In less than half year period Lithuania‘s national currency litas will be replaced by the single European currency euro. Our country will be fully integrated in the European system, yet this event is also related to various fears and worries. Lithuania‘s response to the euro could be related both to financial and psychological aspects. Let‘s start from the latter.

Public Agency Centre for Geopolitical Studies implements a project for raising Lithuanian societies’ awareness about Khojaly (26.02.1992) genocide and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The main aim of this project is to try to understand how cases of their nations genocide are perceived in Lithuanian and Azerbaijanian societies. How is the policy of history influenced by international opinion, how traumatic experiences are used for solving conflicts with neighboring countries and what ways of solving the conflicts are accepted in both societies?

This year the Baltic States celebrate the 25-years anniversary of Sąjūdis, the Independence Movement, which started in 1988. The former Popular Fronts of Estonia and Latvia commemorated this anniversary in spring, Lithuania‘s Sąjūdis Movement - at the beginning of summer.  

The first month of Lithuanian Presidency of the European Union Council is over. The discussions on the readiness of Vilnius to steer the EU calmed down, and now it is time to speak about the opportunities and challenges of Lithuanian Presidency.

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).

For effective complex defence of Latvia, the establishment of a permanent division of the National Armed Forces has started in Latgale, reported the official website of the Ministry of Defence.

On 13 January a concert "Together to the victory" was held in Lithuania, where the audience decided to support Ukraine's defence and donated 110 thousand Euros.

Alexander Lukashenko on 9 January signed a decree № 8 "On the establishment of visa-free entry and exit of foreign nationals." The document establishes visa-free entry to Belarus for a period not exceeding 5 days at the entrance through the checkpoint "National Airport Minsk" for citizens of 80 countries, - reported the press service of the President of Belarus.