This is the first in a series of articles looking behind the scenes in Lithuania. Over the coming issues we will talk to a number of people to get their views of the major events shaping Lithuania through their particular perspective.

In this issue we speak to Sergejus Muravjovas, Director, Transparency International, Lithuanian Chapter.

One of the major recurring theme of this year in Lithuanian politics is the roundabout of ministers coming and going seemingly at the will of the President. Some have fallen to allegations of corruption, some to vaguer charges of show-boating and yet others have claimed to have left their posts on their own volition.

Why the greater turnover in ministers? Is this the result of the war on corruption, greater transparency, higher standards, or is their a lower quality ministers to choose from?

There is a changing political climate. The changing of ministers is not so much a case of less corruption and more transparency. We know Lithuanians have a low trust of politicians and now people are more accountable than before, but whether that can be perceived as greater accountability I’m not sure.

Ministers have come and gone before. What I think has happened is that the profile of anti-corruption has risen with this president, and especially with the STT (Special Investigation Service) which has become more active, presenting the public with a greater amount of cases, which gives a clear signal to the public that enforcement has become stronger.

But that is where I’d stop and be a bit more cautious. It is one thing to have those cases, but we have not seen the results yet. I would like to see the statistics on cases which have concluded with resolutions that are understandable and acceptable to the public.

You see the same people accused of corruption walking the streets and smiling six months later with apparently no damage to their reputation.

The STT needs to make clear that corruption is a punishable offence. We see from our research that the public think that people who are corrupt manage to avoid conviction and punishment, which diminishes trust in state institutions and the power of the state.

If you look at the numbers of what Lithuanians think about corruption, they are very alarming. The public still thinks that giving a bribe can still solve a lot of your problems. And the majority of people are prepared to give a bribe.

Enforcement is not a long term solution, of course you need to enforce these laws, but you need to spend time on education and that is still not being done to the extent needed to be serious about it.

There is still not enough transparency, accountability of public funds and justifying and explaining decisions made by the government and municipal authorities in affairs of the state.
Ultimately you have to ask where do you start? You have to start from the top because they are the leaders of the state and set the example. If they are accountable and understand what is demanded of them, then I think that step by step we will all have a stronger place in justice.

But then again just an example is not enough, you need to provide them with the means of doing so through education, legislation and trust. This is no easy fix, it requires time and strategic vision.

Corruption is also something a lot of foreign investors look at, it is perceived as a significant sovereign risk and we lag behind many countries, even Estonia in this regard – in 2009 they had three times more FDI per capita than Lithuania.

The case of Drasius Kedys has captured the attention of all Lithuania, and many have branded him a national hero, even after his body was found recently. His funeral in Kaunas attracted thousands of people, all for a man who had admitted to the murder of two people.

Kedys shot and killed a judge and another woman who he had implicated in the prostitution of his estranged under-aged daughter. Kedys, an ex-policeman, had written a number of complaints to various authorities about his suspicions about a paedophile ring operating in Kaunas.

After the shootings last year Kedys remained on the run, and even LiTnews reported that he might have been sighted in Spain recently, until his body was discovered not far from Kaunas recently.

The police have come to the conclusion that Kedys choked to death, and while there is no reason to suggest this is not so, at least to the casual observer this appears to be a very convenient conclusion.

In such a high-profile case both sides have refused to bring in an independent international expert. Surely this is a case of having to be seen to be above suspicion rather than just remain steadfast in declaring that their investigation is as good as anywhere else.

In a country where police can routinely be bribed in traffic incidents, surely this case needs to be seen to be dealt with ‘above and beyond’ a routine enquiry. What do we expect will be the outcome of the Kedys saga?

Now and then you have these cases that bring public attention to the work of the judiciary and enforcement institutions. Such cases bring to the fore what the public think of the work of the police, the courts and the decisions of the courts.

We have seen over the years there has been a lingering suspicion about the quality of work the courts have produced. This does not mean the courts don’t work well, but it’s not clear why some decisions are made and how they are reached, and they need to be explained better.
Ultimately it’s how we understand decisions - and we are entitled to that as citizens. The best way to avoid suspicion is to have a very straightforward line of accountability; explaining to the public exactly what has happened.

Such cases are a very good opportunity for the judiciary and enforcement institutions to understand what they can do better. How they can improve their work.

Ultimately any change is possible only when people within the institution realise they need to improve their work and take the opinion of the public seriously.

What we see now is that the courts are perceived as the second most corrupt institution in Lithuania. The thing is that most people who think this way have had no experience with courts, so these numbers indicate that it is not clear to them what happens behind closed doors. People think of corruption when they don’t know what is going on – it is a trust issue.

What about the current coalition government? There are signs that the coalition is struggling, if not at breaking point, but at the end of the day, is there an alternative? Are there any parties that can form a functional government that won’t in all likelihood be even weaker than what we have at the moment?

There are a lot of people that can talk about the viability of this government. What interests me is how they worked towards creating greater accountability and transparency. They made a lot of promises in the early days and now more than ever they have to be accountable for those promises.

They had the most comprehensive anti-corruption agenda of any government. What happens when you make promises is you have to fulfil them, and the onus is on the coalition to achieve that. They will also have to explain the reasons why they did not.

For that you need political will and the capacity to do that.

