While all foreign ambassadors present their credentials to the President, Mr. Lukashenko selects with care those he chooses to receive upon completion of their diplomatic mission. Evaldas Ignatavicius, having made a major contribution to Belarus-Lithuanian rapprochement, has been so honoured.
Evaldas Ignatavičius
The President noted, “You can have your own interests but you should understand that Belarus isn’t an alien country. We long lived as one state. Now, you have your obligations to EU and NATO partners and we have ours to our partners. Nevertheless, we’ve always found a path of understanding and a way forward together.”
Almost 700km of common border, as well as common history and culture, and mutually beneficial economic projects, draw us together. They shape our warm relations, including in the latest meeting between the President and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lithuania to Belarus, H.E. Mr. Evaldas Ignatavicius. Though the diplomat is completing his mission in our country, he promises to continue facilitating the development of Belarusian-Lithuanian relations.
Despite Lithuania having been an EU member for 12 years, Vilnius continues to support Belarus in its foreign policy, especially speaking out in Brussels regarding the abolishment of anti-Belarusian sanctions. Our mutual trade-economic interests are an underlying factor; last year, our two countries traded more than $1bn of goods and services, while over 600 companies with Lithuanian capital are operational in Belarus. Large investment projects are being jointly realised in construction, agriculture, timber processing and transport and logistics. Meanwhile, around 250 enterprises with Belarusian capital are currently functioning in Lithuania and almost one third of all cargo passing through Klaipeda Port is of Belarusian origin.
Economic mutual dependence supports the development of political dialogue, as the Lithuanian diplomat notes, saying, “We have a common historical past. I hope that our future will also be shared, for an expanded and secure Europe. Lithuania highly appreciates Belarus as a neighbour, as an important regional state that is undertaking efforts to establish peace and good neighbourly relations in the region. We’ll endeavour to continue our path of good neighbourliness, developing relations at a bilateral level and between Belarus and the EU.”
By Vladimir Khromov
