On 26 June the Lithuanian Seimas approved draft National Security Strategy. “This is a much more realistic Strategy: the evaluation of Lithuania’s security environment in the current Strategy is rather “euphoric”, whereas in the new draft this evaluation is more careful", said Rasa Juknevičienė, the minister of national defense while presenting a draft Strategy to the Seimas.

Eight years ago, on 29 March 2004, Lithuania joined NATO. Today there are several aspects which should be discussed with regard to the membership. At the beginning let me remind several interim stops in Lithuania’s road toward the Alliance.

The Report on Latvian-Lithuanian Co-operation Perspectives was presented in January of this year by the ambassadors Neris Germanas (Lithuania) and Alberts Sarkanis (Latvia). In fact Lithuania’s foreign policy is directed toward the U.S., Russia, Belarus and Poland, whereas a close neighbor Latvia is somehow left aside.

To have a clear goal or a vision is important not only for humans but also for a state. Well-defined goals are the most effective tools facilitating the achievement of the desired results; therefore, the states should have a clear future vision.   More than five years have passed since Lithuania has set a controversial vision - the ambition to become a regional political leader.  Were  the ambitions defined by the Lithuanian foreign policy-makers realized in reality?

The tension between Poland and Lithuania increases. The issue of the original spelling of the Polish names is yet unresolved, and today we have another irritant, a new Law on Education adopted in March. Pursuant to the Law which will come into force on 1 July, the school of national minorities shall deliver the subjects of Lithuanian geography and history, as well as the principles of citizenship in Lithuanian language (earlier only Lithuanian language lessons were delivered in Lithuanian).

As member of European Union Lithuania didn‘t have any objections concerning Russia‘s membership in the World Trade Organization. The EU supported the membership, Lithuania did the same. Though could have expressed certain wishes.

On 10 March Lithuania’s Chief of Defense Major General Arvydas Pocius adopted Lithuania‘s first military doctrine. At first sight its content and separate provisions may seem surprising. For instance, the Doctrine reads that „it is a document designed for the military community, but should be applied mostly for training the officers in order to develop the military science and art in Lithuania“; and that „provisions and principles stipulated in the Doctrine shall be applied flexibly, pragmatically and not to become the dogmas.

Call for applications

Fourth Regional NGO Congress, Vilnius, Lithuania

10 – 12 June 2010

The Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe is calling for applications for its Fourth Regional NGO Congress. The main theme is “The Role of NGOs in a Pluralist Democracy”. Discussions will focus on the following sub-themes:

1. participation of NGOs in the decision-making process,
2. the state of civil society
3. human rights activists
4. the role of NGOs in post-conflict situations.

Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications is 24 April 2010

Application form

Twenty years ago my country Lithuania made a decisive step on her way of peaceful self liberation from the long-lasting Soviet captivity. The reformist movement for democracy and independence, Sajudis of Lithuania, established then less than two years ago, led this political and moral struggle to get a genuine, democratically elected representation of the Lithuanian people – an European-type Parliament authorised by people's true mandate to state about our future no longer being defined by any criminal "Pact".

The recently criticized Lithuania‘s diplomacy could remind that in principle it was its initiative to join the EU efforts in order to stop increasing the number of states not respecting the territorial integrity of Georgia, to start the dialogue between the EU and Belarus, to enhance the political development of the Eastern Partnership and to accelerate the financial and political assistance to Moldova.

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.

According to the representative of the Russian opposition Leonid Gozman, Russia may not like the Baltic States and be an uncomfortable neighbour for Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, however is inoffensive for them, because it has finally accepted the fact of their independence.

It is easier to start business in Estonia than in Latvia and Lithuania, therefore more new firms are established in our country than in other Baltic States – refer to a new study SEB analysts and entrepreneurs.

President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso received in Brussels representatives of the Lithuanian Government and promised to help the country to pass on to Euro in 2015.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius and the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, signed in Brussels a joint plan on combating the illicit trafficking in nuclear and radioactive materials, reported in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania.

This was stated by the Prime Minister of Lithuania Algirdas Butkevicius, speaking about the powers of negotiators with the Russian company "Gazprom".

Consul of the Consulate General of the Republic of Estonia in St. Petersburg Franek Persidski was declared persona non grata in the Russian Federation. Persidski became an undesirable person in Russia on the basis of parity - a little earlier Russians were not allowed into Estonia.

Polish President directed to finance the development of the Polish missile defence system.