A lot of people would use the excuse of the crisis as the reason why all the anti-corruption issues have not been completed, and a lot of people would buy that, but not me.

Anti-corruption had to be on the agenda from day one to help tackle the crisis. For example last year the government decided to increase taxes, and I’m not an economist but that usually leads to a growing black economy unless you increase monitoring and compliance, and with layoffs, that was instead probably reduced.

What I hear is that a lot of people complain that the corruption situation has worsened because of that.

There are draft laws and some good initiatives, and sections of bureaucracy say that there is a greater level of understanding on procurement measures already in place. You see the increased tempo of the STT, but whether this is connected to the government is not clear.

The real test for the government is still ahead. Now they have run out of excuses, now they have to do the work they promised.

I see that the public aren’t accepting promises as easily as they used to, and people now expect the government to deliver on their strong promises and not to blame others.

And if the government is somehow trying to say that they can’t do it - then who can?

The Ministry of Economy has done a lot of work, it is better in its accountability, but in getting more information, you see many more questions you would like to ask.

What other events do you feel are important to Lithuania and Transparency International right now?

It’s high time we decide what we want. Two weeks ago in the UK the parliament passed a bribery act which in the minds of many is the most progressive piece of legislation in combating bribery abroad. UK companies can no longer justify facilitation payments abroad, either directly or via third parties and agents.

Moreover those companies will be required to have clear anti-corruption provisions in place otherwise in the case of an employee of that company being caught, the company will be liable for the offence committed by that employee.

This is an act which is even more advanced than that in the USA, which we do much more business with, and confirms a current trend that anti-corruption rhetoric is coming into the private sector as well, and we need them included so that changes in good governance standards can become universal.

In Russia last week a group of Western owned businesses joined in an anti-corruption initiative declaring that they will refuse to pay any bribes in Russia and will set up a regulatory body.

What this tells me is that the anti-corruption climate throughout the world is really changing.
Just 10 or 15 years ago a company could come to Lithuania and bribe their way through business, saying that is the way business is done here. They can no longer do that, and they will be liable back home as well.

This means that foreign companies will start judging a country by its risk management perspective, and being liable for breaking those laws in your own court.

I’m no prophet, but if we are serious about attracting FDI and being competitive on a global scale, we need to take these developments in anti-corruption seriously.

Last week, from 19 - 22 April, the Lithuanian Seimas hosted a joint sitting with the World Lithuanian Community. This is a twice yearly meeting of the Lithuanian Seimas with representatives from the World Lithuanian Community, so we thought we’d find out what they were up to locked up in the Constitutional Hall for all that time.

We managed to catch up with Vytas Maciūnas (pictured above right), President of the Lithuanian American Community and Chairman of Lithuanian Parliament and World Lithuanian Community Commission, and he filled us in on the purpose and some of the results of these sittings.

“It was originally a meeting with Lithuanian Americans, and only in 2007 was it changed to include all the world communities, but still half are from the US and the other half is made up of representatives from the rest of the world. There is one from Russia, one from Canada, and three from Europe. We are looking to include Australia and South America in the future,” Vytas said.

These meetings are separate to the three yearly PLB Seimas sittings. There they elect representatives and decide on broad objectives, while these meetings are smaller and more organised, working on the details.

“These sittings were originally designed to help get a Western mindset into Seimas. We told them how to get into NATO, by allocating 2% of GPD into the defence budget, and armed with this information Brazauskas was able research and make promises appropriate for the country.
“We’re able to give guidance on those sort of issues because our members have had many years experience working with the US Congress on behalf of Lithuania. It was good for Lithuanians to tap in and have the support of the US community, that was when the commission was most meaningful.

“And sometimes to be the best support you have to be critical,” Vytas added with a smile.
The first task of these sittings is to review resolutions that were agreed upon in previous commissions and evaluate responses from government groups which were established to work on those resolutions.

“The single overriding issue for the World Lithuanian Community at the moment is dual citizenship. Now we are looking at it from a different point of view – not as an issue of having two citizenships, but of losing your right to Lithuanian citizenship.

“We asked for a review by the Seimas Teisės Komitetas, and Stasys Šedberas reported on progress. He is the Committee Chairman that will finalise the statute that will be voted upon by Seimas, and suggesting how to proceed further. This was followed by a question and answer session from both sides.

“We were also addressed by Rimantas Žilius, vice-minister of Commerce. He presented the Lithuanian government’s vision of economic development which was probably the best we’ve heard in 15 years. Not only a presentation, but the concept was novel focussing on the strengths of a country the size of Lithuania and understanding their niche.

“He explained that they have to do three things. First to stabilise the current situation and not lose market share to others. Small countries tend to be service oriented, so we need to look to become an innovative service provider and develop, especially in IT and logistics as examples.
“If you bring in one strong company that acts as a magnet to attract others.

“Then we looked at what Lithuania can do in its current situation to stabilise and improve. Everyone wants lower taxes, but under the current economic restraint the government feels it can’t do much in that area right now. The point was made that Lithuania, from a tax point of view, is not uncompetitive. Taxes aren’t the problem, bureaucracy and contract rates are low by international rankings. And property registration is easy here.

