Azerbaijan, main trade partner of Lithuania's in South Caucasus
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister Linas Linkevicius in Baku.
During the meeting, the sides expressed their satisfaction with the current state of Azerbaijan-Lithuania relations.
The parties also discussed expansion of cooperation between the two countries on various fronts, including political, economic, energy, trade, educational and other fields.
Linkevicius described Azerbaijan as his country's main trade partner in the South Caucasus at a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov.
He praised relations between the two countries and called important the fourth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Lithuania joint intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation.
The Lithuanian side also highlighted the cooperation with the European Union as part of the Eastern Partnership initiative. He said official Vilnius is ready to contribute to the development of Azerbaijan's relations with the EU.
Mammadyarov praised Azerbaijani-Lithuanian ties, saying the two countries share common views on major international issues. He emphasized the necessity of expanding bilateral economic and trade relations.
Highlighting the current state of talks to find a solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mammadyarov said Armenia must withdraw its armed forces from Azerbaijan's occupied lands. This is a critical condition for the settlement of the dispute, he added.
The two sides also discussed Azerbaijani-Lithuanian cooperation in the fields of science, education, culture, and sports.
During his visit, Linkevicius visited the Alley of Honors to lay a wreath at the tomb of national leader Heydar Aliyev.
He also put flowers at the grave of prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva.
The Lithuanian diplomat then visited the Alley of Martyrs to commemorate Azerbaijani heroes who gave their lives for the country's independence and territorial integrity. Linkevicius also laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument.