President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev received the delegation headed by Antanas Valionis, chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Lithuanian Foreign Minister - April, 9, 2002

 

 

On April 9, President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev received the delegation headed by Antanas Valionis, chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Lithuanian Foreign Minister in the Presidential Palace.

Greeting the guest, Heydar Aliyev said that the visit of Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to the Republic of Azerbaijan will play its role in obtaining true information about Azerbaijan. Heydar Aliyev stressed that the problems of Azerbaijan is more familiar to M. Valionis than other European national, because Azerbaijan was a part of the Soviet Union in the past as Lithuania. Thanking President of Azerbaijan for the warm reception, Antanas Valionis conveyed the greetings of Algirdas Brazauscas, Prime Minister of Lithuania, to him. Talking about the relations between Lithuania and Azerbaijan, summarizing the results of his meetings at the Cabinet of Ministers, Milli Majlis (parliament), he said that it was necessary to develop these contacts and Lithuania is ready to support Azerbaijan in international organizations.

Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Antanas Valionis said that the main goal of his visit to Azerbaijan was to get acquaintanced with Azerbaijan, and he was satisfied with the meetings held in Baku and they were constructive. According to him, he was ready to render assistance to Azerbaijan in the framework of his authorities and opportunities in holding consultations of experts of the Council of Europe and financing these events. Talks were held on the achievements as well as on the ways of solution of the existent problems.

Stressing the use of the cooperation of Azerbaijan with the Council of Europe during the period of his full-membership, Antanas Vallionis said that Azerbaijan had joined a number of the conventions of the Council of Europe which considers expansion the legal base in this sphere.

President Heydar Aliyev said that he always noticed the principal position, courage, firmness and wisdom of Algirdas Brazauskas in achieving the independence of Lithuania, who was the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Lithuania when the Soviet Union collapsed. It was the first case when the first person of the ally republic acted against the line of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. President asked to convey his best regards and wishes to M. Algirdas Brazauscas and invited him to visit Azerbaijan.

President of Azerbaijan stressed that there are favorable conditions and opportunities to develop mutual contacts, especially economic ones and Azerbaijan will make efforts to advance its relations with Lithuania.

President Heydar Aliyev thanked the chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for his high appreciation of the cooperation of Azerbaijan with the Council of Europe. Azerbaijan makes its first steps as a new member there. There are difficulties and problems along with successes. Azerbaijan intends to establish his policy according to the standards of the European institutions, but it is necessary to have in view the peculiarities of each country in their resolution. President Heydar Aliyev said that, Lithuania, for example, was always close to the European values. Talking about his visit to Lithuania in 1960, he said that the Baltic countries were distinguished with their closeness to the European style of life and standards.

Antanas Valionis handed to the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev the invitation of the Lithuanian President Valdas Adamcus to visit his country. According to M. Valionis the meeting of the prime ministers of the two countries will give an impetus to the development of economic relations.

Ramiz Mehdiyev, head of staff of Presidential Administration, Dilara Seyidzade, chief of the Presidential Secretariat, Novruz Mammadov, chief of the department of international relations of the Presidential Administration, Araz Azimov, deputy foreign minister, Galina Gobescayte, Lithuanian Ambassador to Baku took part in the reception.

 
AzerTAg
 
Translated from \"Azerbaijan\" newspaper, April 10, 2002