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

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.

The Vilnius Special Forces units were on alert since 2 am tonight.  The two remaining Soviet statues in the centre of Vilnius were vandalised.  Read full story and see more images of this accident in alfa.lt

I found about it this incident this morning, just before the military parade in Moscow.  Watched all broadcast live on Russia Today.  The Russian commentators only confirmed that the Westerners have a wrong image of the President Medvedev: he will defend Russia’s interests as firmly as the former President Putin.  And by defending it means ‘expanding’ the ‘security’ zone around Russia.

Those who studied the Russian history a bit will understand that Russia suddenly feels a threat when it stops to expand.  At the moment this expansion takes a place not through its tanks but through its banks.  If the Kremlin wished to exhibit the real Russia’s mussel the tanks and the tactical missiles should have been replace by the Gazprom trucks carrying the pipes.  The workers from the oil fields should have replaced the officers and the red flags should have been changed to the blue Gazprom flags.  I am convinced that the new President would have felt much more comfortable observing his ex colleges saluting him.

The new Gazprom ambassadors to the EU such as Mr Schroder, the current Hungarian PM Gyurcsany, PM Berluscony, the ex PM Prodi, the Greek, Bulgarian and the Cyprus leaders should have stood next the President Medvedev.

The commentators kept explaining that this parade is designed for the internal public to foster Russia’s pride and to show that there is a capability to defend the country.  However, it was broadcasted live on the Satellite TV channel.  How local is that!  However, those who know Russia, especially in the Baltic States are not concerned about those tanks too much.  We are members of NATO after all.  We are mostly concerned about the undercover Russian Army, the army of Gazprom, and what its forces doing in the Brussels, and the other Western European capitals.

The incident in Vilnius is disgusting; the hooligans should be caught and punished!  Russia suffered a lot to the extent, which the Russians don’t realise themselves.  The question is from what Russia suffered more, from the WWII or from the Stalin’s regime?  Lithuania suffered much more from the Stalin’s regime, hence the end of the WWII symbolises to us the beginning of another and more bloody war.  The war, which is unknown and took place behind the Iron Curtain.  It should be taken into consideration that Lithuania has lost nearly a 1 million of its population between 1940 and 1953 that is from the beginning for the Soviet occupation until Stalin’s death.  That is one third of its population, the absolutely best third of it!  It is fear to say though that about 200.000 of those were the Jews who perished in Holocaust.

Perhaps we should keep those statues on the Green Bridge to remind us what had happened to our country.  Such reminders should not let us to relax too much in planning our future.  Or better, the Soviet solders’ uniforms on the statues should be upgraded and replaced by the Gazprom uniforms.  And I am very happy that the former President Putin brought back the old Soviet National Anthem and made it to the Russian Anthem.  Every Lithuanian who hears this music feels shivers, that also keeps us alert.  Hence, Welcome to the 21-Century!

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.

European Union’s will to ingratiate the rotating heads of the Kremlin lies behind EU’s pressure on Lithuania to refrain from vetoing talks with Russia over the new “Partnership and Cooperation Agreement”, a a high-ranking official of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said to the BNS agency on April 25.  ”The EU just wants to present the new president Dmitry Medvedev and outgoing Vladimir Putin with a gift, not worrying over who will keep the gift in hand. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will arrive to Luxembourg next week to claim the present”.

The BNS said that the diplomat again reminded of the principles of solidarity declared by Brussels and noted that Vilnius wants for EU’s interior policy on issues of energy to be stated in one voice, constructively and based on existing juridical norms. He added that Lithuania’s interest of solving “frozen conflicts” should also not be forgotten.

The Foreign Ministry’s representative mentioned a few issues unacceptable to Lithuania present in the purportedly compromising text declaring commencement of talks with Russia, prepared in a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels Thursday and sent to Lithuania.

The diplomat indicated to the BNS that there’s still time for pursuing a compromise over the negotiations mandate, i.e. two months, or until the end of June to be precise, when leaders of EU and Russia are to meet in Russia and hopefully begin talks over partnership. Lithuania would like to use this time for talks within the EU and polishing of rough edges.

