Press Statements by Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Dalia Gribauskaite at the joint press conference

Press Statement by President Serzh Sargsyan at the conclusion of the meeting with the President of Lithuania

Madam President,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

I once again welcome the President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė and members of her delegation in Armenia.

After our countries regained independence, relations between Armenia and Lithuania have been developing dynamically. Armenia views Lithuania as a friendly country and a reliable partner. I would like to note with satisfaction that the Armenian-Lithuanian dialogue, which rest on a solid interstate basis, develops and expands by year, encompassing new areas of cooperation.

During our meeting with President Grybauskaitė, we held a productive and constructive discussions on a number of issues of mutual interest and spoke about some regional and global issues. We reiterated our mutual desire and readiness to deepen our relations on bilateral and multilateral levels.

I once again expressed my gratitude to the President of Lithuania for the unanimous recognition of the Armenian Genocide at the Parliament of Lithuania which testifies to the high moral standing of the Lithuanian people and their ability to place universal human values above momentary considerations. Back in the 19th century, the Lithuanian people responded to the massacres carried out by the Turks in the Ottoman Empire, publishing in the papers of the day articles on the history and culture of the Armenian people, stressing the similarity of historical fates of the Armenian and Lithuanian people.

Taking into consideration common historical past, I also stressed the import of adopting the Lithuanian experience of state building, Eurointegration and assistance in the framework of the Eastern Partnership. I referred to the cooperation of the Baltic states as a successful model and expressed regrets that at the moment the same model cannot be utilized in our region since Azerbaijan continues to deep the self-created rift, drawing dividing lines which are so improper in the 21st century.

We have also spoken about Lithuania’s Chairmanship at the OSCE which is an honorary but at the same time very responsible mission assumed before the international community. I assessed positively Vilnius’s desire to support the NK peace process, and underscored commitment of the Armenian side to reach resolution exclusively through peaceful means.

Unfortunately, Azerbaijan continues to build up tension through the recurrent statements, which have nothing to do with the requirements of civilized dialogue, which seriously undermine the entire process of negotiations. Azerbaijan has chosen the tactics of foot-dragging, and is actually waiting for a chance to embark on a new reckless military scheme.

Armenia welcomes the efforts of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and personal efforts of the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev aimed at the resolution of the conflict. We are ready to work, ready to negotiate; we are ready to search for compromise. However, it is essential that Azerbaijan too manifests similar desire to find a solution.

I once again thank the President of Lithuania for the engaging discussions. Madam President, the floor is yours.



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Press statement by President Dalia Gribauskaite at the conclusion of the meeting with President Serzh Sargsyan


Thank you, Mr. President,

Certainly, Armenia is very important for us as a stabilizing factor in the region which it may become. Despite your historical past, despite ties, relations and painful spots, despite the pain you have inherited through the ages, your people are able to solve the problems by peaceful means. The main objective and approach of the international community, including the OSCE, which is chaired today by Lithuania, is the resolution of any regional conflict by peaceful means; we believe that peaceful resolutions are achievable. No one, including international organizations, will support military solution. This is my very clear-cut message to all countries I visited in the last three days. At the same time, Lithuania will, of course, support programs of all parties aimed at the enhancement of confidence building measures. And we obviously assume that the measures will be implemented by both sides.

The second issue and objective of my visit is, undoubtedly, Eurointegration process of your country. For Lithuania, the process itself was very useful and efficient; it will be as much useful and efficient for Armenia. The process will help you to conduct reforms and achieve prosperity for your country in a shorter period of time. I congratulate you on the conclusion of yet another two chapters in the negotiations with the European Union which have commenced quite recently. Lithuania has rich experience of reforms and negotiations. We stand ready to share that experience and assist you in getting ready for negotiations, certainly, if you express such a wish.

The second aspect, which is very important for you, is related to the programs of nuclear energy. In the view of situation with Fukusima, Europe and actually the entire world, strives to insure even higher standards of nuclear safety. It is important not only for Armenia or Lithuania but for the humankind, for the entire world. Why has Europe started this initiative to conduct stress tests for all functioning nuclear power stations in Europe? For your own safety, we would like to ask all the EU neighboring states to do the same. It’s done not only for safety but also to enhance trust among nations, to exchange information openly and freely. After discussing briefly this issue with the President of Armenia, I gathered that Armenia is ready to do it.

The second component or package of our relations is our bilateral relations, whose political level is very high. Our two countries declared independence from the outset; it means that we will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of our independence together. Our economic relations have brilliant future. We are ready to make investments and are looking forward to your business activities in our country. In these 20 years, we have been going down different paths, however there are numerous similarities. We are open and ready to cooperate and to help.