Archive for May, 2012

U.S.-Nordic-Baltic cooperation

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By Dr. Stasys Backaitis

Conference on U.S.-Nordic-Baltic Cooperation:
Shaping the U.S.-European Agenda
The conference provided an overview by U.S. and European researchers and political experts on the importance, need and benefits of a close U.S. collaboration with the Nordic-Baltic region. The collaboration would facilitate building a wider and more secure Europe, reinforcing U.S. attention to transatlantic engagement, and achieving a more constructive dialog with Russia leading to democratization of its society. The conference took place on Friday, May 4, 2012, at The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of the John Hopkins University, Washington, D.C.

The agenda included:


	Opening remarks. Kurt Volker, Senior Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations
	Europe Whole and Free - An Unfinished Business. Adam Daniel Rotfeld, Professor, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Russia, NATO and Nordic-Baltic Perspectives. Linas Linkevicius, Ambassador-at-Large, Office of the President of Lithuania, Former Minister of Defense of Lithuania
	Panel Discussion Russia and the East. Damon Wilson, Vice president, The Atlantic Counsel; DavidKramer President, Freedom House;Urban Ahlin, MP, Deputy chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Swedish Parliament; Kadri Liik, Senior Researcher, International Center for Defence Studies of Estonia
	Keynote Remarks. Julia Smith, Deputy National Security Advisor in the office of the Vice President
	Panel Discussion Embedding and Integration. Kurt Volker, Senior Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations Jānis Sārts, State Secretary, Ministry of Defense of Latvia Daniel P. Fata, Vice President, The Cohen Group Mike Winnerstig, Swedish Defense Research Agency
	Panel Discussion Energy Security. Robert Nurick, Senior Fellow, The Atlantic Council Matthew Breeze, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Andris Sprūds, Latvian Institute of International Affairs Arunas Molis, Energy Security Center under Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
	Concluding Remarks Kurt Volker, Senior Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations Reception at the Lithuanian Embassy and Remarks by James Townsend, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy

This summary does not intend to deal with every specific issue addressed in this conference. Since many of the issues covered by the speakers and discussers overlapped, it would be of little value to repeat them in this summary on an author to author basis. Rather, the summary is intended to highlight the issues raised and provide the readers the general direction of the topics presented. Details of the issues addressed may be found in the Center for Transatlantic Relations publication entitled “Nordic-Baltic-American Cooperation: Shaping the U.S.-European Agenda”, John Hopkins University, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, May 4, 2012, Kurt Volker and Ieva Kupce, Editors.

Need for more attention towards the relationship between the United States (U.S.) and the democracies of the Nordic- Baltic Region (NB8)
The conference highlighted the need for more attention towards the relationship between the United States (U.S.) and the democracies of the Nordic- Baltic Region. Encompassing Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden, the Nordic-Baltic countries (NB8) are remarkable for their economic health, their promotion of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law, their contribution to international security and peacekeeping operations beyond their borders, in spite of the on-going economic crisis in the EU. The values and the vision of the NB8 countries to strive and promote these policies make them valuable allies to the United States. In spite of a changing globalized world and shifting power centers, a strong transatlantic link remains indispensable for enhancing common principles and values within the Euro-Atlantic area in general, and particularly valuable and example setting between the U.S. and the NB8.

While there is some disappointment in the U.S. over Europe’s difficulties to cope effectively with the economic crisis and being an effective security partner, the NB8 nations stand out uniquely as a stable, responsible and dynamic region of Europe. The region also shows that democracy still works, that a positive onward vision of the free world is possible, and that there are still important challenges ahead for the transatlantic institutions. The conference explored how the NB8 region and the U.S. can be engaged in and cooperate to shape the broader transatlantic agenda in a positive direction.

The topics in the conference explored the vision the Nordic Baltic countries together with the U.S. might bring to the table and cooperate to shape the broader transatlantic agenda for common good and security. The conference organizers noted that concrete contributions as a result of such cooperation, in line with the EU and the NATO agendas, can be made in a number of areas such as:

Continue to promote a Europe whole, free and at peace,
Help aspiring European nations to join the NATO and EU
Regional integration to attain higher levels of security than could be possible as a disparate collection of individual states and policies
The relationship with Russia
Energy and Cyber security
U.S engagement with Europe

NB8 region has found ways to produce unprecedented security and stability
At a time when a larger part of the Euro-Atlantic community struggles to determine how it should address and resolve its financial and political difficulties, the NB8 region has found ways to produce unprecedented security and stability. Unlike their older EU counterparts, the Nordic and the Baltic countries have shown willingness to reform, to cooperate and to integrate where necessary. Their example of addressing together the arising challenges is a good example to the rest of the EU members on how to solve their current difficulties, leading to a Europe that is whole, free and at peace. .

The Baltic states, Norway and Finland, bordering Russia, have a direct interest and valuable perspective on living with Russia as a neighbor and managing with it security, energy and environmental issues. This provides them a better in-depth understanding and ability to interpret linkages between Russia’s authoritarian system and its external behavior. The NB8 states cannot change Russia on their own, but they can contribute to better formulated and more coherent EU, NATO and U.S. policies toward Russia.

The Baltic states, being particularly energy resources poor, stand out as models for handling complicated and intertwined energy issues with Russia while also reducing their dependency on Russia’s supplies. There is a concerted effort by all NB8 states to move towards integrated energy security by interconnecting their energy generating systems, cooperation in the development of alternative resources, and the construction of a common regional energy market. The region’s move towards greater energy security and sustainability is a good policy model to both the EU and NATO.

In view of the new U.S. Defense Policy Guidance of January 2012, in which the U.S. intends to reduce its military presence in Europe, Washington promised as compensation rotation of U.S. based brigade size forces to Europe to participate in multinational and NATO led training and military exercises. These rotations should be structured to maximize U.S-Nordic-Baltic military engagements including the use of training facilities on both sides of the Atlantic. By the use of trips across the Atlantic, the Nordic-Baltics would leverage state of the art training facilities in the United States and Canada and would enhance their readiness to undertake expeditionary operations throughout the entire NATO nordic region. Active and increasing participation by NB8 in various NATO training operations both at combat and command as well as planning levels, offer to the U.S a value model on the need to sustain a strong transatlantic engagement.

While there can be no security guarantee to the NB8 region without the U.S., there is also no sustainability of a U.S. role in the NorthAtlantic-Baltic and Central European regions without participation and contribution by the Nordic-Baltic countries. The United States needs Europe and thereby NATO, as much as Europe needs the United States as well as NATO. Transatlantic solidarity is essential to support and promote global trade, economic development, security and stability in an increasingly unpredictable world. The interdependence is best reflected in common political objectives, such as to assure a level playing field through unique transatlantic solidarity embodied by NATO. The Alliance’s new focus on partnerships at the Chicago NATO summit is in recognition of global security interdependence.

NATO and EU seem to share similar objectives in energy diversification of supplies, working toward creation of identical infrastructures and interconnectivity, response to emergencies, assistance to third countries , etc. Shale gas has been and will be a game changer in the foreseeable future. It is breaking Russia’s stranglehold on supplies to Europe. Furthermore, the developing interconnectivity of gas and electricity resources and competition in the energy market within the Nordic–Baltic region is diminishing GAZPROM’s power of monopoly. Focusing on diversification of supplies, attaining diminished vulnerability, and building a permanent framework for reduction of short and long term energy security risks are activities bringing greatest added value to energy security. This will be beneficial for both the EU and NATO, because it will make them much stronger in dealing with possible future energy crisis, and projecting stability and sustainability in their respective areas of operation. Effective NB8 cooperation supported by U.S. in the establishment of NATO Energy Security Center of Excellence in Lithuania represents a window of opportunity for attaining these goals.

NB8 countries are leaders in promoting democracy, rule of law, human rights and market based development
The Nordic-Baltic region offers many assets to the transatlantic community. They are leaders in promoting democracy, rule of law, human rights and market based development in Europe and around the world. They are also regarded as honest brokers in many hotspots of the globe. U.S.-Nordic-Baltic cooperation can serve as an important new and stable pillar to the transatlantic community. The shared vision, values, capabilities and collaboration that define the Nordic-Baltics, can be used to reanimate the effort to build a wider and more secure Europe, transatlantic stability, and help to achieve constructive dialog and cooperation with Russia. Such collaboration can also reinforce U.S. commitments to Europe’s regional security requirements and simultaneously drive forward the transatlantic community’s effort to address developing global challenges

During subsequent discussions several comments were made on the futility of the U.S. and EU to accommodate Russia’s adversarial political positions, and continuing human rights and rule of law violations. It was suggested that the West should take a strong and critical stand on these abuses with the Russian government while encouraging and facilitating developments of respect for human rights, rule of law and governance by the people through democratic institutions. While some comments indicated that the U.S. and EU currently are not in a good position to challenge Russia because of critical access to Afghanistan, others noted that Russia needs NATO presence in Afghanistan as means to reduce its vulnerability to Muslim extremism. In this regard the United States and the Nordic-Baltics should leverage their capacities and experience in a way to deepen their engagement with the Russian people and the state. Shared concerns in the Baltic Sea region such as environment protection, maritime safety, land and air transportation, could serve as platforms of common interest. Properly constructed, U.S.and NB8 cooperation could become a positive reinforcement of the insecurities encountered in the EU-U.S. transatlantic partnership. U.S.-Nordic–Baltic cooperation will also be a positive inducement to the U.S. to reinforce its commitment to maintain strong transatlantic ties as means of maintaining stability in the adjoining part of the world with minimal expense and effort.

