Today.Az - Eastern Partnership program is important for both Lithuania‘s and Azerbaijan’s economic and political interests: Lithuanian FM (INTERVIEW)

Today.Az » Politics » Eastern Partnership program is important for both Lithuania‘s and Azerbaijan’s economic and political interests: Lithuanian FM (INTERVIEW)

31 March 2009 [17:33] - Today.Az

Trend News European Desk exclusive interview with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Vygaudas Ušackas on the threshold of his visit to Azerbaijan scheduled for the beginning of April.

Question: You are scheduled to visit Azerbaijan in April. What issues do you plan to discuss in Baku?
Answer: I hope may visit will provide a new impetus to Lithuanian and Azerbaijan cooperation in a number of areas, including, various bilateral and international issues high on our agendas, but not limited to them. I go to Azerbaijan to promote bilateral cultural, people-to-people contacts. Many say that officials of various countries set patterns for contacts and cooperation between people. I say that these are the people, in particular the young people who create inspiring patterns of cooperation that we follow. I am glad that there are more and more contacts between the young people of our countries.
The delegation that I am leading will also include Lithuanian entrepreneurs who are interested in establishing business contacts and investing in Azerbaijan. I am convinced that it will lead to new partnerships and add diversity to what is already multifaceted and fruitful cooperation. The trend is very promising; - in 2008 Azerbaijan has become Lithuania's largest trading partner in South Caucasus.
Let me remind you that our today's dialogue is strengthened not only by the feeling of mutual trust and sympathy, but also by the historic ties among the Lithuanian and Caucasian nations. When in 1918 our two independent states emerged, we showed considerable interest in each other and took care to establish diplomatic ties.
No less prominent on our agenda are the questions of the expansion of the interregional cooperation among the states of the Baltic region and Caucasus, political, economic, and energy partnership of the European Union and Azerbaijan, and the efforts towards peaceful resolution of the conflicts that today cast a dark shadow across life in Caucasus.
Q: Do you see any similarities in our countries' positions on regional policy, including the solution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh?
A: Both Lithuania and Azerbaijan understand that a conflict of this nature is always a threat to the security and stability of the region as a whole. August war in Georgia is an example of this. Principles and norms of international law, especially such fundamental principles as sovereignty and territorial integrity, have been violated during the war. This cannot happen again. On Nagorno-Karabakh in particular, Lithuanian position is based on our support to the principles and norms of international law, in particular on three principles: the non-use of force, right of nation for self-determination and territorial integrity. Noting, that contribution to a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a priority area of the EU-Azerbaijan Action Plan, we must further expand political dialogue and cooperation - both on bilateral level and within the framework of the international organizations. A solution must be found by diplomats through negotiations and not war. I am truly pleased to see that Azerbaijan's government believes the same. I truly hope that Azerbaijan and Armenia will be able to find the solution that is acceptable to both sides. I am sure that as soon as such a solution is found, the international community, including the European Union, will spare no effort to help both sides implement it. Along with other European Union member states, Lithuania supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk group. At the same time, we also think there is more that the European Union could do, especially in addressing such issues that it is best fit to address.
-Q: Azerbaijan, along with other five post Soviet countries, participates in the European Union's "Eastern Partnership" program. Could Lithuania's experience be beneficial for Azerbaijan in its future cooperation with the EU?
A: We have already had examples of such interaction. The Office of Lithuania's Parliament and Special Investigation Service were chosen as Twinning partners respectively for the EU Twinning projects for the Milli Mejlis and Anti-Corruption Office with the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan. Even the taste of Lithuanian basketball -a second religion of Lithuania - is known for Azerbaijanis. A few years ago a former prominent Lithuanian basketball player Rimas Kurtinaitis contributed to raising mastery degree of Azerbaijani basketball.
Lithuania welcomes European Council's decision to adopt an ambitious Eastern Partnership initiative. It is also the result of Lithuania's purposeful policy and efforts in the EU. This initiative opens a new chapter in relations with our Eastern neighbours. It is important that implementation of the Eastern Partnership initiative would be based on common values, respect for human rights, the principles of market economy and sustainable development. The initiative is important for both Lithuania's and Azerbaijan's economic and political interests, and it should open up additional prospects for the development of business, movement of goods, services and people.
During my visit to Baku the Memorandum of Partnership and cooperation in the field of European integration will be signed to set up concrete mechanisms and to make full use of all available instruments in order to accelerate internal reforms and to assist Azerbaijan in the process of European integration. Lithuania is prepared to contribute to the adopting and implementing European standards for political, institutional and economic reforms of Azerbaijan, strengthening public administration through capacity building, i.e. sharing of Lithuanian experience in the reform process and training of the state officials in the field of European integration, facilitate people-to-people contacts as an important condition for a steady development of political, economic, humanitarian, cultural, scientific and other ties.
Q: What is Azerbaijan's role in extension of the Caspian Sea - Black Sea oil transport corridor to the Baltic Sea? Is Lithuania ready to offer the Caspian littoral countries appropriate conditions for oil transportation to the Baltic Sea?
A: Azerbaijan as a supplier of oil and gas resources is a country of great importance for Europe and Lithuania. However, the potential of Azerbaijan is not fully used. This is partly due to the lack of developed energy transport infrastructure from Caspian Region to Europe. Therefore, Lithuania stands for strengthening of the EU external energy policy with Caspian and Black Sea regions' countries. We support faster formation of Southern Gas Corridor and acceleration of Nabucco project.
We also sincerely expect to see more Azerbaijan in Europe with creation of oil supply corridor from Caspian Sea to Baltic Sea - Odessa-Brody-Plock-Gdansk oil pipeline. At the moment it is one of the most realistic projects in this regard (with participation of 5 countries) and we should concentrate on its smooth implementation. In turn, Lithuania is ready to offer the Caspian littoral countries appropriate conditions for oil transportation.
What we also look very much forward is increased cooperation between Lithuania and Azerbaijan in some other regional and transregional projects and initiatives, not limited to oil and gas. What I mean is such projects as Traceca, Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Central Asia, that are very much in line with both Lithuania and Azerbaijan's interests. One of the concrete ways to implement these projects could be the so-called "Viking" container train project. Currently, this project links the Ukrainian port of Odessa and the Lithuanian Baltic Sea port of Klaipėda. We want to extend this project to the South Caucasus region as well.

/Trend News/