Lietuva in brief - 2010-09-16

The emigration of Lithuanian citizens, and especially youth, is an inevitable phenomenon; however, those who have spent some time abroad come back with priceless experience and knowledge, says a convinced Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, reports ELTA. “The crisis that struck Lithuania, as well as Latvia and Estonia, has resulted in a very high unemployment. We have adopted certain laws and instruments on how to help those people to enter the labor market, that would allow employers to employ young people with bigger enthusiasm and certain incentives, and they are being implemented. But it is absolutely obvious that in the light of such unemployment rates, a sufficiently high number of people, especially young people, having youthful courage, will definitely go abroad in search of a better life there. It is probably inevitable,” Kubilius said in an interview on Lietuvos Radijas. He believes that young and educated people, who have gained experience abroad, will have an advantage in the future Lithuanian perspective, where a modern, dynamic and competitive economy will be based on knowledge.

Having named the fight against corruption one of her top priorities, President Dalia Grybauskaite emphasized that only joint attempts of the politicians, and public intolerance of corruption, would help to curb this phenomenon, reports ELTA. Continuing the tradition of parliamentary cooperation, Grybauskaite received members of the Parliamentary Group ‘For Citizens’ Efforts to Create Lithuania Free of Corruption’ on Sept. 13. “Criminals manage to operate in an organized way, however, the state - not always. While declaring the fight against corruption, we have to set personal examples and work together. The fact that different political forces show their attempts to cooperate for crucial decisions that are necessary to curb corruption is promising and shows that we are beginning to create a more transparent Lithuania,” the head of state said. The president pointed out that political will and agreement was necessary, not only in making responsibility for the corruption crimes stricter, adopting important laws for the fight against corruption but also in implementing the National Anti-Corruption Program and reorganizing law enforcement institutions.