Lituanica

The BNS reported that, as Lithuanian diplomats spoke up about attempts launched by some countries to revise agreements reached by four foreign ministers in Vilnius over the negotiations mandate on the European Union (EU) - Russia Strategic Partnership Agreement, Foreign Minister Vaitiekunas repeated that Lithuania is not going to back down on fundamental issues.

Lithuania blocked the commencement of talks with Russia, proposing to include four declarations in the negotiations mandate, i.e. the issue of cut-off oil supply via the Druzhba pipeline, the necessity to deal with frozen conflicts in Georgia and Moldova, cooperation in solving occurrences of Jan. 13th and the Medininkai massacre as well as support for exiled persons, who are returning to the Baltic States.

Foreign ministers of Lithuania, Sweden, Poland and current EU presidency holder Slovenia, decided in a meeting in Vilnius on May 11 to include issues brought up by Lithuania to be included in talks with Russia, however this agreement was not endorsed by ambassadors of EU member states in a meeting Tuesday. Ambassadors plan to continue discussions next week.

A Lithuanian diplomat announced this information to BNS May 14 that;”We eliminate such attempts. If they will continue, the mandate might not be approved by May 26 (GAERC)”.

Following a meeting with Lithuanian President Adamkus on 14 May, Vaitiekunas told the press of having informed the Head-of-State of receiving a few proposals by various countries with regards to the negotiations mandate, and they are currently being considered.

“A wide arsenal of different versions of what shape our answers might take is available, and they are currently being coordinated through diplomatic channels, however, when it comes to the main, primary, fundamental issues of Lithuania’s interests, we are not going to back down. (…) We are risking European solidarity”, the foreign minister asserted.

According to the BNS he also noted that the new proposals are most concerned with the issue of frozen conflicts and added that he can reveal neither who is making the proposals, nor what matter they concern.

“In general terms, I am telling you that yes, the main question under revision, is that of frozen conflicts, a declaration on frozen conflicts. Countries stand on different grounds when it comes to geographical and geopolitical positions. Take the United Kingdom, Spain, France - their interests are different and we are simply defending our interests by assuming this position here and now. The EU will have to go a long way in order to learn how to reflect interests unanimously and speak with one voice”, Vaitiekunas explained, noting that an acceptable compromise will be sought out on the issue.

The BNS writes that the minister also noted that he cannot yet reveal what form Lithuania’s demands should take on in the mandate, and in what phrasing should it appear. The minister said that this would mean having to reveal stances on the negotiations mandate and would therefore make them less efficient.

Source BNS

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

The Lithuanian Baltos Lankos publishing house introduced its new publication, Edward Lucas’ ’The New Cold War’ in Lithuanian today.  The book was presented during a discussion at the Vilnius’ Book Fair.  Mr Virgis Valantinavicius moderated the discussion.  The book is already well known in Lithuania even before its official appearance.

Some of the commentators joking that the President Adamkus did a promotion for the book during his recent interview to the FT warning the West about a possibility of the New Cold War between the West and Russia.

Well, I am off to read the book, what about you?

As the BNS announced the Great Britain’s opposition leader David Cameron says that he did not intend to offend anybody by jokes about “one-legged Lithuanian lesbians.”

“By things that I said last week during private dinner with the British Art Council, I did not intend to offend anybody from Lithuania,” Cameron said in a written reply to Lithuanian Ambassador to Great Britain Vygaudas Usackas.

Cameron said that he held Lithuania and its people in the highest regard. “This country is a staunch ally of the United Kingdom both in NATO and the EU. He had long admired the vigour with which Lithuania has stood up for its independence and its freedom. The Lithuanian community studying and working in his country make a great contribution to the ties between two countries,” he said in the letter.

As the Lithuanian National radio and the BNS reported Lithuania’s Ambassador to Great Britain Vygaudas Ušackas has delivered a lecture to British opposition leader David Cameron regarding this joke about “one-legged Lithuanian lesbians“.

The Lithuanian diplomat called for Cameron’s immediate response to explain his recent statement for the sake of Lithuanians living, working and studying abroad, as well as the strong and further developing friendship between Lithuania and the United Kingdom.

Ušackas reminded Cameron that more than 100, 000 Lithuanians work and study in Great Britain contributing to strengthening of economic, cultural and political relations between the United Kingdom and Lithuania.

