Is Russia ready to talk with Lithuania?

January 7, 2021 Claudiu Victor Gheorghiu Former Soviet Union 0

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Border crossing between Russia and Lithuania at Queen Louise Bridge over the border river Neman in Sovetsk. Photo: Metastabil01 wikimedia.org

 

In November 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Moscow was ready to cooperate with Lithuania based on “principles of mutual respect.” But did Putin signal any tangible intentions, or was it just empty rhetoric?

During the accreditation ceremony of new foreign ambassadors to Russia, including Eitvydas Bajarūnas from Lithuania, Putin said, “our interaction with Lithuania could be more active and multifaceted.”

“We stand ready for cooperation based on principles of neighbourliness and respect to each other and would like to see the same approach by our Lithuanian counterparts,” the Russian president was quoted by the Interfax News Agency.

But his words were aimed at criticising Lithuania, according to Laurynas Jonavičius, a professor at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science (TSPMI) at Vilnius University.

“These words showed one thing – that Lithuania is to blame for the fact that bilateral relations have faltered,” Jonavičius said.

In recent decades, Lithuanian–Russian relations have remained tense, mainly due to the Kremlin’s military aggression in Ukraine and Georgia.

Russia has also imposed sanctions on Lithuania, including an embargo on dairy and meat products. Other Baltic states have also condemned Russia’s foreign policy, which has resulted in unstable bilateral relations.

Bilateral relations further deteriorated after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the start of its aggression in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

“This state has all the features of international terrorism. Those that send the army and armaments without any signs of identification can only be called [terrorists],” Grybauskaitė said six years ago.

The president had repeatedly called on international alliances to act as a buffer to Russia.

“Russia is a threat not only to Lithuania but to the whole region and to all of Europe.” Grybauskaitė said in an interview with Foreign Policy in 2017.

“It is important that countries like the United States do not leave the global political arena. If that happened, Russia would quickly take its place,” she added.

This text was republished through the partnership between New Eastern Europe and LRT English.

Source: part of the article published by New Eastern Europe, link: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2021/01/07/after-years-of-animosity-is-russia-ready-2-talk-with-lithuania/ Published on January 7, 2021. Please read the complete article on the already indicated link of New Eastern Europe. Republished by Intell News Romania in English on January 7, 2021

 

About Claudiu Victor Gheorghiu 123 Articles
My name is GHEORGHIU CLAUDIU VICTOR and I was born in October 1967 in Bucharest. In 1998 I took the master degree at University from Bucharest , the Faculty of History- universal old history section- with theme (Constantine the Great and Christianity) at professor LIGIA BARZU. In 1991 I graduated Art School , Painting section, with TITU DRAGUTESCU. I painted sacred pictures from 1990, in technique tempera or tempera with egg on wood. In the period 2004-2016, I had the honor to have the encouragements, the advices, the friendship of the Master PAUL GHERASIM(1925-2016), my mentor, the founder of the "Prolog" group. During the period 1992-1994 I was artistic advisor at Coleus contemporary art gallery . I am titular member of the Association Branch of Religious Plastic Arts and Restoration - AFAPRR of UAP from Romania: Visual Artists’ Union from Romania from April 17, 2019, admitted by contest, as well as I was trainee member during the period 2016-2019, admitted by contest. I was member in Plastic Background(FP) belong Visual Artists’ Union from Romania(UAP) from 7th of December 2000, admitted by contest. From 25th of May 2015 I was elected Media advisor of the Steering Committee of the Association Branch of Religious Plastic Arts and Restoration : AFAPRR of UAP from Romania: Visual Artists’ Union from Romania. From 2014 I am member Visarta( from March 31, 2017, I was elected in the Steering Committee of Visarta, during the period 2017-2022), the Romanian Visual Arts Copyright Collecting Society. I had 4 Personal Exhibitions with sacred art, organized by UAP from Romania- Visual Artists’ Union from Romania, in Bucharest (2001, 2003, 2004 at ArTei Gallery, 2007 at Galateea Gallery), also another two at Silva Gallery in Busteni(2007-2008), Sabion Gallery in Bucharest(2019, together with Cristina Georgescu). I had also 2 Personal Exhibitions in Italy : I was Honor Guest, representing Romania, with sacred art, June 2003 at Pisa and in October 2006 ”The icons, sacred pictures in contemporary world” at Viadana(Mantua). I won some prizes in Italy and I participated, admitted by contest, at some art fairs and international exhibitions around the world, representing Romania: most of them in Italy(Pompeii, Pisa, Turin, Milan, Reggio Emilia, Bari, Viadana, Mantua), but also in France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Peru, South Korea, Switzerland; in secondary also I am cultural journalist: from May 2015 to January 2016 I was Contributing Editor at Culture (Fine Arts, Exhibitions, History, Religion) at the newspaper Jurnalul Bucureştiului. From 17th of January 2016 I was advanced Senior Editor at the same newspaper, which has been called since April 2020 the Jurnalul Bucureştiului ,,Le Petit Parisien”, with a different leadership and a different format. From 1st of November 2015 to 31st of December 2016 I was Contributing Editor and Thematic Advisor at News Agency Lacasuri Ortodoxe and Press service LO News. From 1st of January 2016 I am Senior Editor of the Intell News(Global news, press and event analysis) and coordinator of the Culture pages (in Romanian and English, named Intell News Romania). From May 3, 2019, I am also publisher commentator at the newspaper Ultima Oră.
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