Stan Backaitis
05/25/12

United Nordic-Baltic region will ensure economic stability and energy security

Saturday, October 29, Helsinki - President Dalia Grybauskaitė, currently on a working visit in Helsinki, met with the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, to discuss Nordic-Baltic cooperation issues, Press Service of the President reports.
This year Finland coordinates the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) cooperation with Lithuania taking over these duties next year. Lithuania and the other Baltic and Nordic countries cooperate actively in advocating the interests of the region in the EU, NATO, OSCE, and other international organizations.

“Joint efforts to strengthen the security of the region’s borders, ensure its economic stability and energy security will help create general well-being and advance progress in the Baltic-Nordic area,” the President said.

The President noted that the deepening of security cooperation was among next year’s top priorities, including border control of the Nordic and Baltic countries, closer interaction on the Baltic Sea environmental issues as well as in cyber and energy security, using to the full extent the possibilities offered by the Vilnius-based Energy Security Center.

The President underlined that the Nordic-Baltic region – one of the most rapidly developing regions in the European Union – was a dynamic driving force to advance economic stability, growth, responsible fiscal policies, innovations, and progress.

The Nordic Baltic region aspires to be among the first to put a single information space and digital market in place for accelerating electronic settlements, information exchange and access to information.

The presidents of Lithuania and Finland emphasized that keeping the Baltic Sea clean and secure for the future generations was a key commitment for all the Baltic Sea rim countries. Specific measures binding for all the nations around the Baltic Sea were set forth at the Baltic Sea Action summit held in Helsinki last year.

Tagged as: Dalia Grybauskaitė, Nordic-Baltic cooperation, Tarja Halonen

JAV-Šiaurės-Baltijos valstybių bendradarbiavimas formuojant JAV-Europos kooperavimo darbotvarkę

Dr. Stasys Backaitis, P.E., SAE Fellow

- Posted by - 12716(0) Comment2012-05-25+13%3A35%3A060df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D12716

CONSIDER RETIRING IN LITHUANIA?

Dear VilNews readers,

Rimantas Aukstuolis (see below) believes there are many Lithuanian-Americans who would like to retire in Lithuania, while Gintautas Kaminskas thinks "the shocks" you have to expect makes such an idea less attractive.

I think Rimantas is right that moving here for retirement is a good idea and that you may well enjoy many, many years in your home country's warm embrace. At the same time I give Gintautas right that there are obstacles that could easily topple such plans.

I do therefore offer, hereby, to help anyone who plans to retire in Lithuania. I have lived here for 20 years (I'm originally Norwegian), and I must say that I most of the time have been very pleased and happy.

I've managed to get through the problem areas Gintautas refers to, and I have an infinite number of good friends and interesting tasks that make life here extraordinary interesting and attractive.

I am ready to share my many experiences with you who would like to move here or just visit for shorter periods, and I am willing to tell you which experts you should seek advice from, being it within legal, health care or other fields.

I can also help you to find a new home.

Call me or write me if you find this interesting. To retire in Lithuania is a brilliant idea, and I promise to help you getting things in place in an excellent way.

Warm Regards,
Aage Myhre
Editor-in-Chief
aage.myhre@VilNews.com
____________________________

Makes me wish I were old enough to retire...:)

The Baltic looks MUCH calmer in this photo than it did when I was there in July 2007...Makes me wish I were old enough to retire...:)
Jenifer C. Dillis
____________________________

My impression is that many of us Lithuanian-Americans have thought about the possibility of retiring in Lithuania

Rimantas Aukstuolis
Dear Editor,
I enjoy reading VilNews and, VilNews seems to touch on, if not already delve into, a variety of issues which are relevant to someone who may wish to retire in Lithuania. It might be interesting for much of your readership to more sharply focus on specific retirement issues such as comparisons and advantages of retiring in Lithuania, vs. the US. This seems to be evolving as a hot topic in the US as many baby boomers face the reality of high living costs (particularly healthcare) and diminished pension resources.

Detailed and systematic comparisons of living costs, tax issues, health care and real estate ownership might even result in significant "foreign investment" into Lithuania by foreign, especially US retirees. My impression is that many of us Lithuanian-Americans have thought about this possibility. I know several who have taken action. Perhaps such "dreams" should be encouraged with facts, experiences, even government incentives. Thoughts?
Rimantas Aukstuolis
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
____________________________

Trying to retire in Lithuania is in for not just "a shock", but a number of shocks

Gintautas Kaminskas
Rimantas Aukštuolis asks for other readers' on the possibility of retiring in Lithuania. Well, I tried to (2008-9). I'm deliberately not going to go into specific details of my case (that's personal), but I have to say from my experience that any Lithuanian-American (and it's not just Americans, don't forget that there are Lithuanians in other parts of the world, too) who tries to retire in Lithuania is in for not just "a shock", but a number of shocks. By the way, I happen to speak fluent Lithuanian (I am a professional translator). That certainly helps in some ways, but it's no help against the myriad of problems confronting present-day Lithuania, which are mostly to do with the lingering Soviet mentality ("naglumas - antra laimė").

Living costs are lower there, but the health care system is a nightmare. You won't even get the health care you're entitled to as a Lithuanian citizen without paying bribes, and as a foreigner you're "fair game". Real estate ownership? Make sure you have a very good lawyer. Government incentives? Which Government? The Lithuanian Government? As the kids say these days: "LOL". From the lowliest local or State government officials right up to some Seimūnai (Members of Parliament) and Cabinet Ministers - corruption reigns. They enter Government "service" asking not what they can do for their country but what they can get for No. 1. (For anyone not familiar with the English idiom - No. 1 is "moi", me, myself, I - and my family and friends and clan to some extent.) That's the reality. You only need to follow the Lithuanian media to realise that what I'm saying is the truth and no exaggeration.

Just for the record, I am still in love with my native land and would still love to live there: theoretically (lengthy visits will have to suffice). It's green, beautifully uncrowded, lots of nice lakes and streams, and I have no problem with the climate, not even in winter. It's wonderful to meet thoughtful Lithuanians and to communicate with them in our native language. But .... see above.
Gintautas Kaminskas
____________________________

An issue for elderly seeking to reconnect with families and younger professionals who seek to participate in the economies

Tony Mazeika
Relocation back to Lithuania will only be an issue for elderly seeking to reconnect with families and younger professionals who seek to participate in the economies. The vast majority of "diaspora" have citizenship from their adopted nations like the US, Canada, Australia. Ironically, the real issue is the continuing alarming emigration of young educated from Lithuania to the UK, US, Canada, etc. The numbers are a threat to the developing economy and future political stability of Lithuania. That void could be made up with people within the EU including Muslims.
Tony Mazeika
California

Wizz Air becomes the biggest airline in Vilnius

- Posted by - 13916(0) Comment2012-05-25+13%3A33%3A410df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13916

Wizz Air, the largest low-fare, low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, celebrated yesterday the arrival of its second Vilnius-based aircraft, Vilnius Airport said in a statement.

Wizz Air has now increased its investment to USD 160 million at the Lithuanian capital and will carry over 500,000 passengers in the current year, outgrowing any other airline in Vilnius, writes LETA/ELTA.

This growth comes as Wizz Air commences five new Vilnius routes and offers the biggest route choice compared to any other airline at Vilnius airport. Wizz Air's 13 low-fare routes, which include the 5 new routes to Bergen, Liverpool, Oslo, Paris and Stavanger, will grow incoming tourism and allow Lithuanian families to beat the recession with low fares to the sun and exciting European cities.

Category : News

I can only hope that we all will work together

- Posted by - 12698(0) Comment2012-05-25+13%3A10%3A550df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D12698

I was raised to have a very positive view of our ancestral homeland, and hope that we can avoid polarizing Emigres and Lithuanian citizens. I have always felt welcome when I visit, but have personally never attempted to do business. This could be a difficult process, and one that creates tension. I can only hope that we all work together for a successful and sustainable economy.

Jurate Kutkus Burns,
Florida, USA

Category : Lithuania in the world sidebar / Opinions

“We have met the enemy and he is us!”

- Posted by - 4123(0) Comment2012-05-25+13%3A00%3A270df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D4123

Dear Editor
There has been a lot of negative commentary in Vilnews recently from some of your readers and even from Regina Narusiene in the recent piece about the need for change in attitudes toward what the Lithuanian diaspora can do for the country and what volunteerism can do within Lithuania. I guess I don't disagree at all, however…

Sitting here on the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland I'm reminded of the battle flag of Commander Oliver Hazard Perry, USN during the decisive battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. On the blue flag were the words "Don't Give Up the Ship" which he had to transfer from his sinking flagship to the sistership, Niagara. Commander Perry ultimately won that battle against the Royal Navy and altered the military balance on the Great Lakes. In his report to superiors he stated "We have met the enemy and they are ours".