The Lithuanian ambassador stressed that such irony of British politician caused a big wave of dissatisfaction in Lithuania. In his words, the answer of opposition leader could give an opportunity to inform Lithuanians living in the United Kingdom or in their own country about the reasons behind the joke.

David Cameron, the leader of Great Britain’s Conservative Party, recently made a joke about “one-legged Lithuanian lesbians”.

As the Lithuanian press reported today a joke made by David Cameron, the leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, about “one-legged Lithuanian lesbian” offended Lithuanians and left his company dumbfounded.

The BNS reported that a metaphor that seemed strange even to the British was employed by the British politician in order to express his ironic viewpoint.

According to the sources of newspaper The Mail on Sunday, Cameron, when conversing with the representatives of the British Art Council, ironically commented: “I hope you won’t be giving grants to too many one-legged Lithuanian lesbians”.

His comment was probably meant to express disapproval with regards to projects of questionable artistic value.

However, it remains unclear as to why the politician chose the “one-legged Lithuanian lesbian” image to describe such projects. Labour, were quick to attack D. Cameron by stating that the comment was insensitive and tactless.

The conservative seemingly understood that he might have offended lesbians, and, possibly without the intention of doing so, offended Lithuanians another time.“I was speaking not of the one-legged Lithuanian lesbians, but of the one-legged Lithuanian dance troupes,” explained Cameron.

Representatives of the Conservatives added that the party leader’s statement was in fact meant to say that the Arts Council had given the chance to mock them for strange financing decisions made in the past.It is a rather interesting compartment, especially in a such PC country as Britain.  In one phrase the opposition leader managed to upset to minorities in Britain, and all Lithuania.  At least the politian knows that the Lithuanians are phantastic dancers!

As the President’s press office announced the Vilnius Energy Security Conference 2007: Responsible Energy for Responsible Partners held on 10-11 October 2007 is broadcasted live by Internet via Windows Media and RealMedia. 

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.

This blog posted an info regarding some data misinterpretation on the Economist Internet site regarding an article on Vilnius on its Cties Guide serious.  The article ‘Letter from Vilnius’ pointed out that during his stay in Vilnius Napoleon once called the city as ‘The Jerusalem of the East’.

I have written a letter to the Editor with remark that I have heard a term of ‘Jerusalem of the North’ but never came across with calling Vilnius the ‘Jerusalem of the East’.  After consulting the Jewish community, the Jewish Museum in Vilnius, and making a quick smirch on Internet it would be right to say that Napoleon called Vilnius ‘Jerusalem of Lithuania’*.  However, since Napoleon, this name evolved to the ‘Jerusalem of the North’.

After some communication with the magazine, the Economist agreed to change the geographical location of Vilnius from the ‘East’ to the ‘North’, which is more logical, if you have a glance at a map.  I agree that some might call it a minor detail.  Still, this part of the world is putting a lot of efforts to distance itself from the ‘East’ hence; consequently such a minor mistake could hurt the feelings of some Balts.

It is human to make mistakes but it takes a great strength to acknowledge them. The Economist showed that they listen to the readers’ opinions and take into consideration its customers’ remarks.  The Economist’s authority has only risen in my eyes!  Respect!

P.S. On the other hand, I have not heard from Mr Stephen Kotkin anything yet…

*See Henri Minczeles Vilna, Wilno, Vilnius. Editions La decouverte. Paris, 1993, p.13.< …> la Jerusalem de la Lituanie. Cette derniere denomination, que d’aucuns attribuent a Napoleon I est d’une totale justesse. Reference:Israel Cohen, Vilna, Philadelphia, Jewish publication Society of America, 1943.

Also see Vilna, Jerusalem of Lithuania by Leyzer Ran. Oxford, 1987. ‘As Napoleon walked through the narrow medieval street of Vilna, he remarked that they remained him of Jerusalem.’ (p.2).

See this post

There is an article on the Economist Cities Guide on Vilnius called ‘Letter from Vilnius’.  Nice beginning with ‘Vilnius is the place to see three lost civilisations, the ruins of one collapsed empire and an old country newly reborn however I would not agree with all of it.’  However, once again the Economist published a misleading information about Lithuania.  The author states that Napoleon called Vilnius as ‘Jerusalem of the EAST’.I have never hear of such a fares describing Vilnius before.  What I heard is the ‘Jerusalem of the NORTH’.  I cannot deny if the phrase was coined by the great man himself, but I would doubt if those who heard it would have dared to distorted.  Maybe the Economist knows more about it.