Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Leader of Ruling Conservatives Landsbergis Has No Moral Compass: He Criticizes Public Debate on Cluster Munitions

   "Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says that the discussion on sensitive issues of national security - like the proposals to withdraw from the convention banning cluster munitions - should not take place in public. According to him, this could damage the representation of Lithuania's interests. Therefore, the head of the country's diplomacy refrains from more detailed comments about the National Defense initiative of the Ministry (KAM).

 

     "On sensitive issues concerning national security and international obligations, while inter-institutional coordination and analysis is underway, public comments and working discussion through the press would not look professional and would not contribute to a better representation of Lithuania's interests," says G. Landsbergis in a comment sent to Elta in writing by the minister's representative, Paulina Levickytė.

 

     "According to the Constitution and Laws of the Republic of Lithuania, the official submission to the Seimas regarding the withdrawal from the convention is the prerogative of the President of the country", notes the minister.

 

     KAM appealed to VGT members and parliamentarians: it is necessary to re-evaluate the provisions of the convention for the sake of national security

 

     ELTA reminds that KAM proposes VGT to consider withdrawing from the Oslo Convention. This was reported by the news portal delfi.lt on Monday.

 

     The letter is addressed to the members of the VGT - the president, the prime minister, the speaker of the Seimas - and the minister of foreign affairs, the chairmen of the parliament's Foreign Affairs (URK) and National Security and Defense (NSGK) committees.

 

     According to the assessment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania "needs to re-evaluate the provisions of this convention for reasons of national security", because since Lithuania joined the Oslo Convention, which prohibits the use, transport, production or storage of cluster munitions, the security situation has essentially worsened.

 

     The proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is justified not only by the changed geopolitical situation, but also by the fact that Lithuania's neighbors and most of the allies bordering Russia and Belarus are not members of the Oslo Convention. In addition, the ministry says that in the event of an armed conflict, Russia and Belarus would use cluster munitions and this would give them a military advantage. Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues, the accepted restrictions limit Lithuania's defense capabilities and combat power.

 

     If the VGT approves such a proposal, the Ministry of Internal Affairs calls on the Seimas to denounce the convention. It was also proposed to inform Lithuania's allies about the decision.

 

     Back in August, Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anušauskas publicly expressed the hope that Lithuania would withdraw from the convention prohibiting the use of cluster munitions.

 

     However, there are differences of opinion among VGT members. Speaker of the Seimas, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, does not see the need to discuss cluster munitions in the VGT format. At that time, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė states that the issue requires a proper assessment of the situation. According to her, it is necessary to weigh all the arguments for and against - to evaluate not only the benefits to the country's military capabilities, but also the risks to the reputation. At that time, the chairmen of URK and NSGK supported KAM's proposals."

 

A cluster munition is a box that scatters small insidious mines across the area of a football field. If those mines fall on bushes, grass, soft ground, even the best of them do not explode. People, particularly unfortunately young children, accidentally come into contact with these mines and are maimed and killed. Therefore, it is an immoral weapon. Covering the territory of Lithuania with unexploded, insidious mines is a crime against Lithuania. Landsbergis is acting immorally by proposing to hide these considerations from the public. Such people cannot be entrusted with the governance of Lithuania.