To all my Lithuanian friends and friends of Lithuania I exhort "Don't Give Up the Ship" . And especially to my Lithuanian friends I quote the "Pogo" cartoon paraphrase of Perry " We have met the enemy and he is us!" Maybe our modern Lithuanian example of heroism needs to be Bishop Valancius who came to the conclusion that in the mid 19th century Lithuanians needed to sober up before they came to any national reawakening or effective resistance to Russian domination.

Dealing with Russian occupation, as difficult as it was, may have been easier than dealing with ourselves. But we have sort of been here before, haven't we? Onward!

Rimantas Aukstuolis,
Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Category : Lithuania in the world sidebar / Opinions

- Posted by - 13902(0) Comment2012-05-23+14%3A40%3A330df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13902

Good morning,
Mr. President!

There is no head of state in the world, other than former President Adamkus, who has been running 100 meters in 10.8 seconds... This reveals the newly released 400 page sports biography that has been prepared by sports journalist Maryte Marcinkevičiūtė. It is early morning in May 2012. I am here to interview His Excellency, President Valdas Adamkus.
Photo: Aage Myhre.

President Valdas Adamkus interviewed by Aage Myhre
aage.myhre@VilNews.com

Former President Valdas Adamkus welcomes me in his office in the rear wing of the Presidential Palace in Vilnius Old Town this early May morning. We are approaching the end of our series on the relationship between the Lithuanian-American community and the home country, and I have come here to the ex president's office to learn more about how he, as the world's most famous Lithuanian-American, looks at this relationship. I would also like to hear more about his own history in Lithuania before and during World War II, about his years in Chicago and about his time as a politician and President of Lithuania for most of the years of 1998-2009.

I must admit that I sometimes felt Adamkus was too weak in his job as president. I often wished that he more pronouncedly had called the country's nomenclature to account for their transgressions against the nation's population, and I felt much more should have be done to fight corruption, injustice, intolerance, neglect of society's weaker groups, violence, crime and other misdeeds that Lithuania is still so tragically suffering under.

But after sitting with him for nearly two hours this morning, it slowly dawned on me how impossible it must have been to change attitudes and deeds in a country that to such a high degree had been brainwashed and subjected to almost unbelievable abuses over the years under Soviet tyranny. My respect and understanding of President Adamkus grew significantly during this interview.

Read more…

Category : Featured black / Front page

- Posted by - 13901(0) Comment2012-05-23+14%3A40%3A320df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13901

Good morning, Mr. President!

There is no head of state in the world, other than former President Adamkus, who has been running 100 meters in 10.8 seconds... This reveals the newly released 400 page sports biography that has been prepared by sports journalist Maryte Marcinkevičiūtė. It is early morning in May 2012. I am here to interview His Excellency, President Valdas Adamkus.
Photo: Aage Myhre.

President Valdas Adamkus interviewed by Aage Myhre
aage.myhre@VilNews.com

Former President Valdas Adamkus welcomes me in his office in the rear wing of the Presidential Palace in Vilnius Old Town this early May morning. We are approaching the end of our series on the relationship between the Lithuanian-American community and the home country, and I have come here to the ex-president's office to learn more about how he, as the world's most famous Lithuanian-American, looks at this relationship. I would also like to hear more about his own history in Lithuania before and during World War II, about his years in Chicago and about his time as a politician and President of Lithuania for most of the years of 1998-2009.

Bring Smetona’s remains home to Lithuania!

I start my presidential interview talking about the relationship between the enormous group of Lithuanian-Americans, more than a million people, and their home country here on the Baltic Sea.

President Adamkus was born in this country in 1926 but fled to the West towards the end of World War II and came to America in 1949. During the war he contributed actively to the fight against the Nazi occupiers, and in the United States he committed himself correspondingly as strong in the fight against the Soviet occupiers, until the liberation of Lithuania

finally came in 1990-91, when he could return to continue his efforts for a strong, democratic home country on its own soil.

Two of the interwar presidents also fled to the United States during the WWII, Kazys Grinius (1866-1950) and Antanas Smetona (1873-1944). Adamkus was himself spending much time with Grinius in the months before he departed this life in Chicago in 1950, and was probably the one who took the very last photo of the president who led Lithuania over a relatively short period in 1926 until he was deposed by a coup d'état in December that year, on his own birthday.

After Grinius' death Adamkus took an active role in giving him a dignified burial in the United States, and was also active when the ex-president's remains were sent to his homeland after the liberation of Lithuania in 1990-91. Grinius now lies buried in an honourable grave in his hometown Selema, near Marijampolė.

Kazys Grinius (1866-1950)

The pre-war's strong man, President Antanas Smetona, who became president by a military coup in 1926 and stayed in power until the first Soviet occupation of Lithuania, in 1940 also fled to USA. In June of 1940, Smetona had proposed armed resistance against the Soviets, but the majority of the government and the commanders of the army did not concur with this proposal, and Smetona turned over the duties of President to Prime Minister Antanas Merkys, and on 15 June he and his family fled to Germany, and then on to Switzerland without surrendering his powers. In 1941, Smetona emigrated to the United States, and lived in Pittsburgh and Chicago before settling in Cleveland, Ohio in May 1942 with his son Julius' family. Smetona died in a fire at his son's house in Cleveland, on January 9, 1944, and was buried there. In 1975, his remains were moved from Cleveland's Knollwood Cemetery mausoleum to All Souls Cemetery in Chardon, Ohio.

We recently brought an article here in VilNews under the title 'No flowers for Smetona', written by our correspondent Frank Passic in Michigan, in which the author claims that the former president's grave is now largely forgotten and enjoys little attention. This gave rise to an intense debate among our Lithuanian-Americans readers, where Passic's allegation was strongly opposed by those who believed that the tomb has not been forgotten.

Description: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Antanas_Smetona_2.jpg/220px-Antanas_Smetona_2.jpg
Antanas Smetona
(1874-1944)

It was also raised questions about why Smetona's remains had not been sent home to Lithuania for a similar honourable funeral and burial as was the case for Grinius. The answer given was that Smetona's family did not want this.

“Lithuania still has a long way to go until it achieves the same level of independence and self-determination it had under Smetona. That’s why to repatriate the remains of President Smetona and Sofija Smetoniene will not happen soon if at all,” writes Andris Jonas Dunduras in a comment.

I asked President Adamkus if he had an opinion about this, and he replied simply: "Send the remains back to his home country: It is sad to see that Smetona's family seems to have ended up in an internal conflict instead of thinking about what an important man he was for Lithuania. There is absolutely no reason to doubt Lithuania's safe anchorage in freedom and democracy nowadays and therefore this is not a reason not to provide a dignified burial for Smetona in his beloved homeland."

Adamkus adds that there also are many who believe Smetona was an autocratic president who does not deserve to be honoured by his home country, something he strongly disagrees with. "We must remember that such was the political situation in much of Europe throughout the interwar period. Also our neighbouring countries were led by autocrats, and it is my clear opinion, in such a perspective, that Smetona was a very good president who deserves all possible recognition for his tremendous efforts as a statesman of the highest rank," he says.

Then comes a sudden sadness over the President's face. And now it's he who asks me;

"You know, in spite of this with Smetona, who of our three presidents from the interwar period I think has got least honour and fame for his efforts and for his incredible sufferings after being deported to a gulag in Siberia?" I nod my head, because I know well the story of Akesandras Stulginskis (1885-1969) who was Lithuania's President in the years 1920-1926, and was taken prisoner by Stalin's henchmen in 1941 at his home in Lithuania and had to suffer through 17 incredibly difficult years in Siberia, first 12 years on the gulag tundra far north, later in a self-built log cabin in Siberia's deep forests.

"And not only that," explains Adamkus, "when he finally did come home in 1958 there was a disillusioned and largely destroyed, communist-ruled Lithuania that met him. Until his death 11 years later, in 1969, he was constantly exposed to humiliation and even today there is little attention to this great man of honour. It is even difficult to find his modest, anonymous grave in the Kaunas cemetery where he is buried. When I look back at my time as President, this is something I regret, that I did not do more to honour President Stulginskis with a more dignified tomb."

Description: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Aleksandras_Stulginskis_%281885-1969%29.jpg/220px-Aleksandras_Stulginskis_%281885-1969%29.jpg
Akesandras Stulginskis
(1885-1969)

Almost caught by Gestapo

President Adamkus gives me more and more new details as the conversation continues. He shares with me episodes from his childhood and youth in Kaunas in the 1930s, and he talks about shocking events from the war years.

In 1944, he was just about arrested by the Gestapo for his anti-Nazi underground work.

