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WITHOUT RUSSIA, SOLUTION OF PROTRACTED CONFLICTS WOULDN'T MOVE A MILLIMETER - LITHUANIAN FORMIN (BNS, 2 February 2011)

VILNIUS, Feb 2, BNS - Without Russia's contribution, the solution of protracted conflicts would not move a millimeter, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Azubalis, who is on a visit in Moscow as the chairperson-in-office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, said on Wednesday.

"Without Russia, we would not move a millimeter. And while solving such conflicts every millimeter is of gold value," Azubalis said ahead of a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Azubalis also underlined that Lithuania's OSCE Chairmanship wants to be a "transparent mediator". The minister once again expressed condolences over the terror attack in Domodedovo calling it an inhumane act.

Lavrov said Russia has acquainted itself with the agenda of Lithuania's OSCE Chairmanship. He expressed hope he will be able to discuss Lithuanian-Russian bilateral relations at the meeting with Azubalis.

Diplomats in Lithuania, which took over the OSCE Chairmanship as of January 1, say they will seek progress in solving protracted conflicts in the post-Soviet area, but also underline it will be hard to expect quick solutions.

One of the first goals is to revive talks on Transnistria, which had proclaimed independence from Moldova but is considered part of it by the international community.

According to diplomats, the main goal is to create a stable environment for talks in order to achieve progress in the situation over the separatists Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. And visits by Lithuanian leaders are scheduled to Nagorno-Karabakh to look for solutions to this situation that has been a cause of tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

As the OSCE Chairmanship, Lithuania has named fighting transnational threats, for example, drug trade, ensuring energy security by looking for an agreement on common principles suitable to all member countries of the organization, ensuring media freedom and journalists'' security as well as fostering tolerance among its priorities.