President Ilham Aliyev received the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Inga Ruginienė, on Wednesday to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations and regional security.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the head of state expressed confidence that the Prime Minister's visit to Azerbaijan would be productive and contribute significantly to the development of ties between the two nations. Prime Minister Ruginienė expressed her gratitude for the reception and highlighted the long-standing positive relationship between Lithuania and Azerbaijan. During the meeting, both parties noted the strong prospects for expanding economic and trade relations, specifically focusing on cooperation in energy, investment, education, and agriculture.
The Lithuanian Prime Minister congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on the progress toward establishing peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. She also commended the large-scale restoration and reconstruction projects currently underway in the liberated territories, acknowledging the Azerbaijani government's efforts to facilitate the return of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes. President Ilham Aliyev thanked the Prime Minister for her congratulations, emphasizing that Azerbaijan was the initiator of the peace process and the proposal to establish trade relations in the region.
The President informed the Prime Minister that approximately 30,000 former IDPs have already been resettled in their ancestral lands. He detailed the ongoing construction of new cities and villages, as well as the implementation of major transport and social infrastructure projects. However, President Ilham Aliyev stressed that the massive landmine problem remains a critical obstacle, slowing down reconstruction efforts. He noted that since the end of the Patriotic War, more than 400 people have been killed or injured by landmine explosions in the liberated areas. The meeting also touched upon Azerbaijan-Lithuania cooperation within international organizations, with a particular emphasis on Lithuania's consistent support for the development of Azerbaijan's relations with the European Union.
