Lituanica

Lithuania was the sole of 27 EU member states, represented in the European Union’s (EU) General Affairs and External Relations Council’s (GAERC) session in Luxembourg last week to dissent to the proposal to begin talks with Russia over the new partnership agreement.

The countries decided that EU-presidency holder Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Dimitri Rupel arrived to Vilnius to further harmonize stances on the issue.  Amongst those who arrived to Vilnius were the Swedish and Polish Ministers of Foreign affairs.  However, another issue for the Lithuanians was of another importance, expression of support to Georgia.  The plan was that all ministers should visit Tbilisi on Monday and show their support to Georgia.

However, the Lithuanian diplomats had have heard a warning from Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitri Rupel that he would accompany his Lithuanian, Polish and Swedish colleagues to Georgia only if Lithuania abandoned its proposals to the mandate of strategic talks between the European Union and Russia.  An anonymous Lithuanian diplomat expressed his disappointment by saying “How can one propose such exchange? It is incomprehensible whether the proposal from the European Union’s presiding country Slovenia indicates the entire EU’s stance on Georgia or is it a lame Slovenian proposal aimed at forcing Lithuania to give up its legitimate requirements in the discussion of the negotiating position of the EU-Russian strategic partnership agreement”.

However, after discussion in the Stikliai hotel the Lithuanians claimed that the EU had agreed with all Lithuanian propositions with some amendments.  The Lithuanian FM stated that the EU solidarity exists not only in declarations but also in reality.  Still he remained that the positions will have to be agreed with the other 23 Member States.  The Slovenian MF noted in the press conference that: ‘All Europeans States and the EU Members understand Lithuanian position.  And I can easy tell that I understand the Lithuanian concerns’.  So, what are those demands?

As Lietuvos Rytas daily wrote last week, Lithuania decided not to approve the mandate for the EU-Russia negotiations until this mandate reflects Lithuania’s interests. This was the first time Lithuania has dared to fight for its interests in the EU with such fervour.

Vilnius demands to add to the energy declaration Russia’s commitment to observe the requirements provided for in the Energy Charter Agreement.

Moreover, Lithuania wanted the EU negotiations mandate to include the point that Russia should cooperate more actively in the field of renewing delivery of crude oil via the Friendship (Druzhba) Pipeline. This pipeline was closed in 2006 for “political repairs.”

As the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign affairs noted “Druzhba was cut off without an explanation. (…) We are worried that Russia is creating a precedent. Energy security and creating a precedent are issues of interest to the EU. This is not a bipartite issue. And we believe that the question of a precedent, and of how far one can go in not cooperating with one EU state is important to the entire EU as well. We have an alternative for Druzhba, but not one for gas”.

Lithuania also noted that Russia’s attitude toward its neighbours is related to the security of Lithuania and the entire EU. This is why Lithuania proposes a declaration on Georgia and Moldova.

Moreover, Lithuania would like to have a declaration on legal cooperation, which should promote constructive cooperation in the investigations of the 13 January 1991 events in Vilnius and the 31 July 1991 massacre in Medininkai, as well as of the disappearance of EU citizens in Russia.  There is also an ongoing case of disappearance of Lithuanian businessmen Mr Jucys in Kaliningrad a year ago.

Lithuanian is also seeking to add an additional declaration to the negotiations mandate to compensate for the damages incurred by the persons deported from the occupied Baltic countries. Ensuring such support to the deported persons was one of the international commitments Russia undertook when it joined the Council of Europe.

Lithuania does not impose demands on Russia. It urges the EU to protect Lithuania’s interests, the same way it protects the interests of other EU members.  Lithuania is not trying to change Russia, it is impossible, it simply tries to change the EU attitude towards Russia, in sake of the EU.

The another point is that Lithuania is a Member State, the same as Germany, France, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Poland or Ireland who are also defending their interests by blocking decision making.  However, Lithuania is standing not only for the ‘meet’ as the Poles did, but for the values of justice.

