Lietuva in brief - 2010-05-19

President Dalia Grybauskaite on May 11 visited the oldest higher education school in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, where she had a meeting with Rector Dr. John Hegarty and other members of the academic community, reports ELTA. Trinity College Dublin is number 13 in Europe, according to the 2009 rating of higher education schools. In the meeting, the president and the academic community discussed the possibility to develop cooperation between Lithuanian and Irish universities. Trinity College Dublin maintains close contacts and is currently carrying out four academic projects with Kaunas University of Technology. Two of these projects concern the development of nano-technologies. According to Grybauskaite, Trinity College, which has accumulated vast experience in the academic fields that are very important for the modernization of the economy and promotion of innovation, would provide a good example for Lithuania in reforming its higher education system.

Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius positively evaluates Russia’s aspirations to move closer to the West, reports ELTA. “The new Russian doctrine contains thoughts that Russia should move closer to the West, the United States of America and large European countries in the first place, in order to attract capital for the modernization of its economy. Such a public decision is, to my mind, a positive thing,” said Kubilius. However, the prime minister does not agree with the statement that “today the Baltic markets are of a great attraction to Russian capital, because Western capital is disappointed in them.” Kubilius said “I really do not see any disappointment of the Western capital.” The head of the Lithuanian government counters Russia’s plans to strengthen its influence in the Baltic energy companies with Lithuania’s aspirations to increase energy independence. “We seek independence of our energy systems and the creation of alternatives, whether it would be a liquefied gas terminal or a new nuclear power plant,” he said.