“The investment friendliness of a country is what needs attention. It is an index that has been ranked in various different categories over the years, and you can compare what has improved and regressed, and there is an acceptance that these markers matter, and if you improve them, you improve the total situation.

“Land use is one area where Lithuania scores badly – changing zoning is almost impossible, or running power lines require so many agreements that make it so hard for business here. These are areas where Lithuania can do something, and don’t really cost much to implement. You can make yourself more competitive by these simple changes. It is a base improvement for everyone.
“Now they seem to have a good economic strategy of what industries they want to approach. The vision is more focussed on appropriate investment, not just any money they can get their hands on,” Vytas said.

“Another important aspect we looked at was energy, and the energy vice minister painted a picture of where Lithuania currently is, where it was before closing Ignalina, and what they hope to achieve in the future. He presented their plan which is to become independent because now they are almost totally dependent on Russian energy.

“They have sent out tenders for building a nuclear plant, are looking at a liquefied gas terminal in Klaipėda, a gas pipeline through Poland and electrical bridges through Poland and Sweden.
“They want to expand and consolidate over the next five years, then link up with Nordic countries to make one common market.

“There is a very strategic kind of thinking now, looking to put policies and strategies in place.”
This years sittings were disrupted by the Icelandic volcano and flight restrictions and seven of the delegates and speakers were unable to make the trip to Vilnius, but thanks to technology, this was not as big a problem as it might seem.

Vytas said that in the business meeting Jonas Prunskis in particular was able to hook up from Chicago and provide valuable assistance to the committee. Even a number of US newspapers wrote about his involvement.

“We also had simultaneous translator which was always good and provided good communication for all. And it was all broadcast on the internet. This allowed the participation of very specific interest groups to various discussions.

“Occupation and reparation from the Soviet Union was also on the agenda. We had a speaker from the Foreign Ministry who told us what they are up to. There is still the problem of putting a value on the damages of Soviet occupation, some go as high as US$20 billion. Then you have to consider harm to individual citizens. Everyone is always scared of raising this issue, but it has been the same problem for the last 15 years.

“In the last 3 – 4 months they learnt that a number of East European country citizens and firms have filed claims in countries where there are Russian assets. Gazprom in the US is being taken to court for example.

“An individual Lithuanian might have a good chance because Lithuanian occupation was never recognised by the US. International law doesn’t allow occupying powers to conscript citizens into their armies.

“The Lithuanian government is looking at a fund where citizens will be able to request support to follow these types of claims that they would not have resources to do so themselves.
“We talked about the licensing of professionals from the US, so doctors and others can work over here. We are trying to establish a procedure for this. We found that here the law is written, and then the bureaucracy decides how it will be implemented – there is no direct implementing procedure on how it needs to be done.

“We advised that the mechanism of going from law to implementation needs to be better. And this has become an issue in many areas, including the citizenship issue.

“Basically a border guard could take away your passport and never give it back to you. You still need to have the court involved in these types of cases, there is too much responsibility on the individual. The court needs to be ultimately accountable and these issues need to be adjudicated under a court system,” Vytas said.

One of the programs the World Lithuanian Community has been heavily involved in is an internship program which needed some clarification. With internships is it something done on a free basis? They feel there should be the possibility of the interns earning a wage, however small it might be.

And working in Lithuania raises other issues. A person of Lithuanian descent who has retained their right to Lithuanian citizenship can live and work in Lithuania for up to five years. But again this is not so easy – how do you prove it? Blood test? So you still need to provide proof, a piece of paper of some sort as American passports don’t list heritage. So you need a birth certificate, which comes back to similar citizenship problems.

Vytas also pointed out that the committee deals with other, more abstract issues, like how does being a member of the EU affect the development of the Lithuania language and vitality?

“With so many different cultures and languages in the EU, laws are coming in and only one person is doing the translation and needing to have an understanding of terms used in business, technology and art for example. Linguistically these translations lose their full meaning and become watered down, and even dumbed-down, tending to use international terms rather than Lithuanian ones that evolve from use.
“The head of the Lithuanian language commission said that Lithuania is not unique in having a committee for the correct use of language and why it is so necessary for them to continue their work.
“We also touched on public information - what restrictions should be placed on TV and media? Censorship versus anonymity, where does free speech end and slander start?

“We suggested registering comments and that all portals need to be liable for what is in their space. Accountability is the direction to go. Adding a personal touch greatly increases accountability.

“The LTV World Channel was going to be discontinued. This is Lithuanian programming which reaches from the Urals to the Pacific Ocean, but the LTV board decided to cut it because of government budget cuts.

“For many Lithuanians living abroad this is the only link they have to good cultural content, and the service is appreciated worldwide. We hope to at least have an internet service, but hope we can work on retaining the full TV transmission,” Vytas concluded.

In all Vytas said it was a successful sitting, notwithstanding the problems caused by the Icelandic volcano, and both sides look forward to continuing this tradition of cooperation.