Lets see how it will go.

As the BNS informed the Lithuanian press is seen as having one of the highest levels of free press among Eastern European and post-Soviet countries and is even ahead of counterparts in some of European Union’s (EU) old-timer countries.

According to the BNS this finding was revealed by the Global Press Freedom Survey 2008 announced by US-based NGO Freedom House, promoting global development of freedom.

BNS pointed out that as shown in the survey, Lithuania together with the Czech Republic share the second and third places ,both countries were rated 18, among Central and Eastern Europe as well as former Soviet Union countries according to freedom of press. Estonia is a leader when it comes to freedom of press in this group of countries, and received the rating of 16 in the report.

The aforementioned countries, together with slightly lower rated Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Poland, made it to the ranks of nations, which enjoy free press.

At first I was convinced that this was an April fools’ joke.  Well, it was not – the Lithuanian Parliament Seimas failed to recognise the Kosovo Independence. The draft resolution was returned for improvement, even though some MPs were shrugging over what’s left to change.  What have happened in Seimas?

As the BNS those parliamentarians who didn’t approve the recognition of a new state and raised the question of how Kosovo Albanians, which constitute an ethnic majority in the region, are different from other peoples striving for independence - the Kurds in Turkey, Basks in Spain, inhabitants of Abkhazia and South Osetia in Georgia.

The MP and member of Liberal Movement Party Austrevicius mentioned to the BNS that “It now seems that Lithuania has some sort of specific motives for disapproving Kosovo’s independence “.

The President Adamkus, who welcomed Kosovo independence already in February 17 was rather disappointed about the decision.  Just before the President left for the for the NATO summit in Bucharest he issued a press release.  In it the President maintained that a “such an irresponsible and unprofessional attitude towards a new state is detrimental to thus far coordinated and authority-carrying Lithuania’s foreign policy and degrading to our international prestige”.

He reminded the Parliamentarians “The most renowned lawyers, diplomats and politicians of the Euro-Atlantic community agreed that Kosovo’s case was unique and cannot, for many reasons, become a precedent for autonomy-seeking territories in Georgia and Moldova”.

So, what has had happened in the April Fools’ Day in Seimas?  There are few explanations.  The first theory worth of the April Fools’ Day is that the critical mass of the Parliamentarians did not participate in the voting since they were away… celebrating their colleague’s fiftieth anniversary.  The MP is Mr. Sabatauskas, a Social Democrat and a head of an influential Seimas’ Committee of the Legal Affairs.  I was shocked not because of the birthday as such, but after finding out that Mr. Sabatauskas is actually only 50!  I would never give him more than 40!

However, another reason is rather controversial.  Amid the growing interest of the Lithuanian businessmen in Balkan countries, Lithuania is considering opening a diplomatic mission in the region.  As the PM Kirkilas said to the BNS the mission could be established in Serbia, with the diplomats representing Lithuanian businessmen’s interests in Montenegro, as well.  “I believe that if we decide to open a mission, it will most likely be based in Serbia,” Kirkilas noted to the BNS.

Hence, keeping in mind Belgrade’s reactions to the countries, which are recognising the Kosovo independence a long work of establishing of the Lithuanian embassy in Serbia would certainly slip away for some time to come.  The Lithuanian business lobby had put some pressure on the government to open the embassy as soon as possible.  Never the less, the same Lithuanian business lobby was advising to the President Adamkus to attend the 60^th World War Two celebrations in Moscow.

All situation is rather peculiar since the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which acts hand in hand with the Presidential office almost, ignored Seimas’ April 1 decision regarding Kosovo.  It looks as though this time the business lobby had prevailed over Lithuania’s strive to not to fall out of its allies choir in Kosovo affair.  All Lithuania’s major allies in Nato and in the EU had recognised the Kosovo Independence already, including the USA, the Baltic States, most of the Nordic nations and Poland.

