From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Fri May 12 2000 - 09:52:46 EDT
LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT IN KAZAKHSTAN
Following talks in Astana on 11 May, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev and
his
visiting Lithuanian counterpart, Valdas Adamkus, signed
agreements on technical, scientific, and cultural cooperation
and on joint measures to combat organized crime and drug-
trafficking, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reported. Nazarbaev said
later at a joint press conference that Kazakhstan could
export some 60,000 tons of oil each month to Lithuania only
if it concluded an additional agreement with Russia.
Lithuania had hoped to secure at least 4 million tons. Russia
recently increased Kazakhstan's annual export quota by 3
million tons, but 2 million tons is to be transported via the
new bypass pipeline from Makhachkala to Novorossiisk. Nazarbaev expressed the
hope that Lithuania will agree to transport goods to China
and Southeast Asia via Kazakhstan, according to Interfax.
Trade turnover between the two countries has increased
significantly over the past three years, reaching $95.8
million in 1999. LF
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