News from Lithuania: Baltic News Service
Current Events
U.S. Senate Reminds Russia of Baltic Occupation
The Senate of the United States adopted a resolution on June 16 commending the three Baltic states for their role in the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the 1990-1991 period and the implementation of their political and economic reforms .
The resolution -- initiated by long-time Lithuanian ally Senator Richard Durbin -- was adopted on the 60th anniversary of incorporation of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia into the Soviet Union, and the U.S. started the non-recognition policy of the Soviet takeover.
According to the resolution, the U.S. refused to recognize Soviet sovereignty over the three Baltic states during the 60-year period and supported their aspirations to restore liberty and independence.
The Senate commended Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia for the reestablishment of their independence and the role they played in the disintegration of the former Soviet Union in 1990 and 1991.
The three countries were praised for their success in implementing political and economic reforms, which may further speed the process of their entry into European and Western institutions.
The Senate also expressed support to regional cooperation in Northern Europe among the Baltic and Nordic states and the Russian Federation and called for further cooperation in addressing common environmental, law enforcement, and public health problems, and in promoting civil society and business and trade development.
According to the resolution, the Balts should make similar efforts to promote a peaceful, democratic, prosperous, and secure future for Europe, Russia and the Nordic-Baltic region.
The Senate said in the preamble of the document that the Soviet Union occupied the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in June 1940 and forcibly incorporated them into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement a week ago about the allegedly voluntary entry of Lithuania into the Soviet bloc in 1940.
An Active Response to Russian Statements Urged
A group of Lithuanian parliament members with different party memberships believe that the country's Foreign Ministry should not keep silent to the political pressure exerted by Russia.
“We think that the Foreign Ministry should not keep silent, but honorably and clearly react to Russia's political pressure on the basis of international law,” reads a statement signed by 17 lawmakers of the Baltic state on June 16.
They said that “the tears and blood of victims, and the learned lessons” of the occupation, which took place 60 years ago obligates to do so. The Soviet Union occupied Lithuania on June 15, 1940.
The lawmakers said that the statement issued by Russia a week ago about the legality of the annexation of 1940 is a “political counterfeit” aimed at vindicating the aggression and its consequences.
The MPs also said that the recent statement of the Kremlin about the assistance by Lithuanian experts to Chechen fighters is a lie.
“Our people are not present there, no one invited them to go there, and it is their decision if they are present there on their own free will,” reads the statement issued by the group of parliamentarians.
Russian Presidential Adviser on Chechen Issues, Sergey Yastrzhemski, said several days ago that “bandit units in Chechnya” included free lancers from Lithuania.
Lithuanian parliamentarians labeled the statement as “an attempt to shift the criminal activities onto someone else and justify oneself.”
Russia's Foreign Policy Becoming Stalinist
The latest statement issued by the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry is the most threatening event in Lithuanian-Russian relations since the 1991 January Putsch in Vilnius, one of the Conservative party leaders, Rasa Juknevičienë, said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry's June 9th statement maintained that “it is wrong to regard Lithuania's incorporation by the USSR as a unilateral act by the latter,” and that assertions about Lithuania's “occupation” and “annexation” by the Soviet Union effectively means ignoring political, historical, and legal state of affairs.
“It has become clear today that the Russia of (the Russian President, Vladimir) Putin has been resorting to aggressive diplomacy towards its neighbors and will continue to do so,” said Juknevičienë.
Describing the statement’s content, she said that it was “aggressive and offensive not only to hundreds of thousands of people who had suffered from the [Soviet] occupation, but also to all the Lithuanian citizens from various ethnic minorities.”
Juknevičienë said that the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement “attempts to disclaim” the Agreement on the Basis of Bilateral Relations signed by the chairman of the Lithuanian Supreme Council, Vytautas Landsbergis, and the Russian President, Boris Yeltsin, in July 1992. Article Three of the agreement says that Russia recognizes that Lithuania was annexed by the USSR.
Juknevičienë added that “Putin's foreign policy has become identical with Stalin's foreign policy.” She said she was convinced that like 60 years ago “the way is being paved for turning Lithuania into a satellite country” existing next to Russia.
As proof, Juknevičienë mentioned the especially large staff at the Russian embassy in Vilnius comprising about 100 people. She said that Russia's embassy in Vilnius was as large as the one in London.
“According to my reliable sources, about half of them are working in the intelligence services aimed at influencing state politicians, political officials, and looking for contacts with some part of the media,” Juknevičienë said.
Former Soviet Occupants to Receive Bill
After a lengthy discussion, the Lithuanian Seimas [parliament] adopted on June 13 a law on compensation of damage resulting from the occupation by the USSR.
