New Lithuanian ambassador set to strengthen friendship with Belarus
Tense relations with Russia have forced the government in Belarus to look around in search of new geopolitical allies.
Lithuania seems to have caught Minsk’s eyes as either a bridge that can link Belarus with Europe or as an outpost that can separate this country from the Northern Europe in case relations between Belarus and Estonia and Latvia remain chill.
In Vilnius, too, there is understanding that Lithuania cannot simply remain an ordinary trade partner, after relations between Belarus and Russia have continued to deteriorate.
On February 14, Edminas Bagdonas gave his first press conference after having presented his credentials to the Belarus president.
“We know you; you know us; we can reach an agreement… We even want to resolve problems in a different way. We have a lot of concrete projects, programs…
The trade turnover between Belarus and Lithuania amounts to nearly $600 million. This is ridiculous! I solemnly swear that after three years of my work here, we will have increased this figure at three times,” the Lithuanian ambassador told reporters.
While presenting his credentials, Edminas Bagdonas had a brief but very substantial rendezvous with Aliaksandr Lukashenka, who impressed him from the first glance.
“He said “Our Lithuania!” very beautifully. I like that! You can see right away that this man has positive feelings…
I said that we had a lot of concrete projects, and Mr. President told me: “Call me anytime.” I did not dare to ask his mobile number…,” the diplomat said.
Good neighborhood between Belarus and Lithuania can yield more benefits for the both countries, according to the new ambassador. Belarus could use the Lithuanian port of Klajpeda to ship oil to its refineries, diverting Russia, the Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus said recently during his visit to the U.S. But, no official proposal has been received yet.
Vilnius is interested in the Belarus’s investment market and the tourism potential of our 10-million-strong nation.
In 2008, Lithuania is set to join the Schengen zone, and the ambassador promises to sort out the visa lines in front of the Lithuanian Consulate in Minsk.
“My friends [who own elite hotels in Vilnius] read that I was appointed as the Lithuanian ambassador in Minsk and told me to resolve the visa issue. According to the estimates, the Belarusians, not the Russians, Poles or Germans, make up over 80 percent of customers of the five-star hotels in Vilnius during the Christmas season,” he said.
The news conference was officially devoted to the Lithuania’s Independence Day, which they celebrate February 15-16. “We celebrate the Day of Restoring Independence. On February 15-16 we will have huge festivities. On March 11 we will celebrate Independence Day after 1990. On June 6 we celebrate the day of our common King Mindaug, The Statehood Day,” Edminas Bagdonas said.
The Lithuanian ambassador will mark the Day of Restoring Independence in Hrodna, where he is going for business. The authorities in Hrodna do not allow the Lithuanians to expand spaces for the consulate there. Possibly, the residents of the Hrodna region will have to travel to Minsk in order to get the Lithuanian Schengen visas next year.
Other sensitive issues in the relations between the two countries also include the planned construction of a nuclear waste dump, which as many in Belarus fear could be easily touched from across the border…But, nobody promised Edminas Bagdonas that he would have an easy life in Minsk.
