MINSK, 19 December (BelTA) – Belarus and Lithuania intend to reach the bilateral trade turnover of €1.5 billion. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lithuania to Belarus Andrius Pulokas made the statement before a business meeting on Belarusian-Lithuanian cooperation began in the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 19 December, BelTA has learned.

The ambassador noted: “I hope we will be able to reach €1.5 billion. The trends are positive, including in the sphere of investments. We have a positive outlook on the advancement of cooperation this year and next year.”

In his words, it is necessary to talk to each other more, to arrange events similar to the business meeting on 19 December in order to step up investment cooperation. “I think we will always find new interesting ideas and projects as neighboring countries,” said the ambassador.

Asked about priority forms of cooperation, Andrius Pulokas said he believes that solid trade ties move on to more profound forms of cooperation sooner or later. “We live in a globalized world. Business processes are getting internationalized. Classic trade relations do not live up to today's requirements. Investment activities and manufacturing cooperation ties are mandatory,” believes the ambassador.

The diplomat also stressed that Belarus and Lithuania are members of two large integration associations — the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the European Union (EU) respectively. “We should be able to profit from that,” noted Andrius Pulokas.

The business meeting focused on the current economic situation in Lithuania and other European Union member states, peculiarities of regulations and of acquiring the Made in EU trademark, certification peculiarities in the European Union, and instruments to provide financial support to export capabilities of Belarusian companies.