LITHUANIA TO AID AZERI EU INTEGRATION
AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
June 14 2006
Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus has said his country is ready to
assist Azerbaijan in its European integration.
"The Azeri economy is developing very rapidly and I believe the
country may be admitted to the EU as early as in five years,"
he told the press after meeting his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham
Aliyev in Baku on Thursday.
Adamkus suggested that by capitalizing on Lithuania’s experience,
Baku could avoid the mistakes that Vilnius made prior to its admission.
President Aliyev said in his remarks that Azerbaijan should take
advantage of Lithuania’s experience in the area of swift integration
into European organizations.
The Lithuanian president said that as a European Union member state,
his country should play a role of a mediator in the speedy settlement
of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh.
"Lithuania has supported Azerbaijan on international issues so far
and will remain its reliable partner."
The two countries signed agreements on mutual promotion and protection
of investments and a joint statement of the heads of state. The two
leaders also agreed to establish a joint economic commission.