The Lithuanian government's incitement of unrest in
surrounding countries harms the residents of those countries. They are dying,
suffering from the economic collapse. It also harms us, Lithuanians. It is
becoming uncomfortable with the constant riots and needless deaths and fighting
around us. The Landsbergis family themselves are already buying permanent homes abroad,
and they are still dragging us into the same quagmire. This also harms the
entire state of Lithuania, which is already suffering from Landsbergiis family's rule:
"The situation in Georgia, which recently adopted
the so-called "foreign agents" law, raises passions. The authorities
say that this is necessary for transparency, but the public believes that this
is how Georgian democracy is being strangled. The situation has also attracted
attention in Lithuania. Should we support the protesters in Georgia? About
it was discussed in the "Question of the Day" program of the Radio
News.
We must support people who seek freedom
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Gabrielius
Landsbergis, on behalf of the country, expressed his support for the residents
protesting in Georgia. Such a move by the minister received ambiguous
assessments, so former foreign minister and ambassador Petras Vaitiekūnas also
commented on it in the show.
"We don't have to take sides, just because there are
our friends, because there are many Georgians who see their future in Europe,
in European civilization, we must support them." Is it possible to imagine
that Lithuania does not support pro-European forces somewhere in Belarus,
Ukraine or Georgia? We must support, but we must send a clear signal together
that the people decide. If the nation has already decided after five votes that
they want to go the third way - neither with Russia nor with Europe, they will
be smart calves that feed by two cows - someone must tell them that this way
unequivocally leads to Russia," he said. .
Thus, the ambassador said that he supports Mr. Landsbergis'
decision.
"I support Landsbergis and it is really necessary to do
such things," P. Vaitiekūnas asserted.
In his opinion, this should not be considered as
interference in the internal affairs of another country.
"This is not interference in the affairs of another
country. This is the support of our friends. Just like America and Europe
supported the movement in their time and said we want to be part of a
democratic community - we want democratic elections, we want freedom of the
press, we want human freedom. And what? Europe and America should have turned
away from us and said: we will not interfere in the affairs of the Soviet
Union? We must support those people, wherever they are, if they seek freedom,
democracy and human rights", said P. Vaitiekūnas.
True, he emphasized once again that part of the decisions
made in the state depend on the nation itself.
"If the Georgian people have already decided in five
votes that Europe is not for them, they vote for the force that drags Georgia
to Russia - that is the will of the Georgian people, a matter for the Georgian
people and we will not interfere in it. We must recognize the election results,
we must recognize what the Georgian people chose. They turn away from Europe.
This signal must be sent very clearly", said the ambassador.
Sees clear politicking
Professor and political scientist Šarūnas Liekis also shared
his insights on the show. According to him, it is important not to forget that
we have both the United Nations Charter and established practices between
countries and the principles of non-interference in internal affairs.
"Imagine if we transferred this situation to the United
States of America - let's say, unrest in the Capitol, Trump supporters storm
the Capitol and the respected Lithuanian foreign minister comes to support for
or against. We can model enough of these and similar situations. March of
families in Lithuania - the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus arrives,
stands on a barrel and says: you know, you don't have democracy in Lithuania -
50 thousand. people have gathered, the police are following them everywhere,
don't give up and keep fighting for your family's values," he said.
According to Liekis it remains valid that, if we do not want such a policy
to be carried out towards us, such actions should not be justified elsewhere.
"Human rights formats, issues of democracy, the OSCE
organization, the Council of Europe - there are many formats where those issues
are solved through monitoring, observation, identification of real problems,
but not through politicization. In this case, I see clear politicking, climbing
on the barrel and then, if we already say that this is good, then we should not
be offended and let one or another opposition party in Lithuania invite
representatives of Belarus or Orban. Orban's foreign minister would come and
start campaigning for something in Lithuania. How would we look at it?",
asked the political scientist.
However, the views of the interlocutors differed on this
point. According to former foreign minister P. Vaitiekūnas, the difference
between Belarus and Lithuania is big.
