Legislation is being drafted to establish diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Swaziland, the Togolese Republic, the Union of the Comoros, the Republic of the Sudan, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of Somalia, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.
According to the ministry, the diplomatic relations will open up opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Also, amid growing interest in the African continent from Lithuanian businesses, non-governmental organizations, and tourists, the diplomatic relations will make it easier to establish contacts with local authorities and provide assistance to Lithuanian citizens in case of emergency.
The government is planning to pass resolutions on the establishment of diplomatic relations with the African countries.
Some of these states are small, with populations of half a million or a million people, but the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the biggest African countries with a population of 71 million.
