Adamkus slaps MP for Russia baiting

Jun 29, 2000
By Rokas M. Tracevskis

Adamkus reacted to public statements by Conservatives who have recently started to fiercely criticize Russia. Adamkus said in his speech that the Conservatives are trying to use foreign policy to gain popularity in the coming parliamentary elections scheduled for Oct. 8. Anti-Russian rhetoric contradicts the interests of the state, said Adamkus.

"Lithuanian Euro-Atlantic orientation and good relations with Russia do not contradict each other. This is proved by our foreign policy," Adamkus said in his address, shown on five TV channels.

Adamkus' position was backed by Rolandas Paksas, chairman of the Liberal Union, and other leaders of the liberal and left opposition. Foreign Minister Algirdas Saudargas also did not show enthusiasm about recent statements by the Lithuanian parliament about Lithuanian-Russian relations.

Landsbergis and his followers had a lot of pretexts for hard statements towards Russia. The Conservatives pointed out words from Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, who spoke against NATO expansion to the Baltic countries during his latest visit to Berlin. The Conservatives also mentioned the Kremlin's attacks on the Russian independent media and the war in Chechnya.

Rhetoric between Vilnius and Moscow has come to a boil recently. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the Soviet Union did not occupy Lithuania in 1940. Moscow, said Lithuanian politicians, had returned to Soviet-time propaganda about Lithuania joining the USSR on its own will. Lithuanian politicians of all colors added that these statements contradict the Lithuanian-Russian treaty of 1991 in which Russia recognizes the fact of Soviet occupation and the annexation of Lithuania. In 1991 Russia's president, Boris Yeltsin, and Landsbergis signed this document.

Two weeks ago, Lithuania passed a law demanding compensation from Russia for Soviet occupation. A group of Russian MPs canceled their visit to Vilnius protesting this law.

On June 21 Parliament passed a Landsbergis-sponsored resolution entitled "On the Approach of Russian Leaders to Lithuanian Membership in NATO."

"The Foreign Ministry of Russia, maintaining the tradition of Stalin's era, preaches that the USSR had not used violence against Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. To the east of Lithuania we can hear unfriendly threats and dictatorial tendencies, but Parliament hopes this political line will not grow to be dominating," reads the resolution proposed by Landsbergis.

Presenting this document in Parliament, Landsbergis said that opposing Lithuania's membership in NATO, the Kremlin "tries to draw a line between Lithuania and Poland" thinking the "Molotov-Ribbentrop pact gives it the right."

Parliamentary opposition said that consultations with the Foreign Ministry and president are necessary before adopting this resolution.

"Maybe somebody wants to ask the opinion of the president's office or even Moscow," Landsbergis said ironically.

The parliamentary center and left opposition said they disapprove of anti-Lithuanian statements from the Kremlin, but there is no need to escalate tensions between the countries by rhetorical resolutions. Parliament adopted Landsbergis' resolution with 63 MPs voting for, no abstentions and no votes against. The opposition refused to participate in voting.

"Lithuania always has been shown by Brussels as an example for its good relations with Karaliaucius [Kaliningrad] and even Belarus. The West has said this brings Lithuania closer to membership in the European Union and NATO. Such resolutions will be manipulated in the hands of Russia's ideologists and used for propaganda against Lithuania. Such documents are the work of the Foreign Ministry, not Parliament," Center Union MP Arunas Grumadas said.

Foreign Minister Saudargas said that hostile discussion between Lithuanian and Russian parliaments "has been escalated uselessly."

Paksas said it was not appropriate to use foreign policy for the interests of domestic policy looking to Oct. 8 and that all the country's political parties favor membership in EU and NATO, not only the Conservatives.

In his TV address, Adamkus expressed disgust with unnamed Conservative leaders who say to foreign diplomats that leaders of opposition parties are "Russian agents" that are willing to change the direction of Lithuanian foreign policy. He said that the current behavior of the Conservatives, seeing Russian agents everywhere outside their own party "is surprising" foreign diplomats.

"It shows lack of national self-respect," Adamkus said about such behavior of the ruling party.

On June 26 Adamkus refused to sign the law demanding compensation from Russia for Soviet occupation. However, Adamkus did not announce a veto. In this case, the lack of president's signature is rather a symbolic gesture and does not block the law which will be signed by Landsbergis.

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