The foreign ministers discussed possibilities of enhancing bilateral cooperation, with the economy as its priority. “Lithuanian business sees a huge potential in the African market, thus its growing interest there. Therefore it is particularly important to build a legal basis that would stipulate favourable conditions for the development of bilateral business relations between Ghana and Lithuania,” Minister Linkevičius said. With this purpose in mind, the head of the Lithuanian diplomacy suggested initiating a bilateral agreement on investment promotion and protection.
Mr Linkevičius invited the Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs to pay a visit to Lithuania on the occasion the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Ghana next year.
Ghana is characterised by political stability and rapid economic growth and is one of the most attractive countries in the region for business development. Ghana’s special interests are energy (and renewable energy), waste management, road construction, aviation, and information technology (IT).
On the same day, Minister Linkevičius had a meeting with his counterpart from Kenya, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Amina Mohamed, with whom he agreed to expand a dialogue between the two countries by signing an agreement on bilateral political consultations and initiating agreements facilitating economic cooperation.
Kenya is the largest economy in Eastern Africa and is considered to be the centre of telecommunications, finance and logistics in Eastern and Central Africa. Several Lithuanian IT companies are already working there.
Minister Linkevičius noted that Lithuania believed in a big potential for expanding cooperation in the economic field while the Kenyan Minister supported the idea by saying that both countries should find mutually beneficial niches in their economic cooperation. Minister Linkevičius invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kenya to mark the 20th anniversary of Lithuanian-Kenyan diplomatic relations on her visit to Lithuania next year.
During a meeting between Linas Linkevičius and Aleksandar Pejović, State Secretary for European Integration, Chief Negotiator on Accession of Montenegro to the European Union, the focus was on the processes of Montenegro’s integration into the EU and NATO. Minister Linkevičius noted that Montenegro was a perfect example for other countries aspiring membership of the EU.
The Lithuanian Minister also expressed his belief that, with smooth ratification of the agreements on Montenegro’s accession to NATO under way in national parliaments, it will soon become the 29th member of NATO.