In spite of heated debate, the law was adopted by 68 Seimas members voting in favor, no one voted against and 13 MPs abstained.
The law advises the government to submit a realistic estimate of damage inflicted by the Soviet occupation and to set up a delegation for conducting negotiations with Russia for compensation.
The law stipulates that the delegation should be set up by September 1st, and the deadline for submitting the estimate of damage was set as October 1st.
By November 1st, the government should submit a written estimate to Russian authorities demanding compensation. Following this, the law provides that the government should initiate talks with Russia making sure that Russia compensates for the damage inflicted on Lithuanian people and the state during the fifty-year occupation by the USSR.
The opposition, the Lithuanian Democratic Labour Party (LDLP), criticized the law, describing it as failing to correspond to Lithuania's interests.
So far, Lithuania has not made an official estimate of damage inflicted by the Soviet regime in monetary terms. Some unofficial estimates say that the damage caused to Lithuania by fifty years of Soviet occupation may reach hundreds of billions of US dollars.
As Lithuania gained its international recognition at the beginning of this decade, negotiations were held with Russia on various issues, including the issue of compensation of damage resulting from the Soviet occupation. The talks on this issue had not been successful for Lithuania.
Russian Politician Aghast at Law Calling for Soviet Damages
Chairman of the Russian Federation Council, Yegor Stroyev, said that the Lithuanian law making material claims on Russia for the half-century Soviet rule “stirs up enmity and could lead to isolation of the republic”.
“I cannot understand why Lithuanian deputies indicated such a short period? They should have counted [the damages] since the time of Peter I. The amount would have probably been bigger,” Stroyev said in an interview to a Russian news agency, Interfax, on June 13.
He said that “Lithuania should be reminded of the colossal financial and material contribution the Soviet Union made to its economic development.”
“It is a shame and a sin to raise such issues after all that has been done to the Baltic region,” said Stroyev.
The head of the Federation Council labeled the decision of the Lithuanian parliament’s “deep-rooted nationalism and extremism which [exists]” should not be allowed against [its] neighbor Russia.
Lithuania Forming Air Defense Battalion
The Lithuanian government has conceded a right to the country's Defense Ministry to use land in the northern Điauliai district to set up an air defense battalion and warehouses for explosives.
The government said at its sitting on June 15 that the ministry can use about 60 hectares of state land in Gudeliai and Maumaičiai villages in the Điauliai district without a time limit.
Deputy director of the Defense Ministry's Resources and Programs Department, Algirdas Balanda, told BNS that the air defense battalion will be established in refitted and reconstructed buildings formerly used by Soviet troops in the Maumaičiai village. Balanda said that Sweden had agreed to grant some armament to the new battalion.
The Soviet army left several warehouses of explosives in the Gudeliai village. Balanda said that the purpose of the buildings will not be changed, adding that they will be used for storing explosives of the Lithuanian armed forces.
Second Graduating Class from Lithuania's Military Academy
Lithuania’s President Valdas Adamkus granted ranks of lieutenants to 93 graduates of the second graduating class of the Lithuanian Military Academy on June 15 by traditionally touching the left shoulder of every graduate with a sword.
In his opening speech, Parliamentary Speaker Vytautas Landsbergis said Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union 60 years ago, adding that not allowing the recurrence of these events is extremely important to the country.
Following a solemn oath to their homeland and its Constitution, the officers marched past the academy building to bid farewell to the academy.
The Lithuanian Military Academy was established in early 1994. It developed from the National Defense School, which was founded in Vilnius in 1992.
The first class of 62 completed a four-year bachelor’s program at the academy in 1999.
UPDATES … on previous stories
Update on Honorees
Several United States senators received the Medal of the Order of the Grand Duke Gediminas, one of the highest recognitions given by the Lithuanian government.
On March 9th, Sen. William V. Roth, Jr. (R-DE), Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC), Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) received this honor for their work and support on behalf of Lithuania’s consideration for NATO admission. u
— Edward Baranauskas
Lithuanian Women Bicyclists
In last month's issue, Rimas Gedeika informed our readers about the Lithuanian Women's Bicyclist Team. Here's an update.
They had arrived in the United States to participate in the Liberty Classic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Diana Ziliűtë won second place by being overtaken in the last 100 meters. She is looking great and training – of course for the Olympic games. There were three other Lithuanian bicyclists – the twins Rasa and Jolanda Polikevičiűtës and Zita Urbonaitë.
All four of them also participated in the Hewlett Packard 13-day race in Idaho – which started on June 8th.
By the way, there was a male bicyclists from Lithuania who raced in the Philly race – Remigijus Lieputis. He came in 18th. Not bad also.
— Rimas Gedeika