Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė on Wednesday handed letters of credence to Sigutė Jakštonytė, the country’s first ambassador to the Republic of South Africa.
Speaking at the ceremony at the President’s Office, Grybauskaitė stressed the importance of maintaining extensive contacts with the local Litvak community. According to the press release, Lithuanian exports to South Africa grew by 32 percent in 2014 but there was practically no investment. Food industry, agriculture, IT, chemical and engineering industries are perspective sectors for Lithuanian exports to South Africa, said the President’s Office. In Grybauskaitė’s words, the two countries are yet to sign a bilateral agreement on economic cooperation and Lithuania needs to look more intensely for trade and business partners not only in the Republic of South Africa but also in the wider South African region.