TEHRAN - Iran and Lithuania signed a blueprint covering operational programs for economic cooperation in Tehran on Sunday, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reported.

According to the report, the agreement was signed by Mohammad Khazaei, the head of Organization for Investment, Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran (OIETAI), and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius at the ministry of economic affair and finance building.

In the signing ceremony, Khazaie said that the agreement will set the programs for future cooperation between the two countries in motion and it allows the parties to benefit from each other’s economic privileges.

“The current economic relation between the two countries is close to zero and Lithuanian foreign minister's visit is an important step towards the expansion of bilateral ties,” he added.

Lithuanian foreign minister for his part said, “I have had very good and constructive talks with Iranian officials in all of them deepening of bilateral ties has been emphasized.”

‘Lithuania ready to co-op on telecom’

Also, on a Saturday meeting with Iran’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi, Linkevicius said that Lithuania is ready to cooperate with Iran on telecommunications.

Touching upon Lithuania’s 16th place in the world’s telecommunications and information technology ranking, Vaezi said, “Lithuania has achieved considerable progress in various fields of communication and telecommunications, especially in the field of e-government, network security and software and this can be very effective for cooperation in these sectors.”

“A joint committee can be set up by the communication ministries of Iran and Lithuania to follow up the implementation of joint cooperation programs between the two countries,” he added.

The Iranian minister emphasized the need for expansion of ties between Iran and Lithuania after the implementation of joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA), saying that “Iran is interested in expanding its relations with European Union members including Lithuania.”

The Lithuanian foreign minister, heading a high-ranking delegation, arrived in Tehran on Saturday morning to discuss bilateral ties and regional developments with senior Iranian officials.

EF/MA