BRATISLAVA, June 6, (WEBNOVINY) — Slovakia’s President Ivan Gasparovic, who is now paying a state visit to Lithuania, confirmed good mutual relations between the countries at Monday’s meeting with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite. Meeting of the two heads of state was the first item on the work itinerary of Gasparovic’s visit to this Baltic country. The president’s spokesman Marek Trubac further reported to SITA news agency that the meeting of the Slovak and Lithuanian presidents in the country’s capital of Vilnius had an interstate, regional, and international dimension. Lithuania is currently the presiding country of the OSCE, while Slovakia is presiding over the Visegrad Group. According to President Grybauskaite, for Lithuania, Slovakia is an important partner within NATO and the European Union. According to her, “being smaller European countries, Lithuania and Slovakia should support each other”, stated the president’s spokesman.
In a debate on economic and energy cooperation, the Slovak president reminded that Slovakia is fully dependent on import of energy raw materials. Therefore, “we support diversification of routes as well as energy sources,” the president said. Energy security is a priority for both countries. Gasparovic told his counterpart that Slovakia has decided to continue in its nuclear program in the energy sector, as it is vital for the country’s economy.
The head of state however emphasized that with regard to the events in Japan, we will even more concentrate on security of Slovak nuclear power plants. Lithuania shares the Slovak view. Gasparovic noted that he was surprised by the latest statements on halting the production of nuclear power in Germany.
The presidents discussed cooperation in NATO and missile defense, too, where the situation in Lithuania is marked by its neighborhood with Russia. Slovakia and Lithuania are both involved in preparations of the project of north-south interconnection of the Baltic countries with central and eastern European countries called Via Carpatia. The Slovak president informed his host about the project of Danube Strategy, on the importance of regional cooperation within the Visegrad Group, and was interested in Lithuania’s experience with cooperation among the Baltic countries. Ivan Gasparovic invited Dalia Grybauskaite for a state visit to the Slovak Republic.
The main aim of the three-day visit is to stimulate development of mutual and relations improve mutual acquaintance of the Baltic region and central Europe. The membership in the same integration groupings, in particular NATO and the EU, as well as this year’s Lithuanian presidency of OSCE provides space for cooperation, too, Trubac added.
President Gasparovic paid an official visit to Lithuania in 2005. Three years ago, the then Lithuanian President Adamkus visited Slovakia.
SITA