Lithuania Mighty Uppity These Days

Professor of the Moscow Institute of Foreign Business Alexey Plotnikov said at a parliamentary hearing in the State Duma: “Do we have any instruments to exert influence upon Lithuania? More than enough.”

Denmark’s Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen had a telephone conversation with Lithuania’s President Valdas Adamkus. The Danish prime minister expressed his hopes that the agreement between Russia and the EU on Kaliningrad won’t hamper Lithuania’s joining the Shengen Treaty area. In Rasmussen’s words, the agreement was concluded in Brussels with the observation of Lithuania’s sovereign rights. On his part, the Lithuanian president mentioned that “some questions still remain unanswered” and “experts thoroughly studied all documents of the agreement,” Russia’s news agency RIA Novosti informs. To discuss some important problems, Adamkus is going to hold consultations with EU representatives in the nearest future. After the consultations, an official statement will be released.

Today, Valdas Adamkus begins an official visit to France. He is going to take part in a ceremonial opening of a new building of the Lithuania Embassy in Paris. In addition, the Lithuania president will meet with members of the National Assembly and the France Senate.

Lithuania is becoming more and more persistent with its desire to incorporated into the European Union. It’s efforts have been noticed: US President George W. Bush officially declared that at the NATO summit in Prague, Americans will support the entry of seven East-European countries, including Lithuania. American Senator Elton Gallegly added that “this is going to be the largest expansion ever in this history of NATO.”

NATO is creeping closer and closer to Russian borders. The Internet site Nasha-rodina.Ru published some really very interesting comments on the problem. Basically, the USA praised Lithuania for the realization of the US directives; for Lithuania’s successful adjustment of the army to the NATO standards, and Lithuania’s grovelling before NATO. As became known, Lithuania was the first among recently created states to adopt Stinger anti-aircraft weapons. Lithuania Minister of Defense Linas Linkevicius made a slip of the tongue when he commented upon the happy fact that Lithuania adopted Stingers. His slip made observers rather apprehensive. The Lithuania minister said: “Stinger missles are actively used in all hot spots.” Why did the minister decided that small Lithuania would become a hot spot?”

The autumn sessions in the Russian State Duma were dedicated to Russia’s attitude toward our Lithuanian partners; the most interesting of them were published in PRAVDA.Ru (publications on the Kaliningrad problem).

Sergey Stefanov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/1/last_news_3.html

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