Lietuva in brief - 2011-11-24

On Nov. 17 at the Lithuanian Embassy in Washington, D.C., Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister Evaldas Ignatavicius conferred the award of honor of Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry - Lithuanian Diplomacy Star - on former U.S. diplomat, the main implementer of the policy of non-recognition of the annexation of the Baltic States at the U.S. Department of State during the Cold War, Mark Palmer, reports ELTA. During his service as the ambassador to Hungary, Palmer contributed to the peaceful overthrow of the Communist regime in this country. He is the main author of the 1980 historical speech by then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan to the British Parliament. This speech declared a principled struggle against Communism and voiced direct support for democratic forces that were struggling against the Communist regime and other tyrannies around the world. To this end, the infrastructure to support democratic development and freedom fighters was created.

Half of the Lithuanian residents are considering leaving the country, a poll by Spinter Tyrimai conducted for Delfi shows, reports ELTA. Nearly 10 percent of the respondents said they wanted to leave Lithuania for good; 24 percent said they would like to go abroad temporarily to earn some money. Almost 57 percent said they were ready to leave and work at any job. The most popular destinations are Great Britain, Norway and the United States. The residents with the highest income and with a university education, as well as residents of major cities, think about leaving Lithuania for good. Most of the respondents did not give much prominence to the job itself, as they found a good wage the most important goal. The respondents with a university education, of younger age and highest earnings, said they would agree only to a job that matches their qualification.