07 May 2004 18:01
Foreign minister outlines Lithuania`s aims in EU, future role
Lithuania has achieved its goal to join the EU and NATO and now has to start thinking about new strategic tasks and
its future role, Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis has told the daily Lietuvos Rytas. He said that Lithuania would
continue to be actively involved in diplomatic work, especially as regards the EU's relations with Russia, Ukraine
and Belarus. Valionis also said Lithuania was satisfied with the agreements reached between the EU and Russia on the eve
of the enlargement. The following is the text of an interview conducted by Vytautas Bruveris entitled "Life in
European Union is daily negotiations" and published on 3 May; subheadings inserted editorially:
Lithuanian diplomats claim victory
[Question] The European Union and Russia signed a protocol on the eve of EU enlargement stipulating that, as of 1
May, the EU-Russian partnership and cooperation agreement would also apply to the new EU member states. EU and
Lithuanian diplomats have described this as an historic event and regard it as an achievement. Why is this so, and which
provisions in the document are of the greatest importance to Lithuania?
[Valionis] I would like to add that, at the same time, this [protocol] was a very prudent compromise. What is most
important to us is that Lithuania was guaranteed a smooth transition from a bilateral regime of the most favoured nation
in trade to trading conditions existing between Russia and the European Union. Therefore, there will be no break in
trade relations - until 1 May, the Lithuanian-Russian trade regime was in force and after that, the EU-Russian trade
regime will immediately come into effect. This allowed Lithuanian business people to continue concluding trade contracts
and remain active on the Russian trade market. Without this protocol, Russian trade with new EU member states would have
not been regulated by any agreement at all and this would have led to a very tricky situation.
In addition to the above protocol, a common statement was made on EU enlargement and on EU-Russian relations. We
watched closely the lengthy and complex talks [between the EU and Russia] to make sure that Lithuania's legitimate
interests were not violated.
We have managed to ensure the continuity of agreements on the supplies of nuclear fuel to the Ignalina nuclear plant.
Lithuania was granted an additional quota for the import of steel products. Aircraft causing high levels of noise will
continue to operate at Kaunas airport until next year.
In order to ease trade in general, we will draw up an agreement on the interaction of transit procedures at Russian
and EU customs. The agreement will be based on the idea that concessions should be applied equally to Russian and EU
goods. No other agreement on the transit of goods to Kaliningrad Region is being considered at this stage. Instead,
general provisions, which normally applied to international transit, would be in effect.
Talks are on-going process in EU
Lithuanian negotiators have also managed to reach an agreement that no additional proposal can be made on the transit
of goods to Kaliningrad without prior coordination with Lithuania. We secured EU support which we may need while
implementing the future agreement on the interaction of transit procedures at the EU and Russian customs. I have said
this more than once that living in the EU means constant active negotiations. Now, representatives of 25 countries will
meet at round table talks.
Before each summit meeting of ministers or the heads of government, huge preparatory work has to be carried out in
order to ensure that broad agreements can be reached at these summits. This is why the [draft] EU constitution
stipulates adoption of decisions by the qualified majority. In every case and in each specific situation, we look for
support from those countries which have similar interests to Lithuania's.
Russia keen to have unrestricted access to Kaliningrad
[Question] What were the specific provisions that Moscow was especially keen to include in the EU-Russian
agreement?
[Valionis] Provisions which Russia has been always keen to have and which seriously clash with our interests. Russia
had always wanted very simple and least-regulated transit to Kaliningrad via Lithuania, quite often disregarding EU
laws.
However, Lithuania must not become an exception in the European Union, to which different conditions would apply
compared to the rest of the EU. We regard the problems of [Kaliningrad] transit as a technical matter which has to be
resolved in line with the internal laws of the European Union.
We will also seek to make sure that, in the future, more attention be paid in the relations between the EU and Russia
to the social and economic development of Kaliningrad Region. If the gap between Kaliningrad Region and Lithuania and
[the rest of] the European Union becomes particularly wide and if there is a considerable difference in prices, we will
see the migration of workforce and more wide-spread smuggling.
Therefore, the clause in the common statement, saying that the EU and Russia should lay stress on the social and
economic development of Kaliningrad Region is of great importance to us.
EU members defend interests collectively
[Question] Is Lithuania going to join a particular long-standing group of countries on whose lobbying support it
could always count? Or perhaps the groups of "old-timers" and "newcomers" will originate
naturally?
[Valionis] There is no such division. There are no long-standing political "factions" either. Perhaps the
"southerners" as well as the "northerners" get together more often to defend their interests.
Countries form groups when a special need for this arises depending on the concrete situation. For example, when we
were dealing the issues related to Rail Baltica [railway link aimed to connect a number of EU countries] we managed to
come to an agreement with Poland, although this was not simple. Four foreign ministers - Lithuanian, Polish, Latvian and
Estonian - signed a letter to the European commissioner , Loyola de Palacio, responsible for the issues of
infrastructure. When the governments of the four countries reached the agreement, we managed to achieve that this
particular rail line, important to our countries, was placed on the list of EU priority projects.
Scandinavians are Lithuania's best friends
[Question] When the above-mentioned agreement between Russia and the European Union was being drawn up, did you have
to fight for a strong EU position as intensively as you had to do against Russia's pressures, in order to avoid
double dealing or surprise agreements behind Lithuania's back?
[Valionis] Games played by certain lobbying groups and behind-the-scenes talks are going on all the time. It would be
naive to think that Russia is standing on one side of the front-line and opposite it is the good old EU which is always
fighting back.
Some EU member states are less favourable towards Russia, others are more while the third group usually takes a
neutral position. In this respect, Scandinavian countries are our staunch supporters.
We see a similar situation at the European Commission. There are commissioners there who are willing to make
concessions to Russia and there are those who are less inclined to do so. Meanwhile, our objective is to make our
colleagues in Brussels understand clearly our topical problems and our interests.
I keep reminding my counterparts in the European Union that in 2009 it will be a millennium since the time we,
Lithuanians, started negotiations with Russia. Consequently, we have a considerable amount of experience and we are
willing to share this experience.
Russia has a very huge diplomatic potential indeed; it has great experience, intellectual capability and ability to
fight for its interests. We already know this and Europe is gradually realizing this, too.
[Question] Nevertheless, Russian diplomats maintain that the agreement is their victory and that they have achieved
everything they wanted. Are they sincere in claiming this?
[Valionis] One of the ambassadors of the Russian Tsar Peter I said: "I only read information which will be later
officially denied." I think that the best result has been achieved when each side regards it as its diplomatic
victory.
Political vacuum is not a threat
[Question] The most important objective that dominated Lithuania's foreign policy since the restoration of
independence was our EU and NATO membership. Now this objective has been achieved. There are apprehensions that
strategic or ideological vacuum could appear in our politics. What is your opinion on this?
[Valionis] I do not think this will happen. Several months ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepared a new
blueprint of foreign policy strategy which offers future directions for our strategic decision-making.
I will present the main principles of this blueprint at the sitting of the State Defence Council and I will propose
starting a debate on this matter which would involve the public as well.
The main point is that Lithuania is not planning to be a passive EU member. We will aspire to be the centre of the
region from which initiatives of strategic partnership would spring up. This country is situated between Scandinavia and
Poland. The EU border is only at a stone's throw from Vilnius, and Lithuania will have to be actively involved in
working not only with Russia and Belarus, but with Ukraine as well which is on the crossroads of the strategic decision
making.
Living standards of every Lithuanian citizen depend on a democratic environment and prosperity in our country.
Working towards this goal will help us earn respect among other EU member states.
[Lietuvos Rytas] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
