Czech president writes to Estonia’s counterpart to set right Russia, Baltic’s remarks

The Czech President Vaclav Klaus has responded to statement made by the President of Estonia Mr Ilves’ statement to his interview to the Czech paper Lidove Noviny.  In this interview Mr Klaus mentioned Russia and the Baltic States and was misinterpreted as saying that the focus should be made on Russia rather than European Union (EU) member-states, such as Lithuania or Estonia.  I do not know how Mr Ilves responded but the President of Lithuania Mr Adamkus was disappointed with his Czech counterpart statement.

However, the Czech President Klaus have written a letter of explanation to the Estonian President regarding this misunderstanding.  Read the letter bellow.  However,I am not sure if Mr Klaus after this letter will not be obliged to write apologetic letter to the Latvian President Zetlers…   

Esteemed Mr President,

I am writing in response to your remarks that were reported by the AFP news agency and were to comment on my interview for Lidove Noviny of 16 May 2009. I know that the media frequently distort and misinterpret statements by both of us. However, it is very important to me that we should know each other’s authentic views and that we find the maximum possible degree of mutual understanding.

In the aforementioned interview for the Czech daily Lidove Noviny, I replied as follows to a question concerning Russia as a threat to Central Europe: “I do not view Russia as a threat, I view Russia as a big, strong, ambitious state and one definitely needs to be more on guard vis-à-vis such a big, strong, and ambitious state than vis-à-vis the small Estonia or Lithuania, to make a random comparison.”

I have never divided countries into “important and less important” ones and I did not do so in the aforementioned citation, either. I find it therefore difficult to believe that you actually read my statement before reacting to it in the media.

I am not demonizing Russia. There is no doubt that it is a big, strong, and ambitious state. And there should not be any doubt either about the fact that the Czech Republic ought to be “more on guard” vis-à-vis that country than, for instance, vis-à-vis Estonia, which we consider a close and very friendly country. I am convinced that for Estonia, too, Russia is a country, vis-à-vis which it is “on guard” to a greater extent than, for instance, vis-à-vis the neighbouring Latvia or vis-à-vis the Czech Republic.

I would like to stress that I consider Estonia the Czech Republic’s important partner. I am confident that we both will have an opportunity to contribute to a further reinforcement of relations between our countries and I want to assure you that I care very much about good Czech-Estonian relations. It is also for this reason that I decided to write this personal letter to you.

With friendly greetings,

Vaclav Klaus

Lithuania’s Parliament panel proposes tighter rules for dual citizenship

As the BNS writes the Lithuanian parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee suggests tightening the conditions for granting dual citizenship.

After discussing the proposed new version of the Citizenship Law, the committee objected introduction of the so-called Lithuanian Charter, which is not regulated in the new edition of the law. The committee’s proposals are still to be considered by the Committee on Law that plans to hold discussions on the proposed changes to the legislation.

The Foreign Affairs Committee suggest an amendment so that a person who automatically acquires foreign citizenship should decide on which passport he wants to keep. Under the current language of the law, children born abroad who are automatically granted the country’s citizenship are allowed to keep Lithuanian citizenship, as well. Meanwhile, the committee proposes that persons between ages of 18 and 21 should choose the citizenship he wants to retain. The parliamentary panel also suggests setting a period for decisions of persons who automatically acquire foreign citizenship by way of marriage.

Under a draft legislation proposed by a task force set up by the president, dual citizenship can be extended to persons and progeny of those who left Lithuania from Jan. 9 of 1919 to March 11 of 1990, thus extending the period and the number of descendants eligible for dual citizenship. Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Committee wants the same legal regulation, which provisioned dual citizenship only for three generations – children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of those who held Lithuanian citizenship before June 15 1940.

The new version envisages dual citizenship for those who left Lithuania before the independence period and their descendants, while persons who emigrated after 1990 are not eligible for dual citizenship, which would only be granted to their children born abroad, as the procedure is now.

The draft bill also provides that dual citizenship would be granted to all descendants of deported Lithuanian citizens, while the Foreign Affairs Committee suggests trimming down the provision to three generations.

Under article 12.2 of the Constitution, no one can hold citizenship of Lithuania and another country at the same time, with a few exceptions. The constitutional provision can only be revised via a referendum.

Lithuanians who emigrated after the reestablishment of independence will be granted dual citizenship only by way of exception, for example by marrying a foreign citizen whose country has legitimized dual citizenship and thus acquiring it. On the other hand, their children, born abroad, will be eligible for dual citizenship as is currently stipulated in the country’s legislation.

Discussions on dual citizenship roused after the Constitutional Court in the fall of 2006 found that the country’s main law provides for dual citizenship as rare exceptions, declaring laws allowing dual citizenship as running counter the Constitution.

The Citizenship Law approved by the Seimas last summer provisioned granting dual citizenship to children of Lithuanian emigrants born abroad and Lithuanian nationals who are acquiring citizenship of countries that have an agreement with Lithuania on double citizenship. Lithuania so far hasn’t signed any such agreements with another country.

Source BNS

Zappa sculpture to be shipped from Lithuania to US

As the BNS announced a bronze sculpture of rock legend Frank Zappa will be officially presented in 1st floor the foyer of the Vilnius Municipality before being shipped to the United States.

The presentation ceremony scheduled for June 4 should be attended by Zappa’s son Dweezil Zappa, also a musician.

The monument will be exhibited for two weeks, the Vilnius City Municipality said.

Later this summer, the copy of the Zappa sculpture will be delivered to the United States and should be erected in Baltimore city centre.

Built in Vilnius in 1996, the monument to the legendary rock musician remains the only sculpture in the world dedicated to the modern music genius.

The sculpture to be granted to the US is a copy of the monument in the Kalinausko Square in central Vilnius.

Source BNS