Baltic States – CIS, Belarus, Cooperation, Energy, Transport

President Grybauskaitė emphasized that Lithuania was upholding the EU's common position regarding democratisation processes in Belarus. Belarus has started implementing certain requirements imposed by the EU and OSCE concerning political prisoners, registration of organisations, and mass media. In November, the EU will consider the extension of its suspension of sanctions against Belarus, reports BC press service of the Lithuanian president.

 Talking about cooperation opportunities, the Lithuanian and Belarusian Presidents shared the view that economic and cultural cooperation could serve as a platform for good neighbourhood relations. Belarusian and Lithuanian delegations discussed the possibility to cooperate in energy and transport, in particular by using more efficiently the Klaipėda Seaport and the Būtingė terminal for oil import and export and establishing a joint logistics centre.

President Grybauskaitė thanked the Belarusian leader for preserving and maintaining Lithuanian heritage in the Belarusian territory. According to the President of Lithuania, closer cultural relations with the neighbouring Belarus could promote people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

The Presidents also underlined the need to make more efficient use of facilitated travel opportunities provided for in the Schengen Agreement.

According to President Grybauskaitė, this meeting could be a start of good neighbourhood with Belarus that could eventually grow into closer economic and cultural cooperation.