On November 18th, in the capital of Lithuania Vilnius Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian has launched his official visit to Baltic states.

On the same day in the morning Edward Nalbandian was received by Valdas Adamkus, the President of Lithuania.

President Adamkus mentioned that the Lithuanian people always had maintained friendly relations with Armenia and the Armenian nation, which was basically promoted by mutual sympathy between two nations.

In his turn Minister Nalbandian underlined that Armenia attached importance to comprehensive development of bilateral relations, as well as multilateral cooperation with Lithuania within the framework of European Neighbourhood Policy Action plan and EU Eastern Partnership initiative.

The two had a detailed discussion on possibilities of enlargement of cooperation between Armenia and Lithuania in different areas.
President Adamkus and Minister Nalbandian discussed Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) peace process. On the request of Valdas Adamkus Edward Nalbandian presented the perspectives of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.

President Adamkus and Minister Nalbandian also touched upon several regional and international issues.

President Adamkus asked the Armenia Foreign Minister to deliver his warm greetings and support to the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.

Edward Nalbandian also met with Petras Vaitiekūnas, Foreign Minister of Lithuania.

Minister Nalbandian thanked the Lithuanian Minister for inviting him to visit Lithuania and emphasized that Armenia attached importance to development of friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation with Lithuania and that the decision to open the embassy in Vilnius next year came to reaffirm it.

Ministers Nalbandian and Vaitiekūnas expressed their satisfaction with the existing high level political dialogue and legal field between two countries, which creates solid basis for deepening of bilateral relations. Ministers stressed the necessity to undertake steps aimed at the development of economic relationship.

The two had a detailed discussion on the Armenian-European Union relations and on the steps which should be taken for establishing closer bilateral cooperation. In that regard Edward Nalbandian underlined the fact that one of the priorities of foreign policy of Lithuania is relations with the states of South Caucasus.
The issues regarding the Caucasus region there were also on the agenda of the negotiations between Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Lithuania.

On the request of Petras Vaitiekūnas Edward Nalbandian presented Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) peace process and underlined the continuation of negotiations on the base of Maindorf declaration signed by Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on November 2nd.

Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Lithuania exchanged views on the perspectives of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

Foreign Ministers reached agreement on promoting the direct contacts between businessmen of two countries. They had a detailed discussion on the steps aimed at the activation of economic relations.

Edward Nalbandian and Petras Vaitiekūnas also agreed on cooperation in cultural area, particularly on organizing joint events in Vilnius which is proclaimed the cultural capital of Europe.

Minister Nalbandian also visited Vilnius University which was founded in 1579 and is considered on of the leading universities in Eastern Europe, where he met with Benediktas Juodka, Rector of the Univeristy. In the course of the meeting they discussed the possibilities of establishing cooperation between Vilnius University and Yerevan State University.

Then Minister Nalbandian gave a lecture on “Security in the South Caucasus. The Armenian perspectives” at the Faculty of International Relations and Political Science.

Edward Nalbandian touched upon the steps undertaken by Armenia in the direction of establishing peace and maintaining security in the region and presented recent developments in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) peace process and emphasized that distorted comments on Maindorf declaration raised up in Azerbaijan do not promote the implementation of principles stated in the document, particularly in view of the methods aimed at the enhancement of confidence.

Edward Nalbandian also met with the representatives of Armenian community in Lithuania and presented Armenian-Lithuanian relations, the process of reforms which were being realized in Armenia, possibilities of the settlement of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) peace process and perspectives of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. Speaking on Armenia-Diaspora relations the Armenian Foreign Minister said to the representatives of Lithuanian Armenian community that Armenian authorities are intended to raise Armenia-Diaspora partnership to a new level and the establishment of the Ministry of Diaspora in Motherland is one of the steps towards that goal. Edward Nalbandian answered various questions of concern of the Lithuanian Armenian community.

In the evening Foreign Minister of Lithuania Petras Vaitiekūnas hosted an official dinner in honor of the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

On November 19th, Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian is to leave for Latvia.