Lithuanians flee Georgia- Some stay

TBILISI-VILNIUS 's A Lithuanian Air Force planetook off from the Tbilisi airport carrying home 42 Lithuaniancitizens from Georgia.

 TheBNS correspondent reported from the Georgian capital that among the passengerswere 39 Lithuanian citizens whohad arrived in Georgia on a temporary basis prior to the armed conflict, as well as Lithuanian Foreign Minister PetrasVaitiekunas and two journalists from Lithuaniannational television.

Among the passengers are an infant and five underage persons.

The flight from Georgiamay take between five and six hours. The destination airport in Lithuaniais yet unknown.

Lithuanian diplomats workingin Georgia saidthat all Lithuanians who hadrequested departure from Georgiahad been assisted out of the country.

Nevertheless, some Lithuaniancitizens remain in Georgia,their precise number is unknown - some said they did not want to leave andothers expected the situation to improve shortly.

A total of 75 persons who had arrived in Georgiaon a temporary have registered with the LithuanianEmbassy in Tbilisi, some of themleft for the capital of the neighboring Armeniaby their own means.

Approximately 60 Lithuaniansresiding in Georgiaremain in the country - they also registered with the embassy but have so farnot expressed willingness to leave.

The Tbilisi airport is virtuallyinactive, Latvia'sAirBaltic Company cancelled flights fromVilniusto Tbilisiat the last minute.

Lithuania'slargest local-capital airline flyLAL-LithuanianAirlines also decided on to cancel this week's flights to the Georgian capital.

The company's CEO Vytautas Kaikaris told BNS that the flyLAL leadership made the decision to suspendflights on Monday.

Under the regular schedule, flyLAL airplanes fly fromVilniusto Tbilision Monday and Wednesday evenings and return from TbilisitoVilniuson Tuesday and Thursday mornings.