"I thank my friend Gabrielius Žemkalnis, brother of Vytautas Landsbergis, that I’m still alive. In the years of World War II, he and I joined the resistance movement for Lithuania's independence, together with Leo Grinius, by publishing and circulating the underground, anti-Nazi newspaper “Jaunime, budek!” (Youth, Be on Guard!) in Kaunas. One day, in 1944, I was suddenly visited by Žemkalnis' sister. She said her brother had been arrested by the Gestapo, but that he had managed to whisper my name to her as he was led out of the apartment. She immediately understood that it was something he and I had together that I had to be warned about. I was still only 17 years old, but realized that this could be extremely serious, so I ran to the woods and hid there for a long time. Žemkalnis himself was first imprisoned in

Kaunas, but was later transferred to German prisons where he sat until the war was over. He never betrayed us in spite of harsh interrogation methods, and his whisper to his sister probably saved my life."

Description: President received World Lithuanian Community Board Chairperson Regina Narušienė and WLC representative in Lithuania Gabrielius Žemkalnis
President Adamkus meeting the man who probably saved his life in 1944, Gabrielius Žemkalnis. Regina Narusiene watching.

Sport was always important to me

In July 1944 Adamkus fled to Germany with his parents. Here he graduated from the Lithuanian Gymnasium and studied at the Faculty of Natural Science at Munich University. In 1949, he came to the United States, where he was employed as a worker in a Chicago factory of car parts, later as a draughtsman in an engineering firm. In 1951, Valdas Adamkus married Alma Nutautaitė. In 1960, he graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology, with a degree in civil engineering.

Both in Germany and in the United States young Adamkus was engaged in various activities. But strangely enough it was not politics that received his attention at first, but sports. He was an active participant and organizer of sports events and won, as an athlete, two gold and two silver medals in track-and-field events at the Olympic Games of the Enslaved Nations of 1948. In 1951, Valdas Adamkus established an academic sports club of Lithuanian Americans, Lituanica. He was chairman of the Organizing Committee of the World Lithuanian Games that were held in 1983.

The President gets up from his chair opposite me, this early May morning.

He goes out to the anteroom and retrieves a thick book, just published here in Lithuania. The book is about his many accomplishments in sports and organization of sports activities throughout life. He signs the book, gives it to me as a gift, and says: "It was through sport that my political career started, and, as you will see, sport has meant infinitely much to me throughout a long life."

Description: LNOC launch of the new book.

There is no head of state in the world, other than Adamkus, who has been running 100 meters in 10.8 seconds... Says the 400 page sports biography that has been prepared by sports journalist Maryte Marcinkevičiūtė.

Meeting Nixon in the White House, September 1955

While a student, Adamkus, together with other Lithuanian Americans, collected about 40,000 signatures petitioning the United States Government to intervene in the ongoing deportations of Lithuanians to Siberia by the Soviets. The petition was presented to then-Vice President Richard Nixon late September 1955.

The petition was supposed to be delivered directly to President Dwight D. Eisenhower but during a visit to his in-laws in Denver the day before, President Eisenhower suffered a serious, though not ultimately debilitating, heart attack. As it turned out, he would survive the episode by more than 13 years, more than long enough to finish a second term in 1961.

Adamkus also raised concerns about other Soviet activities in occupied Lithuania to United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld in 1958 and to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.

“"The reactions from Moscow were uncomfortably strong. No feeling of guilt or regret of the horrible atrocities they were committing against my little country and my people."

President Adamkus' face gets a look of deep sadness as he talks about how his beloved people was torn apart and subjected to atrocities one can hardly imagine today.

In September 1955 Valdas Adamkus (28) presented a petition to then-Vice President Richard Nixon, with
40,000 signatures of young Lithuanian-Americans petitioning the United States Government
to intervene in the ongoing deportations of Lithuanians to Siberia by the Soviets
(Adamkus and VP Nixon in centre)

1960-1990 in USA and Lithuania

Valdas Adamkus was very active in public and political life of the Lithuanian expatriate community in the U.S. between 1958 and 1965, he was vice-chairman of the Santara-Šviesa (Accord-Light) Cultural-Political Federation, a liberal civic organization of the Lithuanian expatriate community, acting under the slogan "Face to Lithuania ", and, in 1967, he was elected its chairman.

While living in the United States, he was an active organizer of protests against Lithuania's occupation. Between 1961 and 1964, he was a member of the Board of the American-Lithuanian Community (LC), vice-chairman of the Centre Board, member of the American-Lithuanian Council (ALC).

Starting from 1972, Valdas Adamkus visited Lithuania several times, encouraging and supporting construction of water treatment facilities and development of environmental monitoring. He assisted environmental institutions of the Baltic States with academic literature, equipment and software supply.

In the capacity of the coordinator of US aid to the Baltic States in the field of environmental protection, he organized study visits for representatives of Lithuania's academic institutions and helped Vilnius University to get hold of the latest academic literature.

Description: http://www.grant.lt/ltsr/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/adamkus.jpg

Early 1990s – presidential campaign with Stasys Lozoraitis

Description: http://ephemerajpp.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/cc3b3pia-de-ccf14092011_0000a.jpg?w=150&h=150

"One of my best friends through all these years, was Stasys Lozoraitis. When it became weekend he often flew in from Washington to my home in Chicago. We had many long, good conversations, particularly about the situation in Lithuania,” tells Adamkus.

Stasys Lozoraitis (1924 in Berlin – 1994 in Washington, D.C.) was a Lithuanian diplomat. He was a son of Stasys Lozoraitis (1898–1983) and brother of Kazys Lozoraitis. In September 1991, following the August Putsch in Moscow and international recognition of independent Lithuania, Lozoraitis resigned the diplomatic service in favour of the national government established in Vilnius. In December 1991, he was appointed as the new government's chief diplomat to the United States, where he re-established the embassy. He was a candidate in the Lithuanian presidential election of February 1993, gathering 38.9% of vote, losing to the former communist leader Algirdas Brazauskas.

In May 1993, just a few months after the election, Brazauskas recalled Lozoraitis as ambassador to the U.S. despite criticism of politicizing the issue. In late 1993, Lozoraitis was appointed as the ambassador to Italy.

Lozoraitis died of kidney failure at Georgetown University Hospital. He was buried in Putnam Cemetery in Connecticut and was reburied in Petrašiūnai Cemetery in Kaunas in 1999. The same year he was posthumously awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis.

"I became campaign manager for my friend's presidential campaign on very short notice in 1993," chuckles President Adamkus. "He called me home one day while I still lived in the U.S. and said he needed my help. He had decided to pose as a candidate for the Lithuanian presidential election in February of that year, and had concluded that his Lithuanian team was not capable of running a campaign, thus, he needed my help as soon as possible. I decided quickly to request unpaid leave of absence from my job and travelled across the Atlantic to assist my friend. We realized that the chance to win at such short notice, was minimal, but we took a red marker and divided Lithuania into two, on the map.

Then we started to tour, he in one part, I in the other, to promote him as a presidential candidate, but even more to promote and explain what freedom and democracy could mean for the 'reborn' Lithuania. We won of course not, but I feel that we planted some important seeds that time almost 20 years ago."

Adamkus leans back in his chair, overwhelmed by memories, but shakes his head when I ask him if there might be something in the rumours that Lozoraities was poisoned and murdered in 1994...

President of Lithuania 1998-2003 and 2004-2009

Description: Valdas Adamkus and Vytautas Landsbergis

"I've never really felt that I had the heartfelt support of Vytautas Landsbergis. He was usually lukewarm to my ideas and I saw him not as a genuine supporter neither when Lozoraitis and I worked together as hardest in 1993 or when I four years later started my campaign to become Lithuania's next president."

His Excellency seems to struggle a bit to find the right words when I ask him about his relationship with Landsbergis. Searching for the right words to be honest without insulting, define without getting emotional.

Nevertheless, in 1998, Valdas Adamkus was elected President of the Republic of Lithuania. He assumed the office on 26 February 1998. As President he very much promoted the idea of rapid modernization of Lithuania and worked consistently towards its implementation.

In 2002, he ran in the presidential elections for another term, in the second round however he lost to Rolandas Paksas. In 2004, following the removal of Rolandas Paksas from the Office of the President by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus again ran in the presidential elections.

On 27 June 2004, citizens of Lithuania re-elected Valdas Adamkus President of the Republic for another five-year term. During his second term, as President of the Republic, he committed himself to create European wellbeing in every Lithuanian home and guarantee that there should not be a single abandoned person in Lithuania.

Under his presidency, Lithuania actively promoted democracy in the former Soviet, Eastern European and Asian nations. President Adamkus, together with President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, Javier Solana, Boris Gryzlov and Ján Kubiš, served as a mediator during Ukraine's political crisis, when two candidates in the 2004 presidential election, Viktor Yanukovych and Viktor Yushchenko, each claimed victory. President Adamkus recalled in an interview that "when I asked what we could do to help, Kuchma said the friends of the Ukrainian people should drop whatever they were doing and come to Kiev immediately." The next day international mediators met in Ukraine. The crisis was resolved after a new election was held.

Description: http://static.themoscowtimes.com/upload/photos/large/2001_04/2001_04_02/lithuania_2.jpg
"After I refused to take part in the Moscow ‘victory parade’ in 2005, I became, in the language of diplomats, "persona non
grata" for Putin, explains Adamkus.

