Lithuania's Culture Ministry advises event organizers not to invite Russian artists

  • 2022-12-02
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS - Lithuania's Culture Ministry advises event organizers not to invite Russian artists to Lithuania, except for those who condemn Vladimir Putin's regime.

"Cultural establishments, associations and event organizers are reminded of the recommendations of the Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs to temporarily restrict cooperation and not to invite Russian performers and cultural figures to Lithuania, except for those who have publicly condemned the Kremlin regime's military aggression against Ukraine and the democratic world," the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

EU member states were earlier asked to do so by Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko during a meeting of EU culture ministers in Brussels earlier this week, the statement reads.

The Ukrainian minister also urged EU member states to refrain from implementing cultural projects involving Russia or funded by Russian companies.

The Ukrainian minister also called for greater support for Ukrainian culture representatives within the EU, and for Russian representatives to be restricted from international cultural events, unless they have publicly and explicitly condemned Russia's war in Ukraine.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Culture also reminds that cultural establishments, associations and event organizers are urged to strictly follow the recommendations, if persons have visited Crimea, other Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, if they support the Russian war in Ukraine and the previous forms of aggression by Russia against other countries, i.e. if the artists have publicly supported the Kremlin's policy, taken part in related public campaigns and signed related public documents.

Lithuania restricts entry for Russian citizens under a joint agreement with the other Baltic states and Poland. Only Russian diplomats, dissidents, employees of transport companies, family members of EU citizens, and Russians with residence permits or long-stay national visas from Schengen countries can enter Lithuania. Visa applications from Russian nationals are also not accepted, except for cases of mediation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.