He also noted that Vilnius is not satisfied with this stance taken by the EU with regards to “sensitive and complicated problems”.

“There’s still time, we would like to negotiate, however if this principle isn’t upheld, we will not back up a centimetre. We are a small nation, however one that is a part of the EU”, the Foreign Ministry official said.

Lithuania is also discontented about the tone of EU talks with Russia, which is aiming for “a new quality of relations”, as well as with other post-Soviet countries, especially those in South Caucasus.

“These are double standards, the so-called “Russia first” politics, completely disregarding observation of international commitments, i.e. how the Kremlin observes them”, the Lithuanian representative said.

As the Lietuvos Rytas daily mentioned in its editorial ‘Lithuania would like Medvedev’s term in office to become a turning point for Russia: It could become more European and more civilized. However, is this something we can expect?

Is it worth waiting and hoping for something? Or is it better to have a firm position from the start? This is what our diplomats - who have infuriated not only Moscow, but, it seems now also Brussels - demand.

Lithuania’s interests should be reflected in the mandate for the EU-Russia negotiations. In other words, Lithuania does not agree to launching the negotiations first, and only then seeking that the negotiations ensure Russia’s commitments important for Lithuania.

This means that Lithuania refuses to endorse Europe’s idea that the foundations for the new relations with the Kremlin should be built on the hope that once Medvedev becomes president, Russia can change, and that mutually beneficial agreements could be signed with this country, and that it will finally start playing in accordance with the game rules accepted by the international circles.

The idea that Medvedeved, called in the West a Kremlin liberal, can change Russia at least partially, has become one of the most important discussions in the international community, just as has another topic - whether Russia will be ruled by Medvedev or Prime Minister Putin.

Recent events show, in a way, that Putin is inclined to strengthen his political position as much as possible after he leaves the presidential post.’

The same editorial maintains that ‘Perhaps Russian experts or persons interested in Russia do find it interesting to forecast such things. However, those who create plans for relations with Moscow should realize that, at least in the near future, it is not worth expecting any changes.

A question arises then, what is the point of giving Medvedev any “diplomatic gifts?”

Is it yet another concession, hoping to warm the Kremlin’s heart? Have we not overdone it already? Have we not understood yet that such policy does not give any results? Or, perhaps, it is not worth starting any negotiations with Russia, until we have a firm negotiations mandate that reflects the interests of all the EU member states?

Experience of Lithuanian diplomacy shows that we achieved the greatest victories in negotiations with Russia when our country firmly held on to its positions and we could not allow ourselves to waver.

This is why such firmness is necessary also in the EU arena. And it does not matter how our country will be labelled by Moscow, or by its friends in Europe.’

Today, 18 years ago in 1990, March 11, Lithuanian Supreme Soviet declared restoration of independence of Lithuania.  During one of meetings historian Prof Bumbliauskas rhetorically observed that for some foreigners it might be confusing the share amount of the National days we celebrate.

One of the reasons for that is simple: we lost our Independence rather few times in the past.  But the historian noticed that even though July 6^th (the Coronation of our King Mindaugas in 1253), or foundation of the first republic in February 16 in 1918, were crucial for our nation, those dates were not that too important in the context of the history of the World.  However, in Prof Bumbliauskas opinion 1990 March 11 had played an important role in the world’s history.

The Polish and the Czech input in ‘breaking the Eastern block’ is unquestionable.  The Estonians had begun the National movement before the Lithuanians did.  However, the Lithuanians started process of the USSR’s disintegration in March 11, 1990.  The Russian Democrats looked up at Lithuania as an example, especially in the events during the August Putsch in Moscow.

The Lithuanians tend to be too pessimistic and critical of Lithuania.  However, the Yale Professor Tomas Venclova is much more optimistic.  He declared that despite internal problems those last 18 years should be regarded as the most successful period in Lithuania’s 1.000 years history.  In this short time we managed to become full fledged members of the Western club.

