Thursday, September 11, Vilnius – President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to discuss bilateral relations and the Middle East peace process.

 The President has underlined that Lithuania and Israel are the countries not rich in natural resources, but they have hard-working, talented, highly educated and skilled people. Therefore, especially great potential for bilateral cooperation lies in the spheres of research and innovation.

 According to the President, consistently growing and strengthening economic ties with Israel bring wider benefits to Lithuanian business and people. The two countries intensively cooperate in high technologies, life sciences and investment. Israeli scientists and entrepreneurs are active participants in the Life Sciences Baltics forum. Investments in Lithuania’s IT and research sectors are increasing. Tech Startup WIX, a famous Israeli web development and design platform company, has launched its information technologies development center in Lithuania this year.

 Bilateral trade and collaboration in tourism is growing. After launching direct flights from Vilnius to Tel Aviv last October tourist flows have doubled. Lithuania is also interested in opportunities to expand exports of food products to Israel.

 The President noted that bilateral cooperation and people-to-people contacts between the two countries would be further enhanced by the Embassy of Israel planned to be opened in Vilnius next year.

 As the Memorial Day for the Genocide Victims of Lithuanian Jews and the 70th anniversary of Kaunas and Šiauliai ghetto liquidation are approaching, the President and the Foreign Minister talked about the preservation of historical memory, Holocaust education and promotion of tolerance.

The Middle East peace process was also discussed at the meeting.

Copyright – V. Skaraitis/BFL