Azerbaijan, Lithuania ink co-op deals

Azerbaijan and Lithuania signed five documents on cooperation in a variety of fields during President Ilham Aliyev’s two-day official visit to Vilnius on Thursday.

The papers covered culture, information and communication technologies, tourism, exchange of information on taxation issues as well as a joint declaration on the development of partnership ties.

In the declaration, Lithuania said it backed resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict based on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and international law. It also stated the commitment of both countries to broad cooperation. Azerbaijani and Lithuanian prime ministers and cabinet ministers are expected to pay mutual visits in the near future.

Addressing a news conference after the signing ceremony, President Aliyev praised the Baltic state’s achievements in the area of European integration, saying “he saw what Azerbaijan could learn from Lithuania”.

“Our countries [republics] used to be part of a single country. However, your accomplishments in NATO and the European Union suggest that we should follow suit,” Aliyev said.

He said Azerbaijan’s oil production allows to discuss new projects, including oil pipelines to the Black Sea and Baltic Sea regions.

“We are interested in new markets, and existing opportunities are favorable for new projects,” the head of state said.

Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, for his part, said his country has reached a level that makes it possible to swiftly include it in the international energy network “that is approaching Europe, especially from the region that Azerbaijan is in”.

Later in the day, President Aliyev paid tribute to the memorial to the victims who fell in the battles for freedom and attended a joint business forum in Vilnius.

Aliyev is expected to visit the town of Klaipeda on Friday to become familiar with the operation of oil facilities as well as a seaport. The seaport could serve as a point for loading and unloading consignments if Azerbaijan’s oil is exported to European markets through the Odessa-Brody pipeline.

The relations between Azerbaijan and Lithuania have been on upward trend in recent years. The opening of the Lithuanian embassy in Azerbaijan this March was followed by the opening of the Azerbaijani embassy in Vilnius. Analysts say that despite high-level political relations, the potential for economic cooperation has yet to be explored.

Bilateral trade turnover made up only $10.2 million in 2006, and both countries’ businessmen are interested in increasing the figure several times. Lithuania plans to cooperate with Azerbaijan mainly in the energy sector.

President Valdas Adamkus said prior to President Aliyev’s visit that the oil-rich South Caucasus republic could play a great role in meeting Europe’s demand for energy resources.

Lithuania, which is the biggest Baltic state in terms of territory and population, has been successfully integrating into European organizations and was admitted to the European Union in 2004.*