News

 Instytut Wschodni, Vilnius, 23 March 2006

Your Excellency Mr. Chairman,

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to have this opportunity to address such a distinguished audience of scholars, diplomats and politicians, who all together share a genuine interest in the past, the present and the future relations between Europe and Russia. Let me express my sincere gratitude to the Instytut Wschodni and Chairman of the Forum Zygmunt Berdychowski for the initiative to bring the discussion on the European - Russian partnership to Vilnius and focus on issues of mutual interest – starting with common values and build-up of civil society institutions, to co-operation in the areas of energy, security and common neighborhood.

I am certain that with this brilliant agenda and audience, the Forum will offer ways of breaking the boundaries of conventional wisdom and contribute to the vision of a whole and free Europe, with Russia as a responsible and democratic stakeholder, standing side by side.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have much to regret being unable to stay with you throughout the entire discussion. Let me, therefore, in this opening statement, share with you my thoughts on what could be done to strengthen friendship between Russia and the European Union.

I would like to begin with the two keywords of this morning’s panel –  competition and cooperation. They define two inter-linked phenomena, used to describe young, but extremely dynamic relationship between the European Union and Russia. Relationship that, at this very moment, demands the best of understanding and good will from both sides – the enlarged European Union and Russia, which has yet to find its place in the European architecture.

How we could make the best of competition and cooperation to advance the new agenda of Europe and Russia? What are the success stories that could be repeated and where should we avoid competition or transform it into beneficial cooperation?

My point of departure is very simple – a genuine strategic partnership between Russia and the EU should be founded not only on common interests, but also on shared values and commitments for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Otherwise, we would not be able to achieve full value of our relations or enrich our bilateral agenda.

We all recognize that relationships, which are built on a coincidence of interests, have never been particularly stable. And there is much more – we can expand our cooperation beyond trade in energy resources. A constructive and open dialogue between the two partners, linked by cultural, strategic and economic ties – that is our vision of the EU-Russia relationship.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me turn to another issue, that is – when competition becomes counter-productive in the EU-Russia relations?

First, when it threatens multilateral efforts to create a partnership based on common values. Second, when it encourages using economic leverages to achieve political goals in our common neighborhood. Third, when it obstructs the co-operation aiming to advance democratic reforms in the neighboring states, that have embarked on their road of integration into euroatlantic institutions.

It is regrettable that being so close to each other, Russia and the European Union sometimes view the surrounding region through different eyes. The case of elections in Belarus that did not withstand the test of democratic standards and threatens its civil society is an exemplary case. It is also unfortunate, that the “partnership making”, offered by European Union to help fast reforming European neighborhood is understood and treated as a game of “influence making” by Russia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Lithuania and Russia today enjoy friendly neighborly relations, development of which is quite successful: we have signed border and readmission agreements, we have solved the problem of Kaliningrad passenger transit through Lithuania; we have witnessed significant growth in bilateral trade and investments.

On the other hand, Lithuanians do not understand the relation between modern Russia and its Stalinistic past. We can not realize, why the Russian government objects to our wish to commemorate victims of the totalitarian Soviet regime that deported hundreds of thousands of Lithuanians to Siberia.

Just recently, in Budapest and Prague, we have heard from the Russian President a moral assessment of horrors committed by the Soviet regime fifty years ago. Why the same is not done as regards the Katyn massacre or injustices done to the Baltic States? The issue of compensation for the damages of the occupation, in this context, is an issue of moral acknowledgement and not only that of finances.

Today we witness a positive change – a joint Commission of historians is beginning the discussions over the painful episodes in our history. The faster Russia evaluates and cuts all the links with the Soviet past, the better it is – especially, for democracy and for our mutual understanding.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

What else do we need to do in order to realize the vision that will unite the European Union and Russia and create a responsible and mutually beneficial long-term partnership?

First of all, we need full trust amongst the partners and we need to transform the interest-based cooperation into the cooperation of shared values and interests. This Forum seeks to achieve that goal. Russia that is linked to Europe by cultural, strategic and economic ties, no doubt, deserves a greater say in the European affairs.

Secondly, we have to unite our efforts to create a democratic European neighborhood. Russia has a significant role to play, in particular, by solving frozen conflicts. Otherwise we cannot expect to reach any progress in all the other spheres of political life.

Thirdly, Russia needs to find its own way to organize democratic society and to build a responsible government based on the rule of law and justice to all. Europe has a strategic interest in this and, no doubt, will be helpful.

Dear participants,

I wish you all success in your efforts to bring a vision of a prosperous, strong, safe and united European continent into reality. Thank you for your attention.