Tag: Vilija Aleknaitė-Abramikienė

May 6, Lithuanian media round-up

On 6th of May Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with the former President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox. The Lithuanian head of state and the Irish politician, co-head of a European Parliament special mission in Ukraine, reviewed the results and prospects of the EU’s Eastern Partnership programme, talked about the situation in Ukraine and its implications for international security (Press Service of the President, BNS). Read more in Lithuania Tribune: http://www.lithuaniatribune.com/67643/cox-ukrainian-crisis-one-of-eus-biggest-challenges-201467643/.

On  5-6th of May Vytautas Leškevičius, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, attended a session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Vienna. He encouraged the organization to oppose Russia’s political, economical and military aggression against Ukraine and finally to take strict actions implementing Geneva agreement. Vytautas Leškevičius said that ‘Russia’s occupation and illegal annexation of Crimea, continuous attempts to destabilize the situation in Eastern Ukraine, as well as regular threatening to Ukraine and other neighbors is an existential challenge not only to Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, but also to this organization and for all of Europe’s human rights, democracy and law.’ (Ministry of Foreign Affairs information, ELTA, delfi.lt )

On May 6th Vilija Aleknaitė-Abramikienė, vice-president of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, expressed his concern about Russian note regarding stopping to inform Lithuania about military units in Kaliningrad. She said that ‘Kremlin demonstrates that all international agreements and treaties is only a game for Russia and that Kremlin is determined to break into pieces all European security architecture, which was created after World War II.’ Vilija Aleknaitė-Abramikienė also thinks, that Lithuanian society and government institutions, including Ministry of National Defense, couldn’t stay calm any more. (Lithuanian Parliament Press Office, BNS, ELTA, unofficial translation)

On May 6th Rimantas Šadžius, Lithuanian Minister of Finance, said that ‘Russian-Ukrainian conflict will have a limited impact on the Lithuanian economy’ (BNS, 15 min.lt, Lithuanian National Radio and Television). Read more in Lithuania Tribune: http://www.lithuaniatribune.com/67656/russian-ukrainian-conflict-to-have-limited-impact-on-lithuanian-economy-201467656/.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, in an interview to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper said that there is a threat that conflict in Ukraine will reach the point of no return and it becomes a start of war in Eastern Europe (15min.lt, delfi.lt). Read more in Lithuania Tribune: http://www.lithuaniatribune.com/67666/frank-walter-steinmeier-giving-up-is-not-an-option-201467666/.

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, in a press conference said that would be a pity if Russian President uses the celebration of the Victory Day to visit Crimea. (15min.lt, delfi.lt)

May 2, 2014 Lithuanian media round-up

On May the 1st STRATFOR reported that Lithuania and Poland are working together with Ukraine to establish trilateral partnership strengthening Ukrainian military’s Western orientation and building a closer alliance with Kiev. Read more in Lithuania Tribune: http://www.lithuaniatribune.com/67527/lithuania-and-poland-seek-closer-military-ties-with-ukraine-201467527/,

On May 1st International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that they would be forced to reconsider the size of emergency aid package for Ukraine if the country loses control of the Eastern Region (lrytas.lt, 15min.lt). You can read more in Reuters: http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/05/01/ukraine-crisis-imf-idINL2N0NN0UZ20140501.

On May 2nd Marius Laurinavičius, analyst of Eastern Europe Studies Center, in an interview to lrytas.lt journalist said that ‘according to his calculations there’re about 4000 active mutineers in Eastern Ukraine, from which about 300-400 are sent by Russia.’ (lrytas.lt). You can also read a recently published analysis ‘What will determine Ukraine’s future scenarios?’ by Marius Laurinavičius and his colleagues here: http://www.eesc.lt/news/737/1808/The-Eastern-Pulse-What-Will-Determine-Ukraine-s-Future-Scenarios.html.

Vilija Aleknaitė-Abramikienė, vice-president of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, said that ‘Kremlin and Vladimir Putin itself has to take responsibility for arrested OSCE military observers in Eastern Ukraine’ (15min.lt, delfi.lt). Read more in Lithuania Tribune:
http://www.lithuaniatribune.com/67545/responsibility-for-observers-lives-lies-with-kremlin-lithuanian-osce-pa-vice-president-201467545/.

On May 2nd Andrius Kubilius, Leader of opposition of Lithuanian Parliament, on ‘Opposition’ radio programme emphasized the importance of ensuring energy independence in EU and clearly declaring the process of expanding the European Union if it wants to stop Russian aggression. (The News Radio)

On May 2nd Carl Bildt, Foreign Minister of Sweden, in his Twitter account said that ‘so far it is a clear assessment that Kiev’s government has been implementing April 17 Geneva agreement while Russia has not’. (15min.lt).