In 2005, Adamkus, refused to participate in the 9^th May ‘Victory Day’ celebrations in Moscow. He expressed the view that the war's end, in Lithuania, marked the beginning of a fifty-year Soviet occupation and repression. In response, on 22 July 2005, the United States Congress unanimously passed a resolution that Russia should "issue a clear and unambiguous statement of admission and condemnation of the illegal occupation and annexation by the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1991 of the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania", but Russia refused.

U.S. President George W. Bush went to participate in the Moscow event, but came first to Riga to meet President Adamkus and the two other Baltic presidents.

“While the end of World War II brought peace, it also brought "occupation and communist oppression," Mr Bush said, apologizing to for the United States’ role in the Yalta Conference in early 1945, where the Baltic states more or less were given as hostages in a superpower play led by despot Josef Stalin.

"After I refused to take part in the Moscow parade, I became, in the language of diplomats, "persona non grata" for Putin. I was being ignored; he tried not to see me wherever we both came to participate in any international event,” tells the former leader of Lithuania with a wry smile, as he sits here in front of me this May morning.

President Adamkus supported an active dialogue between European Union member states and those former Soviet republics such as Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova, that were actively seeking membership in the EU. He expressed support for these candidate members during the Community of Democratic Choice in 2005, at the Vilnius Conference 2006, and on several other occasions.

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Adamkus chose not to run for re-election during the Lithuanian presidential election in 2009
and was succeeded on 12 July 2009 by Dalia Grybauskaitė.

Comments about other politicians

We have had a long, good conversation, President Adamkus and me. New visitors have already been long waiting in his anteroom. But before I go I need to know a bit more about how he looks at other leading politicians in today's Lithuania.

About late President and Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas,
he had this to say:

"I've obviously heard all the stories about him being corrupt and that he represented the nomenclature which ruled Lithuania in the course of the occupation years. But I always had a normal partnership with him, none of the mentioned corruption cases reached some time my president’s office. He was a good farmer, a good building, a pragmatist who people liked. And even though we were far from each other politically, we always had a relationship that was characterized by mutual respect."

Description: http://i2.alfi.lt/88/74/97.jpg

About Vilnius Mayor, Arturas Zuokas,
he had this to say:

"It is true that I was the godfather of his child, but it meant not that we had or have a very close relationship. Still, I must say that Mr. Zuokas has some extraordinary qualities and visions. I disagree with some of his actions and decisions, but I think he is a man of the future."

Description: V.Adamkus knygoje rašo buvęs nustebintas, kad A.Zuokas verslininkų prašo pinigų jam paremti.

About the Prime Minister, Andrius Kubilius,
he had this to say:

"I sympathize strongly with PM Kubilius. He has had a" mission impossible" to fight with ever since he took office as head of a government that had to do everything possible to solve the enormous challenges we faced when the financial crisis hit our country so incredibly hard four years ago. Now there will be parliamentary elections in the autumn, and opinion polls suggest that what we are going to be facing is a coalition government without a majority for any party or group. We are still facing major problems, and I sincerely hope that people will understand this while voting and that it will be found solutions that provide continued strength and good development for our country."

Description: Kubilius Adamkus with a different look at the pension fund problems.

About the present President, Dalia Grybauskaitė,
he had this to say:

"It would not be appropriate for me to sit here and criticize my successor. The only thing I will say is that I occasionally ask myself what has happened to Lithuania's foreign policy. I have, frankly, become more and more confused.

I always emphasized that Lithuania’s way is to have closest possible relations with the West, and not wobble in this respect. What I have seen over the past three years, is that one day there seems to be one attitude, while the next day seems to follow a completely different direction. That worries me."

"Has the current president asked for advice from you since she took office in July 2009?"

"Aage, you see the black phone there on my desktop? That phone is connected to a direct line between the current and the former President of Lithuania. The phone has NOT RUNG ONCE during the three years that have passed since she took over the presidency..."

Description: http://www.airijaonline.lt/assets/modules/TVSmodules/logisolnews/data/images/73/929/big_grybauskaite_adamkus.jpg

My time with President Adamkus has come to an end.

Biography

Description: Valdas Adamkus

Valdas Adamkus was born into a family of civil servants in Kaunas on 3 November 1926. He studied at the Jonas Jablonskis Elementary School and the Aušra (Dawn) Gymnasium in Kaunas.

During World War II, he was involved in the resistance movement for Lithuania 's independence. Valdas Adamkus fled to Germany with his parents in July 1944.

After graduation from the Lithuanian Gymnasium in Germany , Valdas Adamkus studied at the Faculty of Natural Science at Munich University. In 1949, Valdas Adamkus came to the United States , where he was employed as a worker in a Chicago factory of car parts, later, as a draughtsman in an engineering firm. In 1960, he graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology, with a degree in civil engineering.

In 1951, Valdas Adamkus married Alma Nutautaitė.

Professional Career

In early 70's Valdas Adamkus was invited to work for a newly established US federal environmental institution, the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA). He headed the Environment Research Centre and was later appointed deputy administrator at the US EPA Region 5 (Midwest Region). In 1981, he was promoted to administrator of the Environment Protection Agency.

Face to Lithuania

Valdas Adamkus was active in public and political life of the Lithuanian expatriate community. Between 1958 and 1965, he was vice-chairman of the Santara-Šviesa (Accord-Light) Cultural-Political Federation, a liberal civic organization of the Lithuanian expatriate community, acting under the slogan "Face to Lithuania ", and, in 1967, he was elected its chairman.

While living in the United States , Valdas Adamkus was an active organizer of protests against Lithuania 's occupation and the initiator of numerous petitions. Between 1961 and 1964, Adamkus was a member of the Board of the American-Lithuanian Community (LC), vice-chairman of the Centre Board, member of the American-Lithuanian Council (ALC).

Valdas Adamkus was an active participant and organiser of sports events. He won two gold and two silver medals in track-and-field events at the Olympic Games of the Enslaved Nations of 1948. In 1951, Valdas Adamkus established an academic sports club of Lithuanian Americans, Lituanica. He was chairman of the Organizing Committee of the World Lithuanian Games that were held in 1983.

Since 1972, Valdas Adamkus had been visiting Lithuania once or several times a year. Encouraging and supporting construction of water treatment facilities and development of environmental monitoring, Valdas Adamkus assisted environmental institutions of the Baltic States with academic literature, equipment and software supply.

In the capacity of the coordinator of US aid to the Baltic States in the field of environmental protection, Valdas Adamkus organized study visits for representatives of Lithuania 's academic institutions and helped Vilnius University to get hold of the latest academic literature.

In 1993, Valdas Adamkus headed the election campaign of presidential candidate Stasys Lozoraitis in Lithuania .

Consolidating the moderate political centre, he was actively involved in the campaign of the 1996 Lithuanian general parliamentary elections.

President of the Republic

In 1998, Valdas Adamkus was elected President of the Republic of Lithuania. He assumed the office on February 26, 1998. President Adamkus promoted the idea of rapid modernisation of Lithuania and worked consistently towards its implementation.

In 2002, Valdas Adamkus ran in the presidential elections for another term, in the second round however he lost to Rolandas Paksas. Upon completion of his term in the office, Valdas Adamkus remained active in domestic and foreign politics and gave lectures at international conferences.

In 2004, following the removal of Rolandas Paksas from the Office of the President by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus again ran in the presidential elections.

On June 27, 2004, citizens of Lithuania re-elected Valdas Adamkus President of the Republic for another five-year term. During his second term, President of the Republic is committed to create European wellbeing in every Lithuanian home and to guarantee that there is not a single abandoned person in Lithuania .

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the Construction of Knowledge Societies

In 2003, President Valdas Adamkus was conferred the title of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the Construction of Knowledge Societies. This title is held only by 42 individuals in the whole world, therefore, this honour shown to President Valdas Adamkus can certainly be viewed as the award to all the people of Lithuania .

In the area of knowledge society, UNESCO is involved in internet promotion, establishment of community internet centres, library and archive modernisation, development of E-government, implementation of information technologies in educational, women’s and children’s teaching institutions and decision-making structures.

With its own Goodwill Ambassador, Lithuania has now become even more visible among UNESCO member states.

Awards

In 1988, Valdas Adamkus was granted the International Environmental Award for outstanding achievements in the international arena. He has also been awarded the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Gold Medal, the US President’s Award for Outstanding Service and the International Olympic Committee Award.

Valdas Adamkus was named the European of the Year 2007 at the European Voice Awards. In 2008, he was conferred the title of Academician of the Lithuanian Olympic Academy for many years of active involvement in the Olympic movement and the promotion of its ideals.

The President of Lithuania has been bestowed 33 highest-class state decorations of various countries, including the Golden Collar of the City of Athens, the Order of Iron Wolf of the Lithuanian Scouts Union, the Order of Star of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union and the International Olympic Committee Award for Sport and Promotion of Olympism.

Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon, Iceland, 1998
Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav, Norway, 1998
Order of Yaroslav the Wise, 1st Class, Ukraine, 1998
Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, Estonia, 1999
Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer, Greece, 1999
Collar and Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, 1999
Order of the White Eagle, Poland, 1999
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Malta, 1999
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Hungary, 1999
Grand Cross of the Order of Friendship, Kazakhstan, 2000
Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Three Stars, Latvia, 2001
Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour, France, 2001
Collar of the Star of Romania, Romania, 2001
St. Mesrob Mashtots Order, Armenia, 2002
Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose with Collar, Finland, 2002
Order “For Special Merits”, Uzbekistan, 2002
Order of Vytautas the Great with the Golden Collar, Lithuania, 2003.
Collar and Grand Cross of the Order of the White Star, Estonia, 2004
Order of Isabella the Catholic with Collar, Kingdom of Spain, 2005
Special Class of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Germany, 2005
Order of the White Double Cross, 1st Class, Slovakia, 2005
Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Kingdom of Belgium, 2006
Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, 2006
The Most Honorable Order of the Bath, United Kingdom, 2006
Order for Merit, 1st Class, Ukraine, 2006
Order “Mother Theresa”, Albania, 2007
Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, Japan, 2007
Grand Collar of the Order of Infante D. Henrique, Portugal, 2007
St. George’s Victory Order, Georgia, 2007
Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion, 2008
Collar of the Order for Merits to Chile, Republic of Chile, 2008
Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, Republic of Austria, 2009
Order of Stara Planina, Republic of Bulgaria, 2009

Honorary Doctor

Valdas Adamkus is the Honorary Doctor of universities in Lithuania and other countries:

Vilnius University, 1989,
Indiana St. Joseph's College, USA, 1991,
Northwestern University, USA, 1994,
Kaunas Technological University, 1998,
The Catholic University of America, USA, 1998,
University of Agriculture of Lithuania , 1999,
Illinois Institute of Technology, USA, 1999,
Eurasian University, Kazakhstan, 2000,
De Paul University in Chicago, USA , 2001,
Law University of Lithuania , 2001,
Vytautas Magnus University, 2002,
Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education, 2004,
Yerevan State University, Armenia, 2006,
Baku State University, Azerbaijan, 2006,
Notre Dame University, USA, 2007,
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, 2007,
Tallinn University, Estonia, 2008,
University of Chile, Chile, 2008.

Category : Featured black / Lithuania in the world

- Posted by - 13890(0) Comment2012-05-23+14%3A23%3A410df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13890

VilNews is in Azerbaijan
to cover the 57th
European Song Contest!

By Arvydas Arnasius

To tell frankly Azerbaijan was not on my list of countries which I wanted to go no matter what and when there was an opportunity to visit it during the 2012 Eurovision song contest in Baku I had a reserved expectations.
For the reader I can tell that Azerbaijan is neither Europe nor Asia and this country has an incredible tangle of contradictions and contrasts. It’s fascinating nexus of ancient historical empires going back centuries ago. Yet it’s also a new and dynamic nation finding its way from the emergencies from war-torn post-Soviet times on petroleum funded explosion of optimism. Surrounded by the semi-desert on the oil rich Caspian Sea, the nation’s cosmopolitan capital – Baku, is a dynamic boom-town, where flashy limousines and mushrooming skyscrapers sweep around the picturesque old town. Yet barely few hours’ drive away there is another reality - entirely different world: timeless villages with their people and soaring high Caucasus mountains.

Read more…

Category : Front page

- Posted by - 13887(2) Comment2012-05-23+14%3A23%3A400df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13887

VilNews is in Azerbaijan
to cover the 57th
European Song Contest!

By Arvydas Arnasius

Azerbaijan is neither Europe nor Asia and this country has an incredible tangle of contradictions and contrasts. It’s fascinating nexus of ancient historical empires going back centuries ago.

Until the 20^th century the ancient term Azerbaijan applies largely to ethnical territory centered on Tabriz and Ardabil in Iran. Over the last two thousand years it’s not just a country name and rules that have changed but also its religion, language and its ethnicity. Having spent most of that time straddling its territories of competing empires, understanding this extraordinary saga really requires understanding of the Persian, Arab, Turkish and Russian histories.

Today Azerbaijan is a new and dynamic nation finding its way from the emergencies from war-torn post-Soviet times on petroleum funded explosion of optimism. Surrounded by the semi-desert on the oil rich Caspian Sea, the nation’s cosmopolitan capital – Baku, is a dynamic boom-town, where flashy limousines and mushrooming skyscrapers sweep around the picturesque old town. Yet barely few hours’ drive away there is another reality - entirely different world: timeless villages with their people and soaring high Caucasus mountains.

The Azeri capital is Caucasus largest and most cosmopolitan city. Few cities in the world are as quickly and nowhere else in Caucasus do East and West blend as seamlessly or as chaotically. Beat up Ladas race shiny Mercedes past illuminated stone mansions, shiny glass towers and tatty old Soviet apartment blocks. Fascinating Old City surrounded by the medieval fortress wal I protected by Unesco World Heritage Foundation. The name Baku is derived from the Persian bad cube (city of winds) with the gale force winds coming from the Caspian once or twice a month.

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Baku is hosting 2012 Eurovision Song Contest which will be the 57th annual Eurovision Song Contest. It is held in Baku, Azerbaijan, following Azerbaijan's win in the 2011 Contest. The two semi-finals will be held on 22 May and 24 May 2012, and the final on 26 May 2012.Ten countries from each semi-final will qualify for the final and will be joined by Azerbaijan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Forty-two countries is participating in this event.

The country took this challenge very seriously with the big development project - the venue Baku Crystal Hall in the Azerbaijani capital. On 16 May 2011, it was announced that a special concert complex with 23,000 seats for the 2012 Contest was to be built near National Flag Square in Baku. The foundations were completed on 14 October 2011 and now the hall is completely finished. There is no official information released on the cost involved in developing the infrastructure and the venue yet but, according to experts, they can easily reach over a couple of billion euros.

2012 Eurovision song contest is considered to be a major rehearsal for the Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, plans to bid for the Olympics, with initial studies suggesting that the cost of hosting the 2016 Summer Olympic Games may be $20 billion.

Azerbaijan with its booming capital and strive to be part of Europe accompanied by its people positive attitude and deeply inherited sense of hospitality is standing a good chance winning this Olympic bid and always be enjoyable and highly memorable places to visit.

Key Facts on Azerbaijan
Area: 86,600 sq km.
Capital: Baku
Famous for: Oil, saffron, caviar
Official name: Azarbaycan Respublikasi
Population: 7,830,000

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Category : Culture & events

- Posted by - 13880(0) Comment2012-05-23+14%3A13%3A300df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13880

In an open letter to Mayor Zuokas last month I recommended building new playgrounds in places such as the Rudininku Skveras and improving the playground located behind the post office on Vokieciu Gatve (behind the Post). To my delight and surprise, both have now happened!

Gene Emmer

Last month, I wrote an OPEN LETTER to Mayor Zuokas pointing out the need for more playgrounds in the old town of Vilnius. In it, I recommended amongst other things, building new playgrounds in places such as the Rudininku Skveras and improving the playground located behind the post office on Vokieciu Gatve (behind the Post). To my delight and surprise, both have happened! Perhaps these were already planned before my letter, I have no idea. But nevertheless, I am very pleased that the city of Vilnius is making these improvements.

The new playground in Rudininku Skveras opened this week to a very appreciative audience of children and parents. So delighted were they, that the playground was absolutely packed with children. When we were there, about 30 youngsters were enjoying themselves, a very high number for such a small park.

On the Vokieciu playground, one can see some recent attempts at landscaping slowly appearing. Perhaps this is the beginning of much needed renovations.

We can only hope that the city continues to make such improvements. The fact that the few existing playgrounds are so busy only underscores the need for more opportunities for children of the old town to play and breath fresh air.

Gene Emmer,
Vilnius

Category : Lithuania today

- Posted by - 13876(0) Comment2012-05-23+14%3A13%3A030df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13876

Category : Opinions

- Posted by - 13562(0) Comment2012-05-23+13%3A57%3A050df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13562

Antanas Smetona (1874 – 1944) served as the first President of Lithuania from April 4, 1919 to June 19, 1920. He again served as the last President of interwar Lithuania from December 19, 1926 to June 15, 1940, before the Soviet occupation. He was also one of the famous ideologists of nationalism in Lithuania.

Category : Opinions

President Grybauskaite says Europe’s crisis may delay Lithuanian Euro plan

- Posted by - 13861(0) Comment2012-05-23+13%3A55%3A180df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13861

President Grybauskaite and President Obama meeting in Chicago.

The European Union, battling with its sovereign debt crisis, may not be ready to expand the euro area to the east in 2014 when the Baltic nations of Lithuania and Latvia prepare to switch currencies, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said.

If Europe is ready, “of course we will join,” Grybauskaite said in an interview yesterday with Bloomberg News in Chicago. “It’s not only about Lithuania. It’s about Europe. Will Europe be ready to enlarge in 2014 because still we are seeing pending a lot of difficulties in the south of Europe, probably new elections in Greece.”