Just few numbers – in 1990 the Lithuanian GDP was 153 mln Litas, or 36 Litas per person.  1 USD was 4 Litas in 1990.  Lithuanian GDP in 2007 was 27.257,1 mln Litas or 28.661 Litas per person.  1 USD is 2.24 LTL today.  Well, it is success.

Gorbachev was warning Lithuanians that if we will separate from the USSR we will die from hunger, since we don’t have any mineral recourses.  Well, he was right about the mineral resources, however, he forgot about the other resource - the people.

Give it another 18 years of Independence and if Lithuania will be allowed to develop without major interactions from our Eastern neighbour we will achieve the average EU GDP and will be heading to catch up with Scandinavia!  Just watch! 

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 Medvedev’s election, rather than the Presidential election culminated in the Medvedev’s landmark victory.

Some Lithuanians calling to review our relationship with Russia and hence the elections gives a fresh start for it.  The other papers called to suspend Russia from the European Council since there is no difference between Russia and Belarus any longer.  The thers hoped that the west will not make the same mistake as they did with Putin, Medvedev is not a Liberal, and there is not need to play with him.

The Concervative leader made an interesting observation.  Mr Kubilius noticed that it would be interesting to find out what Gazprom is preparing for Lithuania since our country is sandwiched between the two countries one of which leader started to work for Gazprom a and another became a president after serving for Gazprom.

Mr Kubilius observed “As the new Russian president steps in we should prepare for a rocking strategy of a gentle approach which will be more difficult to recognize than rough methods. We can only guess how much of such strategy we have already been subject to”.

However the Lithuanian Parliamentary Vice-Speaker Vydas Gedvilas from the opposition Labour party said that.  “Medvedev is a young politician without the Soviet stamp, he is not linked with special services, furthermore, his first statements indicate his eagerness to maintain good relations with Russian neighbors. It would be naive to expect some major changes from Medvedev, however, Putin’s rule was rather radical in some cases and political scientists forecast that Medvedev’s line would be smoother, which gives hope for discussion”. 

As the BNS reported the Lithuanian PM Gediminas Kirkilas notes that the Russian presidential elections were not completely democratic and did not fully correspond to Western standards.

“I will name just one aspect. All of his opponents named it as well. Whether, for example, all four candidates were provided with the same time slot, the same possibilities to advertise on television or radio”, Kirkilas told Lithuanian National radio.

However, the prime minister remarked, Lithuania hopes that constructive bipartite relations with Russia will be maintained just as they had been up to this day.

“Especially because the new president declares the continuity of President (Vladimir - BNS) Putin’s political course. Therefore, I would think that in this aspect, there should be no considerable changes”, the prime minister said, adding that Lithuania would enjoy more extensive, better and more open relations with Russia.

Kirkilas expressed his opinion that the entire European Union (EU) would enjoy better relations with Russia, and predicted that the negations, which failed last year over the strategic EU-Russia agreement, should see a new light of day this year.

The Lithuanians made an effort to accommodate the Russians in Lithuania. 

A total of 1825 Russian citizens out of over 15,000 countrymen living in Lithuania and possessing the right to vote participated in the elections. Some 1406 of those who participated cast their votes for Medvedev.  The Russian embassy confirmed that more than 80 percent gave their vote for Mr Medvedev.

The Lithuanians really walked an extra mile.  Voting for Russia’s Head-of-State was warranted in the Russian embassy in Vilnius and the Consul-General’s office in Lithuanian port city Klaipeda as well other cities densely populated with Russian citizens - Kaunas, Siauliai and Visaginas, however actual voting took place only in Vilnius, Klaipeda and Visaginas, as the embassy lacked capacities to organize voting in all of the locations proposed by Lithuania. Russian citizens who wished to cast their votes were taken to polling districts by special buses.

What it is to be said about elections.  Well, there is a saying about a special Russian sole.  I would say that in order to ‘decipher’ the Russian sole, one should consult children psychologist.  The Russians never managed to grow out of their serfdom mentality, and would not know what to do with their freedom.  They need guidance, a strong hand, like obedient children.