Will Belarus lose its Soviet-era name tag in Lithuania?
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White-red-white flag of Belarus, which is associated with the country s opposition. / E. Blaževič/LRT
Lithuania is not the only country in the world that has adopted ‘White Russia’ as the official name for Belarus. What legacy does the name carry, and what would changing the name mean for Belarusians?
“We cannot call Alexander Lukashenko a legitimate [president], because the elections in Belarus were neither free nor democratic,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda told Sky News in an interview just five days after the presidential elections in the neighbouring country.
Soon after, Lithuanian media started referring to Lukashenko only as an “illegitimate president”, while Ukraine said it would only mention him by name.
Sunday, 04 April 2021, 14:08
Lithuanian foreign minister to visit Ukraine on Feb. 23-24
23.02.2021 09:34
Ukrinform
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis will pay a working visit to Ukraine on February 23-24, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reported. On February 23-24, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis will pay a working visit to Ukraine at the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, the report reads.
This will be the first visit of Gabrielius Landsbergis to Ukraine after his appointment as head of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
According to the report, the ministers will discuss further strengthening of the strategic partnership between Ukraine and Lithuania, supporting Ukraine’s efforts to restore sovereignty and territorial integrity, countering hybrid threats, and interaction within international organizations.
Chair of Lietuva Committee on Foreign Affairs meets ruling party and opposition to discuss the crisis
By Veronika Malinboym
Monday, February 22
On February 20, Zygimantas Pavilionis, Chair of the Lietuva Committee on Foreign Affairs, held meetings with the ruling Georgian Dream party and the United National Movement opposition party to address the ongoing political crisis.
Ahead of his arrival to the country, Zygimantas Pavilionis announced that his visit to Georgia would be aimed at meeting friends from political spectrum in order to build bridges, heal common wounds and build common future in the EU and NATO. In his Twitter post, Zygimantas Pavilionis reinstated that Lithuanians have never abandoned Georgians, not even in the darkest hour.
Chair of Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Committee meets Georgian ruling party, opposition amid political crisis
The Lithuanian MP was sent to Georgia ‘to help to resolve the ongoing political crisis in the country’. Photo from 1TV Agenda.ge, 20 Feb 2021 - 19:28, Tbilisi,Georgia
The Chair of Lithuanian Committee on Foreign Affairs Žygimantas Pavilionis held meetings with the ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition United National Movement amid the current political crisis in the country earlier today.
Žygimantas Pavilionis has tweeted:
Morning in Sakartvelo (Georgia). Time 2build bridges, 2heal common wounds & build common future in the EU & NATO. Lithuanians have never abandoned Georgians, not even at the darkest hour. pic.twitter.com/KfJExhAewr
Lithuanian conservative MP Žygimantas Pavilionis, who chairs the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, is being sent to Georgia to help solve the ongoing political crisis in the country.