Presentation of the international study The Humanitarian Dimension of the Russian foreign policy towards Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and the Baltic States took place in Vilnius on 13 November 2009. It was the first survey of the above character executed by applying the method of comparative analysis and by analyzing the impact of humanitarian aspects of the Russian foreign policy on former Soviet Union states which have already become members of the Euro-Atlantic community (the Baltic States) or seek membership in the Alliance (Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine).

A Round Table Discussion „Projects and Prospects for Cooperation in Eurasia“ will be held in Vilnius on 25-26 February (Hotel „Artis“). The event is organized by the Centre for Geopolitical Studies of Lithuania, the Carnegie Moscow Centre, and is financed from the East East: Partnership Beyond Borders Program of the Open Society Institute (OSI).

Cardinally different interpretations of historic events are the key obstacle hindering good relationship between Lithuania and Russia. These thoughts emerged after having read A.Fomenka‘s article „Eastern European Countries as the Russian Problem“ published in the magazine Meždunarodnaja žiznj.

The emotional speech of C. Rice, when she referred to the Russian behavior as „the aggressively paranoiac“, was one of the last responses towards the verbal war between the West and Moscow after the crisis in Georgia.

Formers of the Lithuanian foreign policy expect that active country‘s policy (i.e. relationship with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia) will provide for strengthening commercial relations with these countries and set the stage for Lithuania‘s investment in these states. According to the Lithuanian entrepreneurs, so far one of the main reasons preventing from the entrance to the Ukrainian market is corruption.  The situation in Moldova and Georgia is nearly the same.

On May 5–6 the Swedish ambassadors for the Baltic and the North Countries, representatives of institutions at the EU and the  NATO, diplomats, politicians come for an annual regional meeting to Vilnius. Thanks to the efforts of the Swedish ambassador in Lithuania Malin Karre, a discussion on the regional cooperation, relationships with the Eastern and Western neighbours was held.

Before the NATO summit on April 2–4 in Bucharest a discussion on the foreign policy pursued by the country was boiling on the Lithuanian internet media. The discussions were about whether Lithuania should recklessly support the membership of the Ukraine and Georgia in the NATO, or to wait and see, if the democratic reforms carried out in those countries, are stable.

The subject of this article was prompted by the analysis of economic relations between Poland and Lithuania, provided in the Russian website „Regnum“ under a very provocative title:  „The Polish business usurps the Lithuanian economy“.  The Polish export and investment to Lithuania increases, but this is a usual cooperation between the two neighboring states.

On the eve of 13 January, the Day of Defenders of Freedom, President of Lithuania V.Adamkus said: „we will never relinquish our demand to acknowledge Lithuania’s soviet occupation and compensate for the damages suffered; but we will also seek a dialogue with Russia(...) Such a dialogue with Russiawill be sincere only if it is based on common principles and values.“

The issue related to the damages of the soviet occupation is one of the major shadow problems in Lithuania, from time to time coming onto the surface of the local policy. Alongside the issues on gas and oil, in the sphere of foreign relations the above problem is still in the center of Lithuania‘s relationship with Russia.

The issue of deployment of the US AMD components in the Central Europe is seriously considered in the international policy agenda. For Lithuania it is important since is related to its strategic partners – the United States and Poland.

Lithuania is still among the five states, considered by the Russian society as the most unfriendly countries. Differently from Estonia and Latvia, the Russian speaking population in Lithuania is quite small and is satisfied with their situation. Therefore, with a view to sustaining the negative image of Lithuania, ideologists of the Kremlin have to search for more original options, disclosing Russo phobia of Vilnius.

We all know whose intent was to introduce the concept „near abroad“ into the political life. This should have meant not only a geographic zone, but also the zone for establishment of interests, influence and apparent „rights“.

Globalization adds a new qualitative dimension to the process of international and national foreign policy. The majority of trans-national events depend on the policy of key „players“, however, such a small country as Lithuania might also become, for a certain period of time, the center of events. For small countries quite often the process of globalization is an external factor for formation of foreign policy, and in this respect it limits political choices.

On Thursday (12 April, 2007), Prime Minister of Lithuania G. Kirkilas left for Kiev - maybe he expected to solve the Ukrainian political crisis and to prolong the tradition which has been started by V. Adamkus during Orange Revolution...

Russian army is suspected of throwing chemical armament and nuclear waste from Liepaja into the Baltic Sea at the beginning of the 90-ties in the region of the GotlandIsland, reported Swedish TV.

Russian tanks may enter the territory of Moldova at any moment for defending the citizens of the Russian Federation, as it has happened in August 2008 in Georgia.

Draft law on Stocktaking of Belarusian armament supply is going to be submitted for approval to both Houses of the US Congress.

USA is going to locate the battery of antiaircraft missile complexes Patriot in the Northern Poland in April this year, stated the representatives of the Polish Defence Ministry.

Intimidation that Belarus might cut the supply of electricity to the Kaliningrad region is groundless. Such opinion was given by Aleksandr Rolbinov, the Minister of Infrastructure Development for the Kaliningrad region, reported on 13 January ИА REGNUM News.

The President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite is considering a possibility of inviting Presidents of neighbouring countries to the commemoration event of 20 years of the restoration of Lithuanian independence, including the countries that are not EU member states – Belarus and Russia.

Since Monday, 4 January, the Baltic Battalion, created for performing military operations within the NATO, is ready for military service.