On June 12, within the framework of a working visit to Vilnius First Vice Prime Minister/ Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv met with Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis.

On behalf of the Government of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv thanked the Government of Lithuania and all the people of Lithuania for comprehensive assistance and support for Ukraine, its independence and territorial integrity.

"Yesterday there came in effect a visa regime that will enable more active cultural, economic, trade rapprochement between Ukraine and Europe. We are grateful to Lithuania for supporting Ukraine on the path towards our European integration", said Stepan Kubiv.

In turn Saulius Skvernelis commended the significant progress of Ukraine in discovering the domestic export potential, development of international trade, reforms in economy, social sector and many other domains.

"We're heartened by the success of reforms in Ukraine. But the potential of trade and economic cooperation, in our opinion, is insufficient. It requires promotion and development, particularly in the framework of Ukrainian-Lithuanian intergovernmental commission, which will have a meeting in Vilnius soon. Apart from that, we should enhance cooperation on cultural and tourist projects. Hence, we encourage further reforms in Ukraine and express readiness to back you in this and provide comprehensive assistance", said Saulius Skvernelis.

Stepan Kubiv added that among the priority projects of cooperation between Ukraine and Lithuania must be projects in agricultural industry, engineering, building of digital infrastructure, IT projects, collaboration in science and tourism.

"Especially valuable is viewed the experience of Lithuanian in the alternative, green energy. Wind and solar power plants - are project in which Lithuania has been successful, so we will be happy to use this experience in the implementation of similar projects in Ukraine. It will allow scientific-technical cooperation and investment projects between Ukraine and Lithuania", said Stepan Kubiv.

Moreover, Stepan Kubiv noted the strategic position of Ukraine and Lithuania at the crossroads of important trade routes.

"Apart from leveraging investment we see considerable opportunities for joint projects on the use of infrastructure and logistic potential of our countries. Increased transit cargo flows and widened geography of carriages in the Baltic Sea-the Black Sea direction, especially with the view to the possibility of combining it with the "New Silk Road" project and the creation of a transport corridor the Baltic Sea-the Black Sea-the Caspian Sea", stressed Stepan Kubiv.