Story: Deimantė Dokšaitė

Milda Bublys
I was raised in the suburbs of Michigan, and, like my heritage, owe a lot of my fashion influence to my immediate family. My father is a fiercely modern architect and closet history buff. He knows a little about everything, and although lovingly curmudgeonly, I’m only recently understanding and appreciating the fact that he forced so much (non-fashion) reading and culture into my life at a young age. All the more reason for me to ponder the origins of the Lithuanian language to Sanskrit as I sew on a button to a new creation.
My mother, never without a wink and a gimmicky idea, had always been a Jane-of-All-Trades and taught me to be tremendously resourceful. She’s also contributed her wardrobe (willingly and sometimes not) to my growing fashion archive.
My sister, Lina, really the sweetest and funniest girl ever, has a heart made of solid platinum and has supported me since I was making clothing for her Barbie dolls. She still buys my full-size human clothes today.
My grandmothers were really always supportive of my art and in fact I just had a piece of my Grandma Stases’ furniture sent to me the other day. It’s a plain coffee table on the outside, but on the inside back of the table top is where I used to do my first fashion sketches in crayon when my grandma wasn’t looking. She pretended to be stern when she saw what I had done, but always laughed it off and encouraged me to draw more.

American Lithuanian Milda Bublys is currently working as a teacher at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, which is also where she studied for four years.

Milda says she loves working with students as this is where it all begins - the excitement, the energy and fresh ideas - not jaded by the negativity of the fashion world. It can be very energizing for her. “The remainder of my time is split.” – adds Milda. One half of her time is spent crafting one of a kind pieces for discerning clients with her clothing line at: www.mildabublys.com and also working on a new collection of wearable art/jewellery with the painter and her partner, Sarah Schrift: www.sarahandmilda.com

“Everything I do is very special, handmade and using resources that are repurposed, vintage or donated. Not only do I feel better about what I am doing for the earth, but it removes a lot of clutter from my studio and my life when scraps of fabric become embellished appliqués on a new necklace,” explains Milda.

Recently Milda spent a couple weeks in Lithuania. LiTnews asked her to share her impressions about Lithuanian clothes, to compare them with New Yorkers’ style and to give us some tips about original style and what to wear during the spring season. We also wanted to know how her Lithuanian background influences Milda’s work.

You visited Lithuania recently. What could you say about Lithuanian clothes? Can you compare Vilnius and New York?

I grew up in Michigan, going to Lithuanian school and hearing all about my heritage via history books and drawings of the old Lithuanian farm life. So I had a very different picture in my head - I seriously thought that every girl in Lithuania dressed like the olden days - in long skirts with aprons, heavy linen blouses and vests, all from rough-woven cloth. Not so as it turned out!

I’ve visited over a dozen times over the years, what I’ve noticed is that Lithuanian women have a wonderful knack for bringing specialty and craft into their everyday wardrobe. Whether it’s a special hand-sewn stitch, some embroidery, or a pin and scarf that changes up their every day look, it looks like it has a handmade touch.

New Yorkers are a special lot - as our city is really and truly a melting pot, the average fashionista here dresses like a UN representative - with a little influence of two cultures or more in her everyday look. Take for instance my choice today - I’m wearing an H&M top from NYC, amber necklaces from Lithuania, jeans from Italy, and a scarf I picked up in Bali!

It was quite a long time between this and your last trip to Lithuania - do you see any changes in the Lithuanian look?

Yes, but sadly, I think it’s due to mass consumerism. Though Lithuanian women are more trendy and fashion-forward than I remember previously, what I find more of here is disposable fashion. I feel like there used to be more of a market for carefully crafted clothes. Girls couldn’t afford much, but the one piece they bought sustained them for a long time and they invested in it, just accessorizing it differently everyday. Now I feel like places like Zara have invaded individual tastes and made them look more like everyone else.

Maybe you got some inspiration from your visit here?

I’m a huge fan of the Baroque churches in the Old Town. Particularly Sv. Onos, which looks like a big pink Barbie cake with white icing to me. The other thing I found amazing was the graffiti everywhere - so colourful and decorating the bleak winter landscape like little coloured gems tossed into the snow.

What are your impressions of the Lithuanian fashion industry?

Some years ago, I attended some fashion shows and it seemed that there was a small, burgeoning industry. The designers are most certainly very creative, but I think it’s difficult to prevail here as it’s geographically quite isolated. I had some relatives in Kaunas who were furriers for some years, so I came to know it, and I think Lithuanians really do this best.

As a country that is shrouded in ice for the better part of the year, I believe the inclination to create great outerwear that keeps you warm, but can still look amazing, is key. On my recent trip to Vilnius I kept chasing down women on the street to take pictures of their furs - from herringbone designs to coloured collars, it’s been the most interesting I’ve seen.

Who are some Lithuanian fashion designers who in your opinion could compete in the world’s fashion market?

I’ve heard quite a bit about Juozas Statkevičius, and it seems he’s quite the favourite. My sister told me that he is a neighbour of ours in Vilnius! I’m a fan of his clothing and a big, big fan of his fragrance. I also love Ramunė Piekautaitė - she really understands the drape of cloth and creating beautifully constructed clothing.

New York is one of world’s fashion capitals. I guess that means that there are plenty of opportunities for fashion designers, but on the other hand does this also mean that there is a lot of competition?

New York, by definition, is extremely competitive. Even when you ride the subway you are competing with people for a seat, in the café to be served first, at the grocery to get the freshest produce. You’re always fighting for something. The fashion industry here is quite the same way - which gets tiring over the years. I think it’s important to find your voice as a designer and keep at it. What I’ve been trying to do is carve out my own niche and make specialty items that please me, and hopefully appeal to a small group of women as well.

