Despite claims over the state of human rights’ situation in Belarus, Lithuania is expanding economic and diplomatic cooperation with the Belarusian government.
Honorary Consulate in Klaipeda
Office of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Belarus opened today in Klaipeda. The Consulate will be headed by the Krynitsa association chairman of Klaipeda Belarusians Mikalai Lohvin.
“I will do the same thing as in Krynitsa,” said the honorary consul to Vakarų ekspresas.”Our community is more focused on cultural activities, we are not engaged in politics. We have a music band, participate in various cultural activities, organize trips to Belarus.”
Lohvin was born in Belarus, in 1982 he came to Klaipeda for work. He served in the Navy. Now he is a citizen of Lithuania, he is an independent expert at the company Ships and People, press service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry reports.
The event was attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Alyaksandr Huryanau.
Today Huryanau will meet with the leadership of Klaipeda port. Belarus is a strategic partner of Klaipeda. The share of the Belarusian goods is about a third of all the port cargo handling..
Timeline of warming relations
- In February 2014, Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makey visited Vilnius.
- On May 13 last year in Vilnius, consultations were held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and Belarus. Our country was represented by Deputy Minister Alena Kupchyna.
- At the end of July 2014, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Linas Linkevičius, visited Minsk, where he met with Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich and his colleague Uladzimir Makey.
- This year, on February 6, with the participation of the Foreign Ministry of Lithuania representative Andrius Pulokasa the first visa centers opened in Minsk, Homiel, Hrodna and Brest.
Came over to MFA
On Wednesday, Alyaksandr Huryanau represented Minsk at the economic consultations between Belarus and Lithuania in Vilnius, the press service of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry reported. Position of Vilnius was voiced by Vice Foreign Minister Rolandas Kriščiūnas.
At the meeting, they discussed the issues of transport and transit, bilateral trade and investment cooperation. Vice-Ministers praised the economic relations and expressed interest in further development of constructive relations. The press release did not say whether the parties touched upon the subject of local border traffic.
Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the two states discussed the future meeting of the intergovernmental commission, which will be held this year in our country, as well as the Belarusian-Lithuanian business forum to be held in June in the Lithuanian Marijampolė.
Nastassia Yaumen, belsat.eu/en/
