Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Office
January 18, 2008
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Petras Vaitiek?nas and the US Congress member, republican from Illinois State, John Shimkus on 18 January discussed the issue of waiving the US visa requirement for Lithuanian citizens.
During the meeting, the Minister P.Vaitiek?nas indicated that the US visa-free regime was one of the priorities of bilateral relations between Lithuania and the USA.
Discussing Lithuania’s contribution to the reconstruction of Afghanistan, Minister P.Vaitiek?nas presented Lithuanian projects: the reconstruction of the airport runway in Chagcharan and constructing of the Kabul-Chagcharan-Herat Road. The Minister invited the USA to contribute to the implementation of those projects.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and the US Congress member discussed other important international issues and processes in the neighbouring countries in the East.
P.Vaitiek?nas and J.Shimkus discussed the issue of the historic Jewish Šnipišk?s Cemetery. P.Vaitiek?nas, who is the head of the working group for preparation of the recommendations regarding the former Jewish Cemetery in Šnipišk?s, stressed that this issue should be solved in lawful ways. Both interlocutors highlighted the importance of conducting a constructive dialogue with international and Lithuanian Jewish communities on defining the status of the Cemetery and honouring it.