You were born in the USA, but grew up in a Lithuanian family. Are there any links to Lithuania in your creations?

As much as I have tried, my culture is always a part of me. There’s a beautiful storytelling in Lithuanian, particularly its pagan fairytale past and the legends of Archduke warriors that dot history. Also the crafts like the egg-painting (margučiai) and things made of straw and pottery have always intrigued me. Things that I am working on now involve the beautiful patterns of my grandmother’s margučiai on clothing and jewellery.

Spring is already here. What would you recommend for those who want to follow the latest fashion trends?

I’m not a trend person at all! But what I do recommend is that you wear colourful clothing, something that brings out your inner sparkle and makes you confident and happy. If you want to follow what the magazines are telling you, take those ideas and make them your own. There’s much more pride in being able to love and be yourself!

Am I right in thinking that for you personal style is more important than fashion?

Certainly personal style! Fashion is ever-changing and is wonderful as you can put a new ‘hat’ on everyday. There’s so much visceral beauty in these items that we wear, but you have to be careful not to take anything too seriously or we end up looking like a cookie-cutter stamp with an expiration date.

This can be expensive and exhausting - what is a better devotion of energy is to pick things that look flattering on you, with colours and details that speak of your personality. Sometimes it’s even better when you get it all wrong - accidents make the best inspiration to try again and get it right the next time.

Story: Ray Vyšniauskas

On first meeting Žydrūnas Savickas you are simply astounded by his size. Though he stands at 191 cm (6’3”) it is not his height that impresses, it is his girth. At 175 kilograms he is a giant of a man with forearms the size of logs and a chest that belittles a barrel of any kind.
The softly spoken Žydrūnas also surprises with his almost baby-face looks and defied all my attempts at branding. The Beast from Biržai or the Behemoth from Birštonas were considered, but the only title that really sticks is: World’s Strongest Man.

With a list of world records wider than even his arms or 26 victories in international competition, the master of the log lift and true Lithuanian Ambassador spoke to us about his career.

Žydrūnai, were you strong as a boy, and what took you into strongman competition?

At first I wanted to be a bodybuilder, I wanted to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger and so I took up bodybuilding. Strongman competitions were not very popular back then, and they only started competitions in Lithuania when I was 16, and that’s when I competed for the first time, and I liked it. Then for a while I tried to do both, but there came a time where I had to choose between the two, and I made the decision to concentrate on strongest man competitions and took it from there.

I started working out when I was 13. I was lucky that I was tall and strong. My father and grandfather were very strong; my grandfather was blacksmith, and I think all his hard work rubbed off on me. My father was very strong and my mother was also a tall and strong woman, so I had good genetics.

I remember my first competition in 1992, it was in Joniškis and I was 16. I was nervous for the whole month before and hardly slept. I didn’t do that well overall, but I took second place in one event. That is a great memory, and from then I understood that I could achieve something in this sport.

How did Lithuania become a world power in strongest man competitions?

At first in Lithuania there was just a small group of us, and we didn’t know what was happening elsewhere in the world back in 1988, there was just not much information available to us. From 1993 international competitions started, and we saw that we were at a comparatively low level. We looked upon the international competitors as giants, and didn’t believe that Lithuania could ever even compete with them, let alone dominate the sport. We didn’t even think about it back then.

After 10 years everything has changed of course, and now Lithuania is the champion country and I am the individual world champion.

Why are Lithuanians so good in this sport?

Lithuanians are well suited to the sport, we are tall and strong, which is a great start, and second we grew up at a time when we were lucky there were so many good strong competitors here. It helped that we competed against each other, and so the level grew. And now our success is attracting more youth to the sport so it continues.

Are there any young Lithuanian champions on the horizon?

Vilmanatas Bliujus is one young champion from Alytus, he was seventh in an open championship competition and close to the leaders in some events, so I think he’s someone with a good future.

Then there are two brothers from Mažeikiai, Vytautas and Marius Lalas. They are very strong. These three are the best prospects at the moment. Marius Lalas took 3rd in an up to 105 kg class event. At 25 he is very young in this sport.

What is the optimum age for strongman competition, and what are your own future ambitions?

A strongman usually peaks between 30 – 35. You can build strength up to the age of 40, but you can lose some speed. I’m 34 and see that I am still improving.

Next year I will compete less, only in the most important events, probably five or six at most. With age you need more time to recover.

I plan to compete three or four more years, and even then just selected events like the Schwarzenegger Classic and some other major competitions, all so I won’t be working out all year, it’s just too hard on the body.

My most active years were from 2005 – 2008 when I was taking part in up to 20 competitions a year. It is hard on the body and you get tired. This year I relaxed for six month, then trained hard, I reached peak form and was looking forward to competing. This year I took part in 11 competitions and won them all.

What about your training and diet?

Training needs a lot of energy, I need to eat a lot, and eat well, but you also need supplements because it’s just too hard to get all you need out of just food. I try to eat healthy and often.
I train two to four hours per day depending on whether I am close to competition or not. When I am training for competition, then I spend up to four hours on each discipline.

For the most important competitions there are about five events which are most popular, and you need to train for them. There are other events that don’t appear so often so you don’t need to train for them every session. You always know in advance what events will be staged at your next competition, so you train accordingly.

