BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18. Azerbaijan is a very important partner for Lithuania in the Caucasus region, President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda said making a press statement together with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Trend reports.
"It is in our interest, Mr. President, to further develop bilateral relations in the spirit of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed in 2007. I fully believe that there is great potential for expanding our economic cooperation. That is why I have brought many business representatives to Azerbaijan. We are interested in exploring market opportunities and increasing bilateral trade. I would also like to invite Azerbaijani business people to visit Lithuania later this year.
We are at a critical juncture for Europe and its security architecture. As we speak now, Ukraine is defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is also defending an international order based on rules. It is now important to support Ukraine by all available practical means.
Lithuania is in favor of a more active cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is a very important country in the context of the European Union's Eastern Partnership platform, and also a strategic energy partner. We continue to support the progress of the new agreement between the European Union and Azerbaijan. The war in Ukraine has been a warning signal for Europe to diversify its energy resources. The European Union wants to diversify its energy resources and end its dependence on Russia for fuel. The European Union is interested in strengthening cooperation with alternative energy exporters, including Azerbaijan, in the field of natural gas. Azerbaijan is a reliable partner of the European Union in the energy sector.
We are seeing great potential for cooperation between our countries through European and other international development tools. We are interested in sharing our successes and experiences in the field of reforms. One of the best examples is the European Union's Twinning program. Azerbaijan and Lithuania are reliable partners within this program, and I know that we have already completed many Twinning projects, and some are ongoing," he said.