Azerbaijan, Lithuania pledge to strengthen bilateral ties PHOTO

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Inga Ruginienė, in Baku on April 9. The meeting focused on expanding bilateral cooperation and regional development.

During the talks, President Aliyev expressed hope that the Lithuanian Prime Minister’s visit would be productive and contribute to the further growth of Azerbaijan-Lithuania relations, Caliber.Az reports, citing state media.

Expressing her gratitude for the reception, Inga Ruginienė warmly noted the long-standing good relations between Azerbaijan and Lithuania. During the meeting, it was stated that there are promising prospects for further expanding economic and trade relations between the two countries, and discussions were held on cooperation in energy, investment, education, agriculture, and other areas. The importance of organising reciprocal visits of delegations to further strengthen relations was also emphasised.

The Prime Minister of Lithuania congratulated the President of Azerbaijan on the restoration of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Highlighting the large-scale reconstruction and development work being carried out in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories, she noted the extensive efforts by the Azerbaijani state to facilitate the return of former internally displaced persons to their homes.

President Ilham Aliyev thanked her for the congratulations and emphasised that Azerbaijan itself has taken the initiative to establish peace in the region and to promote trade relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He stated that nearly 30,000 former internally displaced persons have already been returned to their ancestral homes. The President also noted that cities and villages are being rebuilt in the liberated territories, along with transportation and other social infrastructure projects.

At the same time, the President pointed out that landmines remain a problem in these territories, slowing down reconstruction and development efforts. He noted that since the Patriotic War, more than 400 people have been killed or injured by landmine explosions in the liberated areas.

The meeting also addressed the bilateral agenda of Azerbaijan-Lithuania relations and cooperation within international organisations. It was emphasised that Lithuania has always supported Azerbaijan’s efforts to develop relations with the European Union. Regional issues were also discussed during the talks.