WORLD LITHUANIAN ECONOMIC FORUM
 VILNIUS, 4-5 JULY:

A successful event, but
will it create any ripple effects?

The  World Lithuanian Economic Forum (WLEF) is still in full swing as I write this. So I should be careful about drawing too many conclusions yet. What I have seen so far, is an event where some 400 people meet to discuss what more can be done to collect Lithuanians from all over the world to joint efforts for their fatherland. More investments, more engagement is being requested. The mood is good, the speeches and discussions as well. Yet I can not help but wonder why only about 100 of the 400 attendees are foreign-Lithuanians. Nearly half of all who call themselves Lithuanians live, after all, far from their country of origin, and they should constitute a very significant resource for further development of this nation.

It was also remarkably few business people represented, as a percentage of the number of participants, hence the business-to-business impact can hardly have been very large.

Yet it is my conviction that this is an event that has a future, and I hope to see WLEF in Vilnius also next summer. 

These are mythree suggestionson how tofurtherdevelop and enhance the event:

1. MORE BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS

The president, government, organizations and businesses should work together to make WLEF even more business-oriented, to invite and prepare for specific interaction activities between local and international companies. Local organizations and their sister organizations in other countries, like Rotary Clubs, should be integral parts of the event, planning well in advance for face-to-face meetings at the event.

2. A PERMANENT, YEAR-ROUND OPERATION

ICC, together with other organizations, should establish a permanent secretariat, with state support, for a year-round operation of the kind of activities that should appear in each year's WLEF summer event.


3. AN EVEN BROADER FORUM – FIRST WEEK OF JULY EVERY YEAR

The WLEF forum should become an annual tradition, going on for a whole week every summer, for example during the first week of July in connection with the celebration of King Mindaugas coronation on 6 July. The event should include several types of activities; within business, culture, festive gatherings, etc. I think this would make more foreign-Lithuanians and their families come to participate. The weaving of contacts would also be improved by more social interaction, and the many who live outside the home land will increasingly feel that they are appreciated and welcomed home!

Aage Myhre, Editor-in-Chief

The round-table debaters had some good points in yesterday's WLEF meeting.  The question they all would answer, was what they thought should be done to make Lithuania more progressive and competitive in the future.

EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION

"Education, education, education" was David Passig's formula, with reference to statistics showing that  there is a clear correlation between education level and economic growth in a country. 

Education Minister Steponavicius noted dryly that there still are too many students who are more concerned with getting a diploma than to acquire acquire real knowledge, concluding that the quality level of higher education in Lithuania must be raised. "20 years have given us the time we need to find our place in the context of 'global Lithuania. Now it is high time that we have developed an education reform that works," the Minister stated. 

MINISTRY OF TALENT – BRAIN CIRCULATION

Omnitel's President Antanas Zabulis, suggested that the Ministry of Education should perhaps change its name to 'Ministry of Talent' and also mentioned that Lithuania no longer should focus neither on brain drain nor on 

brain gain, but on brain circulation. 

By virtue of his position he also noted that broadband and other internet Internet solutions are highly essential for a good development of Lithuania. "It is no longer enough to have good ideas, speed is now just as important," he said.

ISM's President, Nerijus Pačėsa, meant that more private universities (as ISM is) would raise the education standard in this country, referring to the fact that the highest graded universities in the U.S. and Japan all are private. 

"Also, Lithuania should adopt financing of education through loans, as in Western countries, not leave it all state-financed as is today's situation," he added.

IMPROVED COLLABORATION GOVERNMENT – BUSINESS

Economy Minister Žylius expressed eagerness to improve opportunities for collaboration between government and business. He also said that the 

financial tools one now has access to through EU funds, etc. should be applied to the development of mechanisms that promote future developments within the fields of technology, industry, FDIs, etc.

"The government should not tell business what the future will look like, but be a predictable, good facilitator for the business community to see and discover future opportunities," said the Minister.

LET'S BUILD THE BALTIC STATES' LARGEST CONFERENCE CENTRE

Air Baltic's chief in Lithuania, Tadas Vizgirda, referred to some rather gloomy 

statistics about tourist traffic into Lithuania. The sad fact is that Latvia has around 5 million visitors per year, while Lithuania, a country with 50% more 

inhabitants, is visited by just 1.5 million annually." An enormous potential 

that our tourist authorities should no longer ignore, especially considering that every tourist will leave around LTL 600 in tax money," he said, adding that Lithuania would be able to obtain a solid position for professional

travelers if there was invested in building the Baltic States' largest conference centre right here over the next few years.

THE EVENING MUSIC

Zecharia Plavin,
a famous Israeli pianist, born in Lithuania, entertained the WLEF delegates
with superb interpetations of Ciurlionis, Liszt and Ravel.

Read more about Mr. Plavin...

ICC Lietuva is organizing the World
 Lithuanian Economic Forum (WLEF)

The goal of the World Lithuanian Economic Forum is to draw Lithuanian business people, economists, politicians and scientists from the entire world into Lithuania's economic life, to strengthen their relations with Lithuania, to encourage them to develop business here, to help attract investments to Lithuanian companies and to create a global network of Lithuanians from all the world.

The Forum is organized by the Lithuanian Business Confederation | ICC Lithuania in cooperation with governmental institutions as well as business companies.

The organizers are doing a great job that they deserve very much honour for!