The Baltic nations of Latvia and Lithuania are next in line to switch currencies to the euro, while other governments across eastern Europe including the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary are slowing preparations for the changeover as the euro region grapples with the debt crisis. Doubts are mounting on whether Greece can remain in the 17-nation currency zone as it prepares for June 17 elections following an inconclusive May 6 ballot.
Both Latvia and Lithuania peg their currencies to the euro with the official government goal of joining Europe’s monetary union in 2014.

Read more…

Category : News

Lithuania warns NATO of Russian missile threat

- Posted by - 13858(0) Comment2012-05-23+13%3A52%3A120df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13858

A Russian newspaper reported in April that the military has begun deploying S-400 mobile surface-to-air missiles in Kaliningrad, the Baltic exclave bordered by Poland and Lithuania.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has urged NATO to strengthen its military deterrence potential in the face of Russia’s intensified militarization in Kaliningrad.

The European missile shield is largely considered as part of the global American anti-ballistic missile system. Russia previously suggested that a joint anti-missile defense system be created on a territorial principle of shared responsibility. The offer was dismissed by NATO who also refused to give Moscow any legal guarantees that it won’t be targeted, forcing Russia to deploy a new radar system in Kaliningrad. Russia also warned it would relocate Iskander missiles to its westernmost region.

Addressing the NATO summit in Chicago, Dalia Grybauskaite said that, according to the Lisbon agreement, Russia was to cooperate with NATO on principles of mutual trust, transparency and predictability, which it allegedly violated by deploying surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles in Kaliningrad.

She stressed that the abovementioned missiles could reach Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, Warsaw, Berlin and other NATO capitals, urging the alliance to create a stronger deterrence mechanism and show more flexibility at joint military drills. She also cautioned the allies of passing military know-how technologies or equipment to third parties.

Category : News

- Posted by - 13870(0) Comment2012-05-23+13%3A30%3A420df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13870

President Valdas Adamkus:
Send President Smetona’s remains back to Lithuania

President Valdas Adamkus
In our today’s interview with former President Valdas Adamkus, he says:

"Send the remains back to his home country: It is sad to see that Smetona's family seems to have ended up in an internal conflict instead of thinking about what an important man he was for Lithuania. There is absolutely no reason to doubt Lithuania's safe anchorage in freedom and democracy nowadays and therefore this is not a reason not to provide a dignified burial for Smetona in his beloved homeland."

Adamkus adds that there also are many who believe Smetona was an autocratic president who does not deserve to be honoured by his home country, something he strongly disagrees with. "We must remember that such was the political situation in much of Europe throughout the interwar period. Also our neighbouring countries were led by autocrats, and it is my clear opinion, in such a perspective, that Smetona was a very good president who deserves all possible recognition for his tremendous efforts as a statesman of the highest rank," he says.

Category : Opinions

No flowers for Smetona

- Posted by - 13559(0) CommentNo+flowers+for+Smetona2012-05-23+13%3A02%3A260df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D13559

Frank Passic

Ohio crypt holds remains of first Lithuanian President, yet he has been forgotten here in a Mausoleum tucked away in a Catholic Cemetery east of Cleveland, USA.

There are no flowers at his crypt, although the Mausoleum is filled with them on the vaults of others nearby. He was the President, yet you would not know that by reading the simple inscription found upon his nameplate. His image was on a coin, a banknote, various stamps and medals. Yet he has been forgotten here in a Mausoleum tucked away in a Catholic Cemetery east of Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

Frank Passic
Albion, Michigan

To read the article CLICK HERE

Below: Comments to the article

Category : Opinions

OPINIONS

Have your say. Send to:
editor@VilNews.com

By Dr. Boris Vytautas Bakunas,
Ph. D., Chicago

A wave of unity sweeps the international Lithuanian community on March 11th every year as Lithuanians celebrated the anniversary of the Lithuanian Parliament's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. However, the sense of national unity engendered by the celebration could be short-lived.

Human beings have a strong tendency to overgeneralize and succumb to stereotypical us-them distinctions that can shatter even the strongest bonds. We need only search the internet to find examples of divisive thinking at work:

- "50 years of Soviet rule has ruined an entire generation of Lithuanian.

- "Those who fled Lithuania during World II were cowards -- and now they come back, flaunt their wealth, and tell us 'true Lithuanians' how to live."

- "Lithuanians who work abroad have abandoned their homeland and should be deprived of their Lithuanian citizenship."

Could such stereotypical, emotionally-charged accusations be one of the main reasons why relations between Lithuania's diaspora groups and their countrymen back home have become strained?

* * *

Text: Saulene Valskyte

In Lithuania Christmas Eve is a family event and the New Year's Eve a great party with friends!
Lithuanian say "Kaip sutiksi naujus metus, taip juos ir praleisi" (the way you'll meet the new year is the way you will spend it). So everyone is trying to spend New Year's Eve with friend and have as much fun as possible.

Lithuanian New Year's traditions are very similar to those in other countries, and actually were similar since many years ago. Also, the traditional Lithuanian New Years Eve party was very similar to other big celebrations throughout the year.

The New Year's Eve table is quite similar to the Christmas Eve table, but without straws under the tablecloth, and now including meat dishes. A tradition that definitely hasn't changes is that everybody is trying not to fell asleep before midnight. It was said that if you oversleep the midnight point you will be lazy all the upcoming year. People were also trying to get up early on the first day of the new year, because waking up late also meant a very lazy and unfortunate year.

During the New Year celebration people were dancing, singing, playing games and doing magic to guess the future. People didn't drink much of alcohol, especially was that the case for women.

Here are some advices from elders:
- During the New Year, be very nice and listen to relatives - what you are during New Year Eve, you will be throughout the year.

- During to the New Year Eve, try not to fall, because if this happens, next year you will be unhappy.

- If in the start of the New Year, the first news are good - then the year will be successful. If not - the year will be problematic.

New year predictions

* If during New Year eve it's snowing - then it will be bad weather all year round. If the day is fine - one can expect good harvest.
* If New Year's night is cold and starry - look forward to a good summer!
* If the during New Year Eve trees are covered with frost - then it will be a good year. If it is wet weather on New Year's Eve, one can expect a year where many will die and dangerous epidemics occur.
* If the first day of the new year is snowy - the upcoming year will see many young people die. If the night is snowy - mostly old people will die.
* If the New Year time is cold - then Easter will be warm.
* If during New Year there are a lot of birds in your homestead - then all year around there will be many guests and the year will be fun.

* * *

VilNews
Christmas greetings
from Vilnius

* * *

Ukraine won the historic
and epic battle for the
future

By Leonidas Donskis

Kaunas
Philosopher, political theorist, historian of
ideas, social analyst, and political
commentator

Immediately after Russia stepped in Syria, we understood that it is time to sum up the convoluted and long story about Ukraine and the EU - a story of pride and prejudice which has a chance to become a story of a new vision regained after self-inflicted blindness.

Ukraine was and continues to be perceived by the EU political class as a sort of grey zone with its immense potential and possibilities for the future, yet deeply embedded and trapped in No Man's Land with all of its troubled past, post-Soviet traumas, ambiguities, insecurities, corruption, social divisions, and despair. Why worry for what has yet to emerge as a new actor of world history in terms of nation-building, European identity, and deeper commitments to transparency and free market economy?

Right? Wrong. No matter how troubled Ukraine's economic and political reality could be, the country has already passed the point of no return. Even if Vladimir Putin retains his leverage of power to blackmail Ukraine and the West in terms of Ukraine's zero chances to accede to NATO due to the problems of territorial integrity, occupation and annexation of Crimea, and mayhem or a frozen conflict in the Donbas region, Ukraine will never return to Russia's zone of influence. It could be deprived of the chances to join NATO or the EU in the coming years or decades, yet there are no forces on earth to make present Ukraine part of the Eurasia project fostered by Putin.

* * *

Watch this video if you
want to learn about the
new, scary propaganda
war between Russia,
The West and the
Baltic States!

* * *

90% of all Lithuanians
believe their government
is corrupt

Lithuania is perceived to be the country with the most widespread government corruption, according to an international survey involving almost 40 countries.

* * *

Lithuanian medical
students say no to
bribes for doctors

On International Anticorruption Day, the Special Investigation Service shifted their attention to medical institutions, where citizens encounter bribery most often. Doctors blame citizens for giving bribes while patients complain that, without bribes, they won't receive proper medical attention. Campaigners against corruption say that bribery would disappear if medical institutions themselves were to take resolute actions against corruption and made an effort to take care of their patients.

* * *

Doing business in Lithuania

By Grant Arthur Gochin

California - USA

Lithuania emerged from the yoke of the Soviet Union a mere 25 years ago. Since then, Lithuania has attempted to model upon other European nations, joining NATO, Schengen, and the EU. But, has the Soviet Union left Lithuania?

During Soviet times, government was administered for the people in control, not for the local population, court decisions were decreed, they were not the administration of justice, and academia was the domain of ideologues. 25 years of freedom and openness should have put those bad experiences behind Lithuania, but that is not so.

