News

Lithuanian diplomacy objectives in 2002

Honourable ambassadors,

Dear colleagues,

Honourable guests,

This year’s traditional convention of ambassadors marks the end of an unordinary year. Three months ago, the brutal events of September 11 forced us to face new challenges, threats and risks of international life, the scope and consequences of which cannot yet be fully grasped.

However, this tragedy also gave us a unique opportunity to create a new world based on solidarity. Even half a year ago few would have believed that the United States would be supported in the fight against terrorism not only by its allies but also by Russia, China, Pakistan and the Arab states; that Germany and Japan would decide to take a historical step and send their soldiers to another country; that essential changes would begin in the relations between NATO and Russia…   

Lithuania’s fast and adequate reaction to the tragedy that struck the United States attested to our country’s international maturity. We showed again that our accession to the Euroatlantic community is a motivated, conscious and responsible step. 

Indeed, our diplomacy can be pleased about this year. We are closer than ever to our strategic goal of joining the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance.

Lithuania began its presidency over the Committee of the Minister of the European Council energetically, thereby reminding that our policy of good neighbourhood and regional co-operation is particularly important today.  

We have gained membership in the World Trade Organisation. We have expanded the system of free trade agreements that opens new opportunities for Lithuanian business representatives.

Three large international events were successfully organised in Vilnius – a session of the NATO parliamentary assembly, a conference on the topic of equal opportunities for women and men, and a conference on the dialogue between civilisations, which became a test of Lithuania’s organisational capacities.

Even such inveterate issues as the recovery of our real estate in France began moving.

Thus, our active and directed activities in Washington, London, Warsaw, Berlin, Paris and Moscow, as well as in our northern neighbours, the Baltic Sea region and elsewhere, produced tangible results.

The coming year will demand an even greater concentration of efforts. We have outgrown the clothes of “abstract” candidates, who expect to join some time in the future. We have become the reality of the enlargement process. Therefore, our assessment will be especially critical and our behaviour will have to be especially mature.

Therefore, our diverse diplomatic activities next year must serve for the achievement of two goals – to gain the invitation to join the Alliance and to complete negotiations with the European Union. 

So let us talk about the job. Today we often hear that there are no obstacles for Lithuania and other Baltic States to be invited to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The speech by President Bush in Warsaw gave a new prospect to Lithuania’s road to the Alliance. The most recent statements by the representatives of the US administration confirm this prospect.

The circle of the supporters of our membership is increasing. In addition to the countries that traditionally support Lithuania, Germany began viewing the expansion of NATO to Lithuania more favourably. The president of France gave a positive assessment of Lithuania’s Euroatlantic aspirations during his visit in Vilnius.

The reality of our membership is gradually dawning upon Russia as well. We may only stress once again that Lithuania as an open, self-confident and stable member of the Alliance corresponds to the interests of Russia itself.

Official debates regarding the invitation of candidates will begin in Reykjavik in May next year. We must use this period to focus our attention on securing political support for Lithuania’s invitation abroad, increasing the support of our society and political parties for the integration, and rapidly implementing the Membership Action Plan.   

Unavoidably, there will be a lot of talking about Washington and with Washington during this process. However, no one must doubt: every capital of the Alliance states is important to us! 

The diplomatic missions of Lithuania must find individual, effective tactics for each one of them. The Ministry’s resources are at your disposal. Be importunate and prod to indicate what additional steps must be taken and in which direction.

We must nurture the spirit of Vilnius and continue the co-operation with the countries of the Vilnius Ten, co-ordinating our positions regarding the Membership Action Plan and other issues related to enlargement whenever possible.

At the same time, we, the initiators of the Vilnius process, must feel responsible for its fate and think about its further transformation, place and role in the context of the decisions in Prague.   

With regard to countries that do not seek NATO membership, including Russia, we must act as a state that has a clear prospect for membership and develop bilateral relations on this basis.

Questions are increasingly asked about the organisation of enlargement from the invitations in Prague until the actual accession. Our aim is to receive an invitation in 2002 that would lead to full membership after short, intensive negotiations. 

Therefore, we must seek to influence this process in such a way as to ensure that the practical course of enlargement is speedy and the implementation of Prague decisions is not delayed.