Log lift, the farmers walk, stone lift and super yoke are disciplines that are held most often, so you concentrate on those.

This year you won the combined strongest man competition. You noted elsewhere that this was a special moment for you.

Yes, from 2005 – 2007 World Strongest Man competition wasn’t recognised as the official world championship as the sport was split into two groups. In the other camp was the IFSA.
The World Strongest Man had the best name in the sport, but not the best sportsmen. I wanted to test and prove myself against the best, and that’s why I went with the IFSA, but there was always the uneasiness about the split, probably more in the eyes of the public.

None of us really thought that the two camps would ever join again, but in 2009 the international strongman title was re-united. Of course some were not so happy about having to face such tough competition again, but there was once more just the one international title. I won and put all the doubt behind me, and so I was then properly recognised as three time world champion.

You have a long and distinguished history at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, how did that come about?

The Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic started in 2001 and I really wanted to take part, but I had an injury in the first year and didn’t get past the qualifying tournament. That made me more determined to work hard to make the next one.

Then I came second in 2002, and I was fully fit in 2003 and prepared the best in my career and determined to do my best, probably not really thinking about winning.

I met Arnold Schwarzenegger during the warm-ups in 2003 and he watched the whole competition. He was not the governor then, so he had more time on his hands. I won and he presented the award and congratulated me and that is one of the best memories I have.
I won six times in a row and we met up this year again when I was invited as a guest and judge because I was injured, and we spent more time together. And next year I hope we will meet for an eighth time to accept the winning prize.

What are your interests away from the sport?

I am engaged and getting ready to marry soon. I do a lot of travelling so when I get the chance I like to spend time at home. I read a lot.

I have lived in Vilnius for five years now. My mother lives in Biržai and I go there often.
I trained in Birtonas in my early years, and even now I go down there to train once a week and during the season I will be there twice a week.

Through your actions and ability have become a great ambassador for Lithuania. Are there any official duties you perform?

No, I’m not officially anything, but I am one of the best known Lithuanians around the world. Often I have the role of having to tell people about Lithuania, where it is, its history.

All around the world Lithuanians come to see me and I see Lithuanian flags in the crowd, and it makes it easier to compete and win. You feel you can’t lose when you see so many people there to support you, you can’t let them down and ruin their day.

What are your favourite moments in sport?

It’s hard to pick a best moment. All competitions are memorable, always in different places, all with their own intrigues, always interesting.

I was in Australia for the first time recently, and it’s one of the best countries I have visited and would like to visit again. We competed in Brisbane and the zoo left a very good impression. Next time I’ll try to stay a bit longer and have a look around, and visit New Zealand as well.
It was their first international competition and organisers hope to do it every year.

We spent three days competing at Dreamworld (Australia’s largest theme park) and after competition all the strongmen went on all the rides and everyone enjoyed it. We pretended not to be scared, but we only managed to relax when we were taking rides for the third time, but it was a lot of fun.

Story: Deimantė Dokšaitė

Photo: Jurga Galvanauskaitė

Inga Lukauskienė (pictured) is the founder and owner of the online linen store - LinenMe. Origi­nally from Plungė, and a graduate of KLC School of Design, she now lives in the UK. Inga started selling Lithuanian linen products to British customers, but now LinenMe sells their products throughout the world.

Inga, who is a textile and profes­sional interior designer tells us about her inspiration, and her ABC of business which she learnt back in Plungė working for her parents as a young girl. She also talks about her thoughts on the new trends in linen fashion and the varying tastes of customers from different countries.

Let’s start from the beginning - how did linen come into your life? How did you start making money from it?

Linen production was not the first business area I got involved in. Firstly, my family had a florist business and as a little girl I used to help them sell flowers at a local market. Another task for me as a little helper was to assist with the gardening at the rose greenhouse, and at one point there were nearly a 1000 rose shrubs! I loved arranging flowers into bouquets, so I suppose that was the first time I had to do colour arrangement and design!

Once Lithuania gained independence, my mother who has worked for over 35 years in the linen industry, established her own linen production company in Plungė. For many years this company has been manufacturing luxurious hand-made linen tablecloths, towels, bedding and other home accessories, but all this production was for foreign clients.

How did you start LinenMe? How did the idea of selling linen to the British come about?

I have been involved in this process since the very beginning, and it always struck me that no matter how high the quality is of our Lithuanian linen, it will still bear the name of some foreign brand, sold on a famous high street shop or department store with just a tiny mention on the tag of Made in Lithuania.

We decided that it would be excellent to develop our own Lithuanian linen brand and try to establish it on a European, or perhaps even global level. This is how LinenMe was born in 2007. In November 2007 the online shop was officially opened and Linen­Me products became widely available to the UK market.

What makes your linen production unique?

At LinenMe we have remained focused on producing hand-made linen items such as hemstitched tablecloths, linen napkins, towels, cushion covers and luxurious bedding. Old tradi­tional Lithuanian crafting skills are highly appreciated worldwide, for instance stunning embroidery, intricate hemstitching, crocheting and so on. For many years linen in Lithuania was just ‘something you would see at your grandmother’s place’, old-fashioned, un-cool and dated, however, linen is going through a revival. Pure linen is getting more popular, vintage weaving and designs are fashionable again, and linen shops are not just for tourists!