Today, it is a matter of expectation that court pronouncements will be governed by ideological dictates. Few, if any Lithuanians expect real justice to be effected. For foreign companies, doing business in Lithuania is almost impossible in a situation where business people do not expect rule of law, so, surely Government would be a refuge of competence?

Lithuanian Government has not emerged from Soviet styles. In an attempt to devolve power, Lithuania has created a myriad of fiefdoms of power, each speaking in the name of the Government, each its own centralized power base of ideology.

* * *

Greetings from Wales!

By Anita Šovaitė-Woronycz
Chepstow, Wales

Think of a nation in northern Europe whose population is around the 3 million mark a land of song, of rivers, lakes, forests, rolling green hills, beautiful coastline a land where mushrooms grow ready for the picking, a land with a passion for preserving its ancient language and culture.

Doesn't that sound suspiciously like Lithuania? Ah, but I didn't mention the mountains of Snowdonia, which would give the game away.

I'm talking about Wales, that part of the UK which Lithuanians used to call "Valija", but later named "Velsas" (why?). Wales, the nation which has welcomed two Lithuanian heads of state to its shores - firstly Professor Vytautas Landsbergis, who has paid several visits and, more recently, President Dalia Grybauskaitė who attended the 2014 NATO summit which was held in Newport, South Wales.

MADE IN WALES -
ENGLISH VERSION OF THE
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
VYTAUTAS LANDSBERGIS.

* * *

IS IT POSSIBLE TO
COMMENT ON OUR
ARTICLES? :-)

Read Cassandra's article HERE

Read Rugile's article HERE

Did you know there is a comment field right after every article we publish? If you read the two above posts, you will see that they both have received many comments. Also YOU are welcome with your comments. To all our articles!

* * *

Greetings from Toronto

By Antanas Sileika,
Toronto, Canada

Toronto was a major postwar settlement centre for Lithuanian Displaced Persons, and to this day there are two Catholic parishes and one Lutheran one, as well as a Lithuanian House, retirement home, and nursing home. A new wave of immigrants has showed interest in sports.

Although Lithuanian activities have thinned over the decades as that postwar generation died out, the Lithuanian Martyrs' parish hall is crowded with many, many hundreds of visitors who come to the Lithuanian cemetery for All Souls' Day. Similarly, the Franciscan parish has standing room only for Christmas Eve mass.

Although I am firmly embedded in the literary culture of Canada, my themes are usually Lithuanian, and I'll be in Kaunas and Vilnius in mid-November 2015 to give talks about the Lithuanian translations of my novels and short stories, which I write in English.

If you have the Lithuanian language, come by to one of the talks listed in the links below. And if you don't, you can read more about my work at
www.anatanassileika.com

http://www.vdu.lt/lt/rasytojas-antanas-sileika-pristatys-savo-kuryba/
https://leu.lt/lt/lf/lf_naujienos/kvieciame-i-rasytojo-59hc.html

* * *

As long as VilNews exists,
there is hope for the future

Professor Irena Veisaite, Chairwoman of our Honorary Council, asked us to convey her heartfelt greetings to the other Council Members and to all readers of VilNews.

"My love and best wishes to all. As long as VilNews exists, there is hope for the future,"" she writes.

Irena Veisaite means very much for our publication, and we do hereby thank her for the support and wise commitment she always shows.

You can read our interview with her

HERE.

* * *

EU-Russia:
Facing a new reality

By Vygaudas Ušackas

EU Ambassador to the Russian Federation

Dear readers of VilNews,

It's great to see this online resource for people interested in Baltic affairs. I congratulate the editors. From my position as EU Ambassador to Russia, allow me to share some observations.

For a number of years, the EU and Russia had assumed the existence of a strategic partnership, based on the convergence of values, economic integration and increasingly open markets and a modernisation agenda for society.

Our agenda was positive and ambitious. We looked at Russia as a country ready to converge with "European values", a country likely to embrace both the basic principles of democratic government and a liberal concept of the world order. It was believed this would bring our relations to a new level, covering the whole spectrum of the EU's strategic relationship with Russia.

* * *

The likelihood of Putin
invading Lithuania

By Mikhail Iossel

Professor of English at Concordia University, Canada
Founding Director at Summer Literary Seminars

The likelihood of Putin's invading Lithuania or fomenting a Donbass-style counterfeit pro-Russian uprising there, at this point, in my strong opinion, is no higher than that of his attacking Portugal, say, or Ecuador. Regardless of whether he might or might not, in principle, be interested in the insane idea of expanding Russia's geographic boundaries to those of the former USSR (and I for one do not believe that has ever been his goal), he knows this would be entirely unfeasible, both in near- and long-term historical perspective, for a variety of reasons. It is not going to happen. There will be no restoration of the Soviet Union as a geopolitical entity.

* * *

Are all Lithuanian energy
problems now resolved?

By Dr. Stasys Backaitis,

P.E., CSMP, SAE Fellow Member of Central and Eastern European Coalition, Washington, D.C., USA

Lithuania's Energy Timeline - from total dependence to independence

Lithuania as a country does not have significant energy resources. Energy consuming infrastructure after WWII was small and totally supported by energy imports from Russia.

First nuclear reactor begins power generation at Ignalina in 1983, the second reactor in 1987. Iganlina generates enough electricity to cover Lithuania's needs and about 50%.for export. As, prerequisite for membership in EU, Ignalina ceases all nuclear power generation in 2009

The Klaipėda Sea terminal begins Russia's oil export operations in 1959 and imports in 1994.

Mazeikiu Nafta (current ORLEAN Lietuva) begins operation of oil refinery in 1980.

* * *

Have Lithuanian ties across
the Baltic Sea become
stronger in recent years?

By Eitvydas Bajarunas

Ambassador to Sweden

My answer to affirmative "yes". Yes, Lithuanian ties across the Baltic Sea become as never before solid in recent years. For me the biggest achievement of Lithuania in the Baltic Sea region during recent years is boosting Baltic and Nordic ties. And not because of mere accident - Nordic direction was Lithuania's strategic choice.

The two decades that have passed since regaining Lithuania's independence can be described as a "building boom". From the wreckage of a captive Soviet republic, a generation of Lithuanians have built a modern European state, and are now helping construct a Nordic-Baltic community replete with institutions intended to promote political coordination and foster a trans-Baltic regional identity. Indeed, a "Nordic-Baltic community" - I will explain later in my text the meaning of this catch-phrase.

Since the restoration of Lithuania's independence 25 years ago, we have continuously felt a strong support from Nordic countries. Nordics in particular were among the countries supporting Lithuania's and Baltic States' striving towards independence. Take example of Iceland, country which recognized Lithuania in February of 1991, well in advance of other countries. Yet another example - Swedish Ambassador was the first ambassador accredited to Lithuania in 1991. The other countries followed suit. When we restored our statehood, Nordic Countries became champions in promoting Baltic integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. To large degree thanks Nordic Countries, massive transformations occurred in Lithuania since then, Lithuania became fully-fledged member of the EU and NATO, and we joined the Eurozone on 1 January 2015.

* * *

It's the economy, stupid *

By Valdas (Val) Samonis,

PhD, CPC

n his article, Val Samonis takes a comparative policy look at the Lithuanian economy during the period 2000-2015. He argues that the LT policy response (a radical and classical austerity) was wrong and unenlightened because it coincided with strong and continuing deflationary forces in the EU and the global economy which forces were predictable, given the right policy guidance. Also, he makes a point that LT austerity, and the resulting sharp drop in GDP and employment in LT, stimulated emigration of young people (and the related worsening of other demographics) which processes took huge dimensions thereby undercutting even the future enlightened efforts to get out of the middle-income growth trap by LT. Consequently, the country is now on the trajectory (development path) similar to that of a dog that chases its own tail. A strong effort by new generation of policymakers is badly needed to jolt the country out of that wrong trajectory and to offer the chance of escaping the middle-income growth trap via innovations.

* * *

Have you heard about the
South African "Pencil Test"?

By Karina Simonson

If you are not South African, then, probably, you haven't. It is a test performed in South Africa during the apartheid regime and was used, together with the other ways, to determine racial identity, distinguishing whites from coloureds and blacks. That repressive test was very close to Nazi implemented ways to separate Jews from Aryans. Could you now imagine a Lithuanian mother, performing it on her own child?

But that is exactly what happened to me when I came back from South Africa. I will tell you how.

* * * Click HERE to read previous opinion letters >

Archive for May, 2012

U.S.-Nordic-Baltic cooperation

Wizz Air becomes the biggest airline in Vilnius

I can only hope that we all will work together

“We have met the enemy and he is us!”

Good morning, Mr. President!

VilNews is in Azerbaijan to cover the 57th European Song Contest!

VilNews is in Azerbaijan to cover the 57th European Song Contest!

President Grybauskaite says Europe’s crisis may delay Lithuanian Euro plan

Lithuania warns NATO of Russian missile threat

No flowers for Smetona

OPINIONS

Good morning,
Mr. President!

VilNews is in Azerbaijan
to cover the 57th
European Song Contest!

VilNews is in Azerbaijan
to cover the 57th
European Song Contest!