Lithuania disturbed by Russia's views

  • 2008-07-10
  • Tbt staff in cooperation with BNS

Photo: Dzoja Gunda Barysaite

VILNIUS - President ValdasAdamkus has stressed that Lithuaniais becoming increasingly disturbed by Russia'sviews of the Soviet Union.

"Obviously, there have been different periods in thehistory of our mutual relationship that dates back centuries. However, we arebeing increasingly disturbed by Russia'sviews of the state which it itself pronounced, in the Belovezh accords, a'geopolitical reality that no longer exists.' I can assure you that nobody in Lithuania isgoing to deny the input of the Russian nation in the fight against Fascism.Just like the input of any other nation -- the Ukrainians, Belarusians,Kazakhs," Adamkus said when accepting credentials from Russia's newAmbassador Vladimir Chkhikvadze.
He urged people not to forget that this, no longer existent country, stoodbehind crimes against international law and humanity in the Baltic countries,Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Afghanistan.
"I do not think it is the goal of Russia's policy to identify withthese crimes," the president said.
Adamkus believes it is crucial to learn to talk about the complicated periodwith accurate precision, without offending and insulting anyone.
In the president's words, Lithuaniais also looking forward to some solid steps in the field of legal cooperationas well, particularly when it comes to solving dormant cases and combating theinstigation of hatred, by way of pickets or by launching cyber attacks.


The ceremony to accredit the ambassador had been scheduled for June 30, howeverthe President's Office postponed it saying that Adamkus's agenda had changed.Unofficial sources then said that the postponement of the meeting betweenAdamkus and Chkhikvadze was a conscious diplomatic gesture.


The decree of Chkhikvadze, a career diplomat, as ambassador to Lithuania wassigned by the then Russian president Vladimir Putin in the beginning of May.Prior to the appointment, Chkhikvadze headed the Russian Foreign Ministry'sSecurity Department since 2005.