Even though the Seimas Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee MP Karosas acknowledged that the resolution over Kosovo will be adopted after amendments in few weeks, the April 1 decision rose some eyebrows in few capitals already.  Who would claim that the Lithuanian politicians don’t listen to the basketball supporters!

The Lithuanian news portal alfa.lt published an interview with Edward Lucas.  Lucas was the first foreigner to receive a Lithuanian visa after the country proclaimed its independence from the Soviet empire exactly eighteen years ago today, on March 11, 1990.

His first book, The New Cold War: How the Kremlin Menaces both Russia and the West, was launched at the beginning of February. A Lithuanian edition was released three weeks later.  Read all interview

As the BNS informed foreign policy strategists from the United States, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania gathered in Vilnius on Thursday for an informal discussion of challenges to Euro-Atlantic dialogue.

The two-day meeting is attended by representatives of Lithuanian, Latvian, Polish and Swedish governments (Carl Bildt is going to participate also), foreign affairs and defence ministries, the US Department of State and the presidential administration and the European Commission’s Development Directorate and experts of US analytical centres.Among participants is Deputy Assistant to US Vice-President for National Security Affairs Joseph R. Wood and Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Daniel Fried.

According to information available to BNS, some participants of the Snow Summit preferred to remain unnamed.

BNS has also learned that the informal meeting was named the Snow Summit in hopes of Lithuania being covered with snow and had no other code meaning.

The BNS informed that the Lithuanian foreign policy analysts say that the meeting is held amid tendencies of stalling Euro-Atlantic integration in Eastern Europe and South Caucasus. Participants will exchange ideas and search for new instruments to accelerate the process, which is stalled by the fresh democracies in the regions and the Russian efforts to impede their Euro-Atlantic bids.

The experts say that the informal consultations of NATO partners last decade contributed to the Euro-Atlantic integration efforts in the Baltic states, which have already achieved NATO and European Union (EU) membership. Revival of the practice in Lithuania is expected.

According to information available to BNS, other items on the agenda of the Snow Summit include European-American cooperation in the context of energy, as well as perspectives of relations between European and US partners in the North Atlantic Alliance, which have alienated following the US invasion of Iraq.

According to the latest information available (just looked out of the window from my Vilnius home) the Snow meeting is going to turn into a Rain meeting since it is raining in Vilnius.  Is that an another consequence of the global worming?  Well, the participants of the meeting will not discuss that.  Besides, as we say in Lithuania ‘Čia Lietuva, čia lietūs lyja’ (It’s Lithuania, it rains here).  Please note that in Lithuanian ‘Lietuva’ is Lithuania and ‘lietus’ is rain.

Lithuania’s Economy Minister Vytas Navickas has dismissed as untrue the reports of Polish press that the Polish government may decide against taking part in the construction of new nuclear power plant in Lithuania.
“I think that information is untrue since I met with new Polish economy minister in Brussels on December 3, and there were no indications that Poland might pull out of the nuclear power plant project,” Navickas said in an interview to the public radio Lietuvos Radijas.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal Polska has reported that the Polish government, which took power two months ago, is pulling back from its predecessor’s plans to build a nuclear reactor by 2025 and may not take part in a project to build an atomic plant in Lithuania.

It should not come as a surprise to the minister Navickas, since the Poles did not show a huge enthusiasm to join the project after all.  First of all they were not too sure about the Lietuvos Energija Company and its business and personal links to Russia.  Furthermore, they sent few displeased signals when it became clear the Lithuanian Government approved a participation in the project of the private capital Vilnius Prekyba Group.  After creation of LEO LT, the VPG will also have its say in the negotiations.

On the other hand, this information from Warsaw could be another tactical move from the Polish negotiators, just to press Lithuanians even more to accept new demands.  However, it might be as well the news, which is ‘leaked’ in order to send Vilnius the message that we are planning to opt out of the project.  Lets wait and see. 