"For now, formally, Georgia wants to become a member of
the European Union and NATO members. We are members of the NATO and European
Union club, and we have gone to talk to our partners, to whom we are sending a
message that the path you have chosen now leads away from the goals you have
declared. Your actions are clearly deviating from those goals. Landsbergis
warned before leaving," he shared.
And here is Sh. Liekis continued to raise really important
and attention-worthy questions.
"Can an unauthorized minister of foreign affairs of
some country go around and campaign in the presence of internal political
tension, calling names, calling him pro-Russian and the like, for which, by the
way, there is no basis?", the political scientist wondered.
He also evaluated the so-called "foreign agents"
law.
"This law also stops Russian influence. It highlights
everyone. In that sense, if you receive foreign funding, you are, for example,
a media owner, and media owners influence the local market, influence
elections, influence politics - this happens in all countries. Now in the
United States there is a similar situation - everyone has to declare and the
media that is controlled from abroad is highlighted. Where is the problem here
if it is not a problem in the United States? We only see a problem due to the
fact that those who are supported by the United States of America and the
European Union will need to stand out",- Liekis shared his insights.
There is a risk of damaging bilateral relations
According to the political scientist Liekis of course, every law
can have its own imperfections, but it is important to remember that they are
adopted by the government, which is elected by the people themselves.
"Here we are transferring ideological conflicts into
bilateral relations and potentially damaging bilateral relations because we
support one or the other ideological position. As Peter rightly said, this is
the choice of the Georgian people. There were previous elections, there will be
new elections - they will choose one option or another. We cooperate with the
authorities that exist. This is the essence of bilateral relations," he
said.
P. Vaitiekūnas also assessed the risk of spoiling bilateral
relations. According to him, such fears are certainly justified, but it is also
necessary to talk about certain threats.
"There are many indications that Georgia is turning in
the direction of Russia - Saakashvili in prison, the law on foreign agents is
passed, many votes are for Ivanishvili candidates, that is, for pro-Russian
candidates, the offshore of sanctioned goods, dual-use goods, weapons
technology, practically Russian offshore, which became Georgia - this is also
an argument", the ambassador mentioned.
Thus, according to the interlocutor, the repetition of the
fundamental values of European civilization, which the ministers of the Baltic
states and the ministers of Iceland have now done, is very necessary and
timely.
"The Georgian people are deprived of a large part of
the opportunity to get acquainted with another opinion, with another approach
to what is happening in Georgia now," said P. Vaitiekūnas.
He also identified the specific risks for the Georgian
people when the "foreign agents" law comes into force.
"There will be less opposition, there will be less
opposing thoughts and there will be less understanding in the nation of what is
really happening and in what direction Georgia itself is turning."
Georgians will not get the message that they are being turned in the direction
where they will have to share their fate not with France, Germany and Poland or
Lithuania, but with Yakuts, Buryats, Bashkirs, Chukchi and so on. Do they
really want to share their fate with the Yakuts and Buryats, or do they want to
share their fate with the Italians and the French?", the former foreign
minister wondered.
Problems are proposed to be solved in other ways
Threats to the people of Georgia Liekis did not deny,
however, in his opinion, these problems should and should be solved in other
ways, not by "stepping on the barrel".
"There are formats of the Council of Europe, there are
formats of the OSCE, after all, the United Nations - generally, those issues
are resolved in those formats. After all, we don't go to the United States and
stand on the barrel just because there, for example, they are chasing refugees at
the Mexican border or because Trump was building a wall or something else. We
don't do that," said the political scientist.
In general, in his opinion, it is important to evaluate the
possible consequences of one's actions.
"I see that we are underestimating those consequences.
I see that long-term trend that we do not appreciate the consequences of our
actions, do not feel responsible, do not feel sovereign with our decisions.
Here I see such a long-term problem in various situations where our politicians
behave exactly like this. Since I, and the expert himself, have been in the same
Council of Europe for many years, I can see in what formats those matters are
actually resolved, if they are resolved. Sometimes it is impossible to solve
them because of a whole series of circumstances, and not because something is
Russian or non-Russian," said Liekis."
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