LITHUANIA’S GOAL TO ASSESS AUSTRIA’S ACTIONS IS ALSO A STRUGGLE FOR EU VALUES, LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS
Updated 2011-07-19
When responding to Austria’s rapid decision to release the detained suspect in the January 13th case, Lithuania seeks for entire European Union to assess Austria’s actions properly and to learn well the lesson of the lack of solidarity,” Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis said at the discussion on Lithuania’s EU membership on 19 July in Vilnius.
“Of course, we cannot turn the clock back, but today’s challenges for Lithuania are, first of all, to find out why Austria has ignored the EU law, to make sure that the actions of Austria are properly evaluated in the EU’s entire space and to ensure that the EU learns well the lesson of the lack of solidarity,” the Minister said during the public discussion “7 years of Lithuania’s Membership in the European Union: Set to Take the Helm”.
He stressed that Lithuania was actively exploring what the Austrian institutions had done wrong, but the friendship with this nation that had been cherished for many years should not be harmed.
“We are make mistakes and never forget them, but learning form them should strengthen us and bring us closer together. In this context, the protection of Lithuania’s interests is also the struggle for the European Union and its values,” A.Ažubalis said.
According to the Minister, all EU partners should solve sensitive and important issues in accordance with international law and also with precision.
“This time Austria has not done it. But I think that after Lithuania’s very strict reaction every EU member state, including Austria itself, will be more cautious next time,” A.Ažubalis said.
At the same time, the Minister emphasized that after this incident Lithuania should even more intensively inform its partners about the country’s history and the price that it had to pay for the restoration of its Independence.
“By this unhappy accident we should be strengthened. We cannot allow the influence of third parties to weaken the European Union,” the Minister said.
On 15 July, Lithuanian officials were informed that on 14 July in Austria, the citizen of Russia Mikhail Golovatov who is a suspect in the January 13th case was arrested on the European Arrest Warrant of 18 October 2010. On Friday night from 15 to 16 July, Lithuania received a confirmation that the suspect was released. Austria’s motives for such a hasty decision are not yet known to Lithuania. Both Lithuania and Latvia have presented notes to Austria, requesting to explain the circumstances.
On 19 July, Baltic foreign ministers sent a joint letter to European Commissioner for Justice Viviane Reding and EU foreign ministers, expressing concern over the decision taken by Austrian institutions.
“Of course, we cannot turn the clock back, but today’s challenges for Lithuania are, first of all, to find out why Austria has ignored the EU law, to make sure that the actions of Austria are properly evaluated in the EU’s entire space and to ensure that the EU learns well the lesson of the lack of solidarity,” the Minister said during the public discussion “7 years of Lithuania’s Membership in the European Union: Set to Take the Helm”.
He stressed that Lithuania was actively exploring what the Austrian institutions had done wrong, but the friendship with this nation that had been cherished for many years should not be harmed.
“We are make mistakes and never forget them, but learning form them should strengthen us and bring us closer together. In this context, the protection of Lithuania’s interests is also the struggle for the European Union and its values,” A.Ažubalis said.
According to the Minister, all EU partners should solve sensitive and important issues in accordance with international law and also with precision.
“This time Austria has not done it. But I think that after Lithuania’s very strict reaction every EU member state, including Austria itself, will be more cautious next time,” A.Ažubalis said.
At the same time, the Minister emphasized that after this incident Lithuania should even more intensively inform its partners about the country’s history and the price that it had to pay for the restoration of its Independence.
“By this unhappy accident we should be strengthened. We cannot allow the influence of third parties to weaken the European Union,” the Minister said.
On 15 July, Lithuanian officials were informed that on 14 July in Austria, the citizen of Russia Mikhail Golovatov who is a suspect in the January 13th case was arrested on the European Arrest Warrant of 18 October 2010. On Friday night from 15 to 16 July, Lithuania received a confirmation that the suspect was released. Austria’s motives for such a hasty decision are not yet known to Lithuania. Both Lithuania and Latvia have presented notes to Austria, requesting to explain the circumstances.
On 19 July, Baltic foreign ministers sent a joint letter to European Commissioner for Justice Viviane Reding and EU foreign ministers, expressing concern over the decision taken by Austrian institutions.