The Baltic States are situated next to Russia; hence this region feels the beating of the Russian bear pulse very well.  The Western Kremlinologists and the experts on Russia ridiculed those Balts who warned the West that Russia is irreversibly moving away from the liberal democracy and that Mr Putin is not a ‘democrat’.  Those warnings made only some months after Putin became the President were ignored and laughed at.  Now it is not funny any more.  Now Russia is on its route out from the Conventional Forces Europe treaty.   Hence, lets listen that some Lithuanian annalists have to say on the subject.

Five years after the final deadline that expired in 2002, Russia has not fulfilled one of the key conditions of the treaty - withdrawal of troops from Georgia and the Dnestr region in Moldova. Up until now, all NATO members held a position that they would not meet their obligation to ratify the treaty until Russia fulfils its commitments.

In August 1939, the Stalin-led Soviet Union and the Nazi Germany signed the so-called Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and its secret protocols on unlawful division of Europe. The deals enabled the Soviets to occupy the Baltic States for 50 years and appoint puppet governments.

Should the Balts be afraid again?

As the BNS reported five-country cooperation agreements on implementation of the project of the pipeline Odessa-Brody-Plock-Gdansk were signed in Vilnius on evening October 10.

The agreement on energetic cooperation and one more energy document were signed by representatives of ministries and companies of Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

“The signing of this agreement is just the beginning of a long road. I hope that we will continue working together to prevent insignificant technical disagreements from causing a slow-down of the project. The oil pipeline unites and will continue to unite our regions, creates added value and strengthens energy security in the whole of the region,” Lithuania’s President Valdas Adamkus said on Octover 10.

As the BNS remained the signing is expected to be the last step for launching the alternative project to Russia’s oil supply. Odessa-Brody-Plock-Gdansk is planned to be the first pipeline to link the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea regions with countries of the Baltic Sea region and become the new way of oil transit to Europe.

The SEB Bank issued an Eastern European Economical outlook.  According to the issue released today ‘Lithuania is entering the final stage of an impressive growth period. During 2007, lively domestic demand is pushing GDP growth above its potential level but at the cost of higher inflation. Inflation is also being fuelled by rising production costs. Looking ahead, private consumption will be adversely affected by the upturn in interest rates and decelerating credit growth. Supply side restrictions will emerge as a consequence of labour market bottlenecks. Overall, we believe that Lithuanian economy will experience a soft landing. We expect economic growth to reach 8.0 per cent this year, 6.5 per cent in 2008 and 6.0 per cent in 2009.’

The report focuses on the Russia after elections but it also gives a comprehensive outlook on Ukraine, the Baltic States, and Central European States.

As the BNS informed seven presidents, 12 ministers, top-ranking officials of the United States and the European Union (EU), as well as experts and representatives of energy companies will gather in Vilnius later this week to discuss global energy security and search for the framework for EU external energy policy.

Presidents of Lithuania, Poland, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, Romania and Ukraine, EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, US Deputy Energy Secretary Clay Sell, representatives of governments of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Spain, Great Britain, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey and Bayrammyrat Myradov, executive director of Turkmenistan’s presidential state agency for management and use of hydrocarbon resources, will participate in the conference - the Vilnius Energy Security Conference 2007: Responsible Energy for Responsible Partners - in the Lithuanian capital on Wednesday and Thursday.

French President Nicolas Sarcozy will not attend the event because he will be visiting Russia on these days. Russia delegated Ambassador Boris Tsepov despite the fact that the invitation was sent to President Vladimir Putin.

Agenda of the two-day conference organized by Lithuanian and Polish presidents, Valdas Adamkus and Lech Kaczynski, includes signing of two five-country agreements concerning cooperation among companies and ministries of Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Georgia implementing the project of the pipeline Odessa-Brody-Plotsk-Gdansk.

It is expected to be the last step for launching the alternative project to Russia’s oil supply. Odessa-Brody-Plotsk-Gdansk is planned to be the first pipeline to link the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea regions with countries of the Baltic Sea region and become the new way of oil transit to Europe.