Lithuanian Prime Minister: Azerbaijan is a leading country in the region – INTERVIEW VIDEO
Baku, April 10, AZERTAC
Inga Ruginienė, Prime Minister of Lithuania, gave an exclusive interview to the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC).
In her interview, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė shared her thoughts on the prospects for relations between Lithuania and Azerbaijan, energy security, and regional cooperation, highlighting the importance of cooperation opportunities within the framework of the Middle Corridor and the enhanced partnership across various domains.
- Madam Prime Minister, please first tell us about the purpose of your visit to Azerbaijan.
- This is my first international visit outside the European Union. So, when I assumed the position of Prime Minister, my team and I understood that we need to further strengthen international relationships. Because, you know, the geopolitical situation is very dynamic, and we see what is happening outside our countries. So, that's why it is so important to strengthen friendship with each other. And my decision was to come here because we have a 107-year history of our friendship. So, I see Azerbaijan as a leading country in this area. So, I think that it is very important for both countries to strengthen our friendship.
- As a country that plays an important role in Europe’s energy security, Azerbaijan attaches great importance to its relations with Lithuania. Diversification of energy projects is among its main goals. How does Lithuania assess Azerbaijan’s growing role as a green energy exporter and the Caspian–Black Sea–Europe Green Energy Corridor from the perspective of its own energy security?
- It is great that Azerbaijan is working on alternative ways to secure energy supply. Supply chains can stop immediately, and if we don't have alternatives, then it can be a big problem. So, I am so happy that Azerbaijan again is working very hard to create alternative ways. And we have supply chains to the European Union, and this is very important. At the same time, it is not only about oil and gas, but also about renewables. And here in Lithuania, we can provide technologies which we have developed, from solar to wind. And I know that Azerbaijan is very interested in that and working very hard in this area. So, it offers real opportunities for common ideas and collaboration.
- How does Lithuania plan to expand cooperation with Azerbaijan within the framework of the Middle Corridor and other regional logistics routes? For example, what role can the Port of Klaipėda play in this regard?
- So, of course, the main topic when we speak about Azerbaijan and Lithuania is energy. But this is not the only thing where we can find common ground. Lithuania is working very hard on investing in defense. We are living in a very sensitive area. We have a lot of threats every day. We have to fight for our security. That's why our government decided to invest much more in defense. I know that Azerbaijan has made very good progress in this area. So, here we can connect our experiences and strengthen each other.
This is not the only thing. There are also great opportunities for agricultural cooperation. We have a quite strong dairy sector, and Azerbaijan has a very strong agricultural sector as well. So, here we can find tangible opportunities. And education, universities, and science. I know that now we have a great relationship, but we can enhance it through scientific cooperation and knowledge exchange to strengthen each other. Also, Azerbaijan has invested a lot in culture, and we do the same. So, here we can find common areas.
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