The current KGB-related scandals shaking the ruling coalition will cause heavy damages to the state, right-wing opposition leader Andrius Kubilius said. The ruling coalition is "neck-deep in scandals and further activity visions are nowhere to be seen." In the conservative's words, "If the situation within the ruling coalition remains intact, the state will suffer great damages in the coming four years." The European Commission may respond to media reports using a model that the Labor Party allegedly invented in order to finance party needs with EU money 's all of which could end up with "sanctions from Brussels."
Kubilius expects that citizens will soon be able to travel to the U.S. without visas. "The U.S. administration is prepared to move in this direction," he said. "In 2007 we will become part of the Schengen Treaty, so we should look forward to the U.S. lifting the visa requirements." America's decision should also be influenced by the fact that Lithuania has "long ago ceased to demand visas from U.S. citizens," said Kubilius. The country has unilaterally been applying for a visa-free regime for U.S. citizens since 1994.
The Liberal and Centrist in Parliament is inviting all its counterparts to sign a joint petition asking state leaders to refrain from attending Moscow's 60th anniversary celebration of the allied victory over Nazi Germany's. "We have prepared a draft petition on the May 9 festivities that includes historical background on the war's end and an assessment of communism," fraction member Arminas Lydeka said, adding that the petition would both affect President Valdas Adamkus' decision and show that parties agree on foreign policy issues.
During an EU defense policy meeting in Luxembourg, the Defense Ministry's NATO and EU department director, Saulius Gasiunas, suggested using Vilnius' experience to plan the EU's rapid reaction-force. He informed the union's military leaders about a parliamentary resolution on the subject that stipulates the deployment of up to 75 troops for such operations. As soon as the EU's battle-group rotation schedule is clear, this decision-making mechanism could also be used for EU forces, Gasiunas said.
The first Irish Embassy is scheduled to open in Vilnius this year, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern told Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis. During the meeting in Dublin, Valionis and Ahern discussed Ireland's problems with Lithuanian minorities. Lithuania opened its embassy in Ireland last year.
After escaping from its kennel, a rottweiler attacked and killed a six-year-old in the Anyskciai district, police reported. When the 80-year-old owner opened the dog's kennel to feed it, the rottweiler escaped and attacked the woman's grandson, who was playing in the yard. The dog grabbed hold of the boy's head with its teeth, causing lethal injuries. Police have initiated a pretrial investigation on grounds of accidental manslaughter due to a violation of dog-keeping laws.
