects. With the assistance of Lithuanian medical staff, more and more Georgian doctors adopt latest treatment methods and Tbilisi now has all possibilities to become an excellence centre in this field in the whole region and to help children of the neighboring countries," President Dalia Grybauskaitė said.

Under the development cooperation project, doctors of the Santariškių Clinics of the University of Vilnius initiated the installation of laser equipment in the M.Iashvili Hospital in Tbilisi and the training for doctors of this hospital.

In the afternoon, the President had a meeting with Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan.

The two Presidents discussed Lithuanian-Armenian bilateral relations, the potential for economic cooperation, Armenia's cooperation with the European Union, and Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship priorities.

The President of Lithuania, who is visiting the South Caucasian countries as the head of the OSCE Chairing State, underlined that only peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can ensure sustainable peace and stability.

"The protracted blood-shedding conflicts have already caused much pain to the affected nations. Any further hostilities would bring yet more pain and cost more lives. I urge and invite all conflicting parties to refrain from using force and I call on heads of states of the region to demonstrate political will and look for exclusively peaceful solutions. The international community, OSCE, has already proposed quite a few measures to boost trust. Now real steps must be made to implement them," President Dalia Grybauskaitė said.

The President also underlined Lithuania welcomed Armenia's progress in the EU association negotiations and was ready to share its euro-integration experience and carry out twinning projects.

The Lithuanian and Armenian leaders also discussed nuclear safety issues. According to President Grybauskaitė, Lithuania suggests that Armenia perform safety tests on its nuclear power plants. The Armenian President said his country was open for such suggestions.