I would say the main difference is that our high quality linen reaches the customer without going through all the unnecessary designing/branding/marketing circles that inflate the cost of linen. We are the designers and manufacturers in one, offering affordable luxury.

Please tell us about taste in different countries.

Tastes and preferences differ depending on local traditions, popular styles and standards. Shoppers from certain regions adore coloured linen products, while others go solely for the natural unbleached/un-dyed linen look. Shoppers from the US prefer natural, earthy colours – browns, greens, oranges, while the British love blue. At the same time, blue-dyed linen is not to the European taste. Scandinavians absolutely adore natural and white linen, but from our perspective we try to cater for all styles and tastes.

Home improvement is extremely popular in the UK, and updating your home with soft furnishings, a set of new curtains, a couple of colourful cushions or new upholstery fabrics for your sofas can be financially rewarding and much easier to achieve than to repaint and refit the whole living space.

Could Lithuanian linen be something like tulips for Holland, vodka for Russia, or Guinness for Ireland?

Absolutely! Even though Lithuania, as a small country in the Baltic region, it is better known for its basketball achievements and amber jewellery, I am a strong believer that Lithuanian linen also represents the country in a global context very well. I think flax growing and linen weaving as an industry has withstood many difficult periods in its history, but without doubt Lithuanian linen is well-known for its quality, traditional methods of processing, weaving, embroidery, hemstitching and so on.

Baltic linen is highly appreciated by textile experts all over the world, and many globally-known brands produce their linen in Lithuania. The Lithuanian climate has always been perfect for growing high quality flax. Baltic linen is unique for its naturally darker shade; the darker the fabric the better. It is unfortunate that Lithuanian flax industry is struggling at the moment and is not being treated as an important industry that deserves to be cherished. Traditional flax growing and linen production techniques are a significant part of the Lithuanian heritage.

How popular is linen back in Lithuania?

I would say that linen wouldn’t be as popular in Lithuania if it wasn’t for the global trend – people all over the world are tending to switch back to using natural textiles, investing in good quality affordable linen products. Perhaps we haven’t learnt to properly appreciate what we’ve had for centuries right under our noses?

Linen bedding, soft furnishings and accessories are coming back into fashion, and Lithuania is no exception. The home design specialists started offering wider ranges of linen products, in many cases labelled with foreign brands, but most likely manufactured and produced in Lithuania.

The partnership of linen and amber is already well appreciated – do you think this Lithuanian ‘couple’ have a good perspective in the international market?

Traditional Lithuanian folk outfits always included linen garments and amber jewellery. Lithuanian amber is valued for both its looks and healing qualities, while Lithuanian linen is unique for its dark natural shade and durability.

The look of a linen dress paired with an amber necklace is one thing, but using pure linen and amber in in­terior design is a completely different story. Linen napkins look great with silver napkin rings, but they also can be decorated with amber-bead rings. We have added some table accessories made from Lithuanian amber to our assortment this summer, but it’s a matter of preference really.

While exhibiting at The Spirit of Christmas Fair in London last November we had some amber bead napkin rings displayed in our stand. Surprisingly, hardly anyone assumed the accessory was made with real amber. They thought it was plastic!

Tell us how everything is organized. I mean, creating collections, making them in Lithuania, ordering goods in your e-shop, paying, shipping, advertising etc?

As Lithuanian fashion designer Aleksandras Pogrebnojus once joked: “The reason why each year new colours are announced fashionable is to allow the designers to sell exactly the same garment over and over again.” But on a more serious note, we attend textile fairs and industry shows (such as Heimtextil in Germany) where new trends for the next season are announced. Knowing and understanding the forthcoming trends is essential when creating new linen col­lections.

We do not hire any external designers at LinenMe products. As a recent graduate of London’s KLC School of Design, I am the main designer behind each and every product.

Inspiration comes from everywhere, any time of a day. We also offer linen design services, and are encouraging our customers to become home interior designers themselves. DIY is extremely popular nowadays, and if someone is looking for a specific soft furnishing, we are glad to produce it.

Once items are designed, they are produced in Lithuania and sold exclusively online. The process of running an e-shop is not that different from any other online business, but what is really convenient is that whatever the design, we can produce it and deliver it within the shortest possible period of time.

Marius Jovaiša became quite well known after releasing his photo album “Unseen Lithuania” a couple of years ago.

It became one of the most sought after gifts for anyone who was already in love with Lithuania, or for those who had never seen the beauty of the country.

Now Jovaiša has come up with a  new project – a trademark for Lithuania as the heart of the Baltics.

Jovaiša hopes that his idea will get public attention and they will start using this trademark in their email signatures, power point presentations, business cards and any other communication.

We asked Jovaiša a few questions about his project and intentions.

You were known for criticizing Lithuanian brands, for example the trademark of Lithuania as a brave country. Why you think your trademark is better?

I am not an outspoken critic of commercial Lithuanian brands, I just happen to take interest in country branding and so I was very disappointed with Lithuanian government’s decision to brand our country as brave.

I think it does not produce any value for the country, and does not increase its attractiveness. My proposal is to use something which is much more broadly recognized worldwide and based on that to build our communication. This ‘something’ is the Baltic Sea.

