Lithuanian president, in Davos, warns against globalist-protectionist divide

VILNIUS - Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite warns against a widening divide in the world between protectionist countries and free trade advocates as she starts discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

"We can see a fragmentation taking place in the world as some countries want to preserve global trends, trade and the investment climate, while others want to close (their markets) through customs duties," she told the public broadcaster LRT.

According to the president, the trends toward growing protectionism "are vivid and quite threatening," which "usually leads to isolation, self-isolation and economic downturn".

In Davos, Grybauskaite will take part in the forum's key discussion on "Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World" and in a session on "Central and Eastern Europe: A New Agenda for the Continent".