Lietuva in brief - 2004-04-08

Lithuania held its first-ever military parade on April 2 to mark the official NATO flag-raising ceremony in Brussels.

Top military brass joined the Grand Duke Algirdas Battalion in the march from the Parliament building down Gediminas Prospect to Cathedral Square. L-39 attack planes from the Lithuanian Air Force also staged a fly-over during the parade, while a planned appearance by NATO F-16 fighters was cancelled.

Air Force commander Edvardas Mazeikis (photo) announced a full-scale modernization plan for Zokniai Airport near Siauliai, which currently serves as the base for NATO aircraft patrolling the airspace of the Baltic states. According to Mazeikis, Zokniai will eventually become a hub for transport aircraft as well as destroyers, making it one of the most advanced military airports in Eastern Europe.

In his address to colleagues in Brussels on April 2, Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis urged NATO leaders to continue the open-door policy of encouraging European states to apply for membership. During his speech, Valionis stressed the progress made by applicant states Albania, Croatia and Macedonia toward full membership and declared that NATO expansion had not ended with the admission of Lithuania and six other former communist countries.

Joint Lithuanian-Latvian naval military exercises opened on April 4 in the two countries' territorial waters. According to the Defense ministries of both countries, Lithuanian and Latvian seamen will perform sea patrol exercises such as the identification and inspection of ships as well as search and rescue operations. An air attack will also be simulated by the Lithuanian air force.

The Vilnius municipal police added 200 officers to patrol routes on April 6 in anticipation of the impeachment vote in Parliament. Security was especially tight around the Parliament building and surrounding Independence Square, where supporters of President Rolandas Paksas had pledged to demonstrate during the ballot. Police spokespeople stated that they did not anticipate any incidents to occur.

The Homeland Union-Lithuanian Con-servatives party unveiled its list of candidates in the forthcoming European Parlia-ment elections, with Vytautas Landsbergis (photo) appearing as the number one nominee. Landsbergis served as the country's first de facto executive in the first years after independence.

Azerbaijani Prime Minsiter Artur Rasi-Zade met with Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas in Vilnius on April 2 to discuss bilateral relations. Both leaders agreed on plans for Lithuania to share its experience and expertise on European integration with the Caucasus nation.