Lithuanian PM says Azerbaijan' has role in securing implementation of Russia sanctions

VILNIUS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Vilnius on Monday and said she sees Azerbaijan's important role in ensuring effective implementation of sanctions for Russia.

"The consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as the threat they pose, are global. Achieving peace requires not only comprehensive support for Ukraine but also effective implementation of sanctions, leaving as few loopholes as possible to circumvent sanctions as the aggressor country is actively seeking to do so. Azerbaijan's role in this area is also very important," the prime minister was quoted as saying in a statement released by her press service.

The prime minister and the Azerbaijani president also discussed Russia's war against Ukraine, the security situation in the South Caucasus, bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Azerbaijan, and the prospect of peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Russia is not interested in resolving conflicts in any region, the Lithuanian prime minister said, but it's rather interested in escalation and destabilization in order to gain leverage and benefits.

When discussing the security situation in the South Caucasus, Simonyte underlined that Lithuania supports a peaceful, sustainable and comprehensive settlement of the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict by means of diplomatic means, as well as supports the EU's efforts to contribute to ensuring security and stability in the region.

Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over territory for decades.

Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh split off from Azerbaijan after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Around 30,000 lives have been lost so far during this simmering conflict that included two wars in the 1990s and 2020.