I would like to note that we think it crucial to secure the support of the parliaments of the Alliance states. Governments that are clear about the position of their legislators will find it easier to decide on the invitation of new members. The support of national parliaments will be even more important during the ratification of Lithuania’s membership.

Another essential goal for 2002 is to complete negotiations with the European Union. The Lithuanian progress report and the Strategic document announced by the European Commission several weeks ago inspired hope that accession negotiations can be completed as early as next year.

The Commission’s statement reiterated last week in Laeken that the EU budget is sufficient to accept 10 countries to the Union in 2004 is particularly significant.

However, the progress Lithuania has made so far and the several remaining chapters should not give rise to the illusion that the goal has already been achieved. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed upon. As with NATO, 2002 will be the crucial year in the EU case as well.

One of the essential themes of our work and negotiations will be the principle of solidarity. At the start of next year, we will have to take up the most sensitive issues of negotiations related to the funding of agriculture and regional policies. Apart from these, perhaps the most difficult issue of negotiations will be that of Ignalina nuclear power station. 

Our objective is to convince the EU that solidarity is rewarding, that it is an investment of the current EU members into their own future.

Yes, our gross domestic product is far below the EU average. Yes, we are poor. However, we are prepared to take the path of Ireland and repeat its success.

The reason for this success is the ability to use the European Union’s funds. This is our message to current members: invest in us and this investment in our progress and economic growth will provide stability and welfare in the enlarged Europe.

Another theme of 2002 is the future of the European Union. Lithuania will join the work of the European Convention that begins in March. This will give us an opportunity to express our opinion and wishes related to the shared future of Europe.

It is our duty to take this opportunity. By talking about the future of Europe we are talking about the future of Lithuania, about the success of Lithuania, to which there are no alternatives.

Lithuanian diplomatic missions will have to present the Lithuanian vision of the future of Europe and strive to make it heard and appreciated. Lithuania will promote the method of communities and a consistently evolutionary – not revolutionary – development of the EU. Lithuania will promote an EU without closed clubs, an EU with equal opportunities for all.

In the context of Lithuania’s Euroatlantic aspirations, the success of the recently started Lithuanian presidency over the Committee of Ministers of the European Council is particularly important. It enables us to consolidate the democratic credentials of Lithuania in the eyes of the international community and take an active part in promoting democracy both near our borders and in more remote, conflict-stricken countries.

Make sure that the ministers of foreign affairs of the states of your residency that are members of the European Council come to the future session of the EC Committee of Ministers in Vilnius next May. Last spring’s session of the parliamentary assembly of NATO in Vilnius showed that it is important for our declared political aspirations to show that we are a lively, energetic and modern country.

Provide thorough information to the officials of the states of your residency about the goals and the course of the presidency over the Committee of Ministers of the European Council. This is an excellent opportunity to make a wider presentation of the spirit of co-operation in the Baltic Sea region that Lithuania consistently promotes.

This is the baggage that we will bring to the new Euroatlantic space during the process of integration. We are ready to make an essential contribution to the formation of relations between the Euroatlantic community and its eastern neighbours (Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, etc.). This is the experience that we may boldly share with the reviving Balkans.    

There is no place for isolation or insularity in the tradition of co-operation that we promote. In modelling the prospects of the Kaliningrad Oblast in the context of future enlargements, we are suggesting flexible and pragmatic solutions in the important areas of the transit of goods, the co-operation of ports, energy systems, and the movement of people.

Let us take a peek at the economic diplomacy sector. It is heartening that Lithuanian business representatives publicly acknowledge the significance of the work of Lithuanian diplomats. Business delegations accompany many important foreign visits of the president, the prime minister and the minister of foreign affairs. 

Currently, the need for infrastructural development as a prerequisite for economic development is becoming increasingly apparent in Lithuania and in the entire region. In discussions with our neighbours and in regional forums, we must continue prioritising the Via Baltica, Via Hanseatica, and Rail Baltica transport corridors, the power supply bridge with Poland, emphasise the importance of gas transportation projects, and search for sources of international funding for them.

We expect that you will continue acting effectively and vigorously in retaining existing partners, presenting our country’s economic and trade opportunities, as well as searching for new markets and customers for Lithuanian producers. The current geographic expansion of the representation of Lithuania in the world opens certain new opportunities on the Asian, African and South American continents.

On the other hand, membership in the World Trade Organisation opens opportunities to influence further decisions on the liberalisation of global trade in the future and seek more favourable trade regimes for Lithuania during negotiations on WTO membership with important trade partners of Lithuania such as Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

Finally, we must mention cultural diplomacy and the diplomacy of human contacts. When Lithuanian football players drew with the Italian team last August, the local media spoke and wrote more about Lithuania in a week than it had in the last three years. Of course, this does not mean that we must all put on football jerseys now.

This means that we must present Lithuania to each country in the language that is most understandable to them. This language may be music, theatre, dance or sports… Then Lithuania will cease to be just one among the candidates in line. I would say that this area of our activities is far from exhausted and deserves additional attention from you.

Let us seek to “exploit” the visits of high officials of the Republic of Lithuania to present Lithuanian culture. Let us get Lithuanian emigrant communities more involved in these activities – they can provide an excellent connection between the Lithuanian cultural world and the states of your residency.

In general, Lithuanian emigrants and their problems must be accorded more attention and more active relations must be developed. The loss of their experiences and historical heritage would mean the loss of a part of our selves. 

In conclusion, I would like to suggest several more general reflections. According to a recent survey, the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was assessed best by the citizens of Lithuania. This is the result of frequent meetings of the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the inhabitants, direct discussions on various issues, and an active and transparent information policy.

It is important to persuade the public that the foreign policies implemented by us contribute directly to the creation of their welfare. Problems, such as international terrorism, environmental pollution, the spread of narcotics, human trafficking and illegal migration, are not distant abstractions –unfortunately, they have a growing impact on our lives. 

We can successfully respond to these and other challenges of globalisation and mutual interdependency only by maintaining relations with other states and taking an active part in the work of major international institutions.

This is particularly important if we want to properly fulfil the obligations of future membership in NATO and the EU. Our membership would be a mere formality in the absence of well-prepared, motivated professionals.

In a few years, the number of Lithuanian officials working in various EU and NATO structures will not be one or two but tens and hundreds. Therefore, we must begin planning the selection and training of personnel now.

On the other hand, the administrative capacities of relevant Lithuanian institutions will determine the success of not only accession but membership itself.

How will we use the funds of the European Union if we do not have the capacities for their administration? How will we conduct negotiations on particular issues if individual agencies lack specialists proficient in foreign languages?

Currently, we are performing an analysis of the structure of the Ministry in order to make optimal adjustments for solving contemporary tasks. However, we must finish preparing internal documents regulating our service and ensure that our diplomats have clear career prospects, incentives and opportunities for constant professional improvement.

We must review the prospective plans for expansion of the network of diplomatic missions. Membership in the EU and NATO and the changing international environment will demand much more active participation in global affairs and eliminate the distance from the currently remote geographical areas.

The matters have started to partially improve. Lithuanian diplomatic missions have been transferred to Egypt and Argentina, the number of non-resident ambassadors is growing, the network of honorary consuls is expanding and they are getting more actively involved in our activities.

This will allow filling some inveterate gaps and ensuring better representation of the interests of our State, as well as better fulfilment of the needs of our citizens.

We must establish new diplomatic missions in places where their absence becomes hard to explain under the current conditions. Here I am referring to Hungary and Ireland.

Following the obligations of our future membership, we must expand consular missions in neighbouring Belarus and the Kaliningrad Oblast.

In this respect, we expect the Government’s support and respective decisions regarding funding. A strong diplomatic service is in the interest of our State.

And, finally, we must begin discussing “What’s next?” What will the Lithuanian foreign policy priorities be upon joining the EU and NATO? How and whither will we influence their transformation? What will our global role be through these institutions? How will we use Lithuania’s voice in major international organisations? What will our contribution be to the resolution of the most painful global problems, such as poverty?

Dear colleagues, diplomats,

During the celebration of the restoration of Vilnius Jewish Theatre last week, President of the European Council’s Parliamentary Assembly Sir Russell Johnston made a spirited speech in defence of the opportunities that small nations have to change global politics. I support his opinion. After all, this is why we convene every year – to discuss how Lithuania’s voice can be better heard in order to make an impact in the world.

Although today I end with questions, I believe that our diplomacy – young, ambitious, increasingly sophisticated and professional, increasingly well-adapted to the multilateral environment – is capable of answering them and ensuring that the rapidly changing world is more favourable and safer for our State.

Thank you for your attention.