"Lithuania and Belarus have economic, cultural, and transit ties. According to the head of state, Lithuania's aspiration is constructive and mutually beneficial relations with neighbors, based on European values and norms," the Press Service of the President of Lithuania said in a statement.
The Presidential Office also underlined that Belarus is an EU Eastern Partnership country and an EU Eastern Partnership summit will take place in Vilnius in the fall.
"As the presiding state, Lithuania will have the task to cooperate with Belarus on these issues," the statement reads.
Lithuania and Belarus have signed an agreement on facilitated cross-border movement. Lithuania is currently waiting for the Belarusian side to finalize internal procedures for border region residents of both countries to be able to cross the Lithuanian-Belarusian border under facilitated procedure.
Lithuania's ambassadorial position in Minsk has been vacant since early December, after President Grybauskaitė recalled Linas Linkevičius who was appointed as the country's foreign minister.
Ignatavičius served as a foreign vice-minister from 2009 to the government reshuffle in 2012. Before, he was Lithuania's ambassador to Germany. Until his recent appointment, Ignatavičius was an ambassador-at-large in the prime minister's office.