Why heart? Because we are much more emotional than other Baltic nations? Or for some other reasons?

Heart is a very powerful symbol with multiple layers of meanings. On one hand, we are the biggest of the three Baltic countries, we have the widest heritage of history, culture, architecture and archaeology. We were the only ones to have a national state back in thirteenth century.

On the other hand, we were the center of Baltic tribes named after the Baltic Sea. Lithuania serves as a bridge from east to west, from north to south.

And yes, we are emotional and so every Lithuanian can easily come up with more explanations as to why it is us and not the Latvians or Estonians who are heart of the Baltics.

Don’t you think that only we believe that the Baltic Sea is well known, but other people, especially those who don’t live in this area have no idea where it is? So is saying the Baltic Sea is even more meaningless than saying Lithuania?

Absolutely not. I have developed this approach during my numerous worldwide travels. It as a fact that the  Baltic sea is much more well known than Lithuania. If you happen to be among people who don’t know the name Baltic Sea, you can easily tell them that it’s a see in northern Europe around which there is Sweden, Finland and Germany, and then you’ll be OK.

How can you explain your generosity? People find it hard to believe that somebody is doing something for free - just because it is good. What are your intentions?

It is not the first time I am doing something for free. Some people will still never believe that, and will keep looking for hidden reasons, but I honestly just want to solve this problem for once and for all. I feel like I have a strong proposal and I hope it will work.

Any plans to develop this idea of Lithuania – Heart of Baltics? Any future ideas to work with the Lithuanian image?

I have established a public enterprise – a not for profit organization “Lithuania – heart of the Baltics”. It will develop the brand and spread it both in Lithuania and abroad. So far I am its sole financier but I hope more sponsors will be attracted and maybe the government will begin to participate in this process eventually.

We were grateful to Kęstutis Kemzūra (pictured) for sparing some time to talk to us about his appointment as Head Coach of the Lithuanian Men’s National Basketball team.

What are your first impressions of your new job as Head Coach of the Lithuanian Men’s National Basketball team?

What can you say? Like all jobs it has its pressure. It has a big responsibility and like everyone I will work as hard as I can, but hopefully with more energy and enthusiasm. I know there will be more pressure later on, but that is something you have to deal with when the time comes.

What about the team itself – what are you first thoughts on its formation?

There has been a lot of talk about bringing more youth into the team. For me I just want the best and the most motivated players, and then of course a lot depends on whether we will be playing in the world championships.

If not, then I think it’s worth giving players an off-season to relax and recuperate.

Age is not the criteria from which you choose your team. All of them could play well in 2011, but no-one knows what might happen in that time in terms of form, injury or retirement.

What is Lithuania’s chance of getting a wildcard invitation to the world championships?

December 13 is when the final decision will be made and only then will we know for sure whether we have to prepare for the World Championships, but I don’t know what will happen. I do know that the Lithuanian Basketball Federation is doing all it can to find a way for us to compete. I haven’t heard about the latest developments, but someone made a suggestion that the final places should be decided by a qualifying tournament, and I like that idea.

In the end is it a matter of paying for the ticket?

No, it is not totally a matter of money, but it seems an important consideration. The sum of 500,000 euro was mentioned.

Have you spoken to the players?

I haven’t spoken to the players as yet, and that will be one of my first jobs. I will try to meet them when I can, others I will have to talk to over the phone.

It’s not just a matter of talking about them playing or not, and not just about basketball, I want to learn about their life plans. It’s more a question of where they are and what they want to achieve. Every team has different problems and concerns which have to be dealt with. I want to know how they look at their role and to see what they want for themselves.

I have worked with many of the players, some less so, but I have good relations with them all. I think that in the future it will stay that way. I have no worries with any players, and I can’t say that they would have any towards me.

How would you describe the job – diplomatic, psychological or just physical training?

The psychological aspect is present in every club. Any team is like an organism and every organism is different, you have to pay more or less attention to differing aspects. You have to see and feel the processes that are taking place. There are different players, and groups of players that create different dynamics, which all has to be taken into account.

You pick players not just for their basketball ability. You want to know about their off-court life as well. The national team is a bit different, but you still have to gather the best players available. That is one step, but then they have to become the best team, and that all has to be done in a very short space of time.

The job is to sell your ideas and vision to the team and for them to accept it and move forward together as a unit. They need to know that the coach knows what he’s talking about.

On the one hand it’s easier than coaching at a club from the view that players arrive and are committed and want to play for their country and not just money. In the national team you come for sporting principles.

In a club you play for money. There can be monetary problems with players, late wages, and this creates a whole new set of problems. This isn’t a factor in the national team.

When do you start the serious work of coaching?

The job is already taking place. Planning, staff, and looking to the future. What’s happening now is unseen, it is the creation stage. It is like an artistic composition, it looks like nothing is happening but much of the future is being planned and idealised.

Will you also coach at club level?

I am a hired coach on contract with the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, but my requirement was that I have the right to work with club teams, and that was approved, and my agent is looking for clubs for me to coach.

What is your agreement with the Lithuanian Basketball Federation regards the aim and strategy of the team?

With the Lithuanian Basketball Federation I have the final say on what happens with the team. Of course we have discussed strategy, aims and goals. Mