Adamkus received letters of credence from Russian Ambassador

The Baltic Course. At the ceremony of presentation of credentials, Mr. Adamkus extended his welcome to the newly appointed Russian Ambassador to Lithuania and expressed hope that in the next few years his work would enliven and strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries, as informed BC Press Service of the President.

“Today’s Lithuanian-Russian relations have many bright episodes which can be described as a joint victory of the two neighboring nations. They include a dynamically developing bilateral trade, growing investments, and expanding direct personal contacts between the citizens of Lithuania and Russia,” Mr. Adamkus said.

President Adamkus assessed in positive terms the Ambassador’s contribution to the development of tourism and other cooperation ties between Russia and those countries where he had worked. Mr. Adamkus said he was confident that the Russian Ambassador would make a huge personal contribution to the development and strengthening of such contacts during his appointment to Lithuania.

“The period of our renewed bilateral relations has demonstrated that we can agree well in different fields, including where it is necessary for the enhancement of safety and cooperation in Europe. The best example of this is the decisions concerning travels to the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation by transit,” the President said in the ceremony, noting further that Lithuania is also ready to consider the issue of facilitation of travels by Kaliningrad people to Lithuania.

President Adamkus welcomed the official launch of negotiations for the new agreement of EU-Russian relations. “Lithuania has always been and will be supporting a closest and fullest dialogue between the EU and Russia, covering issues which are difficult yet important for the whole Europe. Looking forward to the future we can say with confidence that the more of the democratic Russia exists in Europe and the more Europe exists in Russia, the stronger, safer and wealthier people are in our countries,” the President said.

Mr. Adamkus noted that there had been very different periods in the long history of bilateral relations. “However, Russia‘s approach towards the state which has been declared by itself, in the Belavezha Accords, as non-existent geopolitical reality is more and more embarrassing. I can assure you that nobody in Lithuania has an intention of negating the contribution made by the Russian nation in the fight against fascism. The same applies to the contribution by other nations such as Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhs,” the President further said.

According to President Adamkus, we may not forget the crimes against international law and humanity in the Baltic countries, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, and Afghanistan, committed in the name of this non-existent state. “I do not think identification with those crimes is among Russia’s political goals,” the President said.

The President thinks it is very important to talk about this difficult period very precisely and accurately, without insulting and abusing each other. As noted by the President, concrete steps are expected in field of judicial cooperation, too: in finalising examination of old cases or combating instigation of hatred irrespective of location, be it street pickets going beyond the freedom of speech or the virtual world.

In the credentials ceremony, the President also mentioned the need to develop transport flows and enhance border throughput, improve infrastructure and reliability of energy networks, hold closer consultations on environmental issues, and finalise state border demarcation works.