Edward Lucas of the Economist’s comment that Lithuania’s foreign policy is getting Schreoderised has sparked much debate within Lithuania’s political establishment.  The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Audronius Azubalis, on 15 March replied to Lucas’s remark by stating that Lithuania’s change in rhetoric does not mean that Vilnius is changing its foreign policy.

On 18 March it was the Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius’ turn to comment on Lucas’ Schreoderisation remark.  He had a chance to explain Lithuania’s changing tactics in its foreign policy during interview to the private news radio Ziniu radijas. 

Andrius Kubilius assure that Lithuania’s aim of expanding the geopolitical security zone towards the Eastern direction has not been abandoned.  What changed was only the tactics of achieving it.  Kubilius summarized this thought in a long sentence: “We are doing everything and will continue to do everything to make sure that this zone gradually – sometimes with some winding, sometimes in a way it may be difficult to detect – draws nearer to closer cooperation with Europe, closer to European values, and this is something we would place a special attention on communication with our closest neighbours like Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and even Georgia – and intensive work in the European Union’s largest capitals where we have to find allies for such policy.”

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the previous tactics in achieving those goals did not always yield results.  One such change should be to abandon Lithuania’s objective to become the regional centre. 

In order to achieve its goals, Lithuania should change its tactics in approaching its EU allies and improve its communication methods.  Kubilius said on the radio, “This can only come after precise and long-term efforts, expecting fast victories or hoping that participation in some European meetings where we make a veto just to draw attention of some international journalists – this is something we have to rationally give up, if this is not necessary for achieving our goals. We should not sacrifice our long-term strategic objectives for rhetoric alone; instead we should rationally implement the objectives that are stipulated in a very clear manner.”

In his interview, the Prime Minister also noticed that Russia’s attitude towards its neighbours is also changing.  Prime Minister Kubilius who is to meet Russia’s Prime Minister Putin at the end of March he said, “We see a shift in Russia’s policy, its attitude towards the future and the crimes of the Stalinism, we see some efforts to seek more intensive cooperation with the closest neighbours.”

Interestingly enough the Economist has published an article commenting previous Lithuania’s foreign policy today.  The Economist called Lithuania’s foreign policy of 2006-07  ‘brave but clumsy’, and Vilnius’ message to the EU on Georgia was ‘communicated with amateurishness’.  The Economist fully corresponds with Kubilius’ thoughts by saying that ‘Lithuania has paid a high price for its past approach of principled incompetence; the desire for a quiet life now is understandable.’  Perhaps Lithuania should use the tactics of ‘duck diplomacy’; ‘on the surface the duck looks still, but under the water its legs are constantly working’.  These tactics worked for the Nordic countries in the Baltic States after they had regained their Independence