On March 10, Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė will award reviewer of The Economist magazine and expert of Middle and Eastern European economy and policy Edward Lucas the National Defence System Medal of Merit for civilians on the 20th anniversary of Restoration of Independence Day, the Ministry of Defence press release said. The award will be bestowed for the noted British reporter for personal contribution to strengthening Lithuania’s national defence.

E. Lucas has maintained close relations with Lithuania ever since Restoration of Independence: he eye-witnessed March 11 in 1990, and was the first citizen of foreign state to receive visa of Lithuania No. 0001, the press release says. Twenty years ago he helped send the world a message about Lithuania and our country’s way to independence. Throughout the twenty years of Independence of Lithuania E. Lucas kept an eye on achievements, troubles, and challenges of our country, various political events were reflected in his publications.

One of publicist illustrations of E. Lucas’s interest in Middle and Eastern European policy – his book published in 2008 „The New Cold War” providing exhaustive analysis of security situation in post-Soviet space countries, including Lithuania, and studying perspectives of relations of Russia and Western states, the press release of the Ministry of Defence said.