Kazakh and Lithuanian FMs ink cooperation plan
VILNIUS. KAZINFORM - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius and his Kazakhstani colleague Erlan Idrissov who is on his official visit to Vilnius signed the Plan of Cooperation for 2014-2015 on Monday.
According to Mr. Linkevičius, Lithuania and Kazakhstan cooperate chiefly in transport sector in which the minister especially noted the Saule train bridging the two countries.
"Our relations are quite active. Economic ties have improved over the years as well as sales turnover that has shown stable growth for five years in a row. It has amounted to USD 700 million this year.
The Lithuanian Foreign Minister said there are several spheres in which Kazakhstan and Lithuania do not use their potential for cooperation. "We would like to see more results in the field of education, information technologies, tourism and especially in agriculture," he added.
He stressed that Kazakhstan is traditionally the most important economic partner of Lithuania in Central Asia. In addition, Minister Linkevičius praised Kazakhstan's role in stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan.
Erlan Idrissov, in turn, underscored the importance of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Lithuania not only in the context of bilateral partnership, but also in terms of ensuring good economic contacts with the EU.
"Our cooperation can be divided into several parts: bilateral cooperation, cooperation with the European Union since Lithuania is its indispensable part, cooperation within the international organizations and in the sphere of security," the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan pointed out.