"I am grateful to Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang for the invitation to Lithuania to attend the prestigious Boa Forum for the first time. This reflects the dynamic relations and ever intensifying cooperation between Lithuania and China", said Prime Minister Butkevičius.
The Prime Minister has emphasized that last year has seen special dynamics in Lithuania-China relations. In 2015, first-ranked Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China Zhang Gaoli and Vice-Governor of the Shandong province Geng Xia visited Lithuania. Lithuania Days were held in the Shandong province for the second time, and Lithuania hosted the Shandong Province Days and a Business Forum.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Butkevičius and his delegation, the Minister of Transport and Communications, the Minister of Agriculture, and the Minister of Economy, as well as business delegations have visited China. During the present visit, the Head of Government has visited Hong Kong and met with Chief Executive of Hong Kong Leung Chun-ying and Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of Hong Kong Gregory So Kam-leung.
The Prime Minister has stressed at the Boa Forum that Lithuania appreciates China's initiative to develop relations with Europe, and Lithuania is actively seeking to contribute to strengthening of bilateral relations. "One Belt, One Road Initiative of China lays a strong basis for strengthening the trade, transport, economic, and cultural cooperation between Asia and Europe. Lithuania contributes to the development of this project and seeks to increase the volume of cargo transportation between the most significant logistic hubs in Europe and Asia", said the Head of Government.
According to the Prime Minister, Lithuania has potential to become the Eastern European centre for distribution of goods between Europe and Asia. This is proved by the intentions of China Merchants Group to establish its representations in Vilnius and Klaipėda in the short run.
The Prime Minister has extended once again his proposal that he has offered to Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang during his previous visit to China: to hold a China+16 meeting of Transport Ministers in Lithuania in 2017.
The Prime Minister has underlined that his Government seeks to further develop and deepen dialogue with China, who is Lithuania's strategic partner in Asia. According to the Head of Government, the China+16 format serves as a platform to successfully strengthen mutual economic relations as well as encourage cultural cooperation, and Lithuania is interested in deepening partnership in this format.
In his address, Prime Minister Butkevičius said that with the broadening range of interests, Lithuania and China finds ever-new opportunities to work together, and this opens the gate for Lithuania to the world's second economy, while for China, accordingly, to the European Union.
The Prime Minister has invited the Chinese entrepreneurs to make use of the opportunities offered in Lithuania.
The 15th annual conference of the Boa Forum for Asia has dealt with the development of economic cooperation between Asia and other continents. Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius has been the only European Prime Minister to attend the forum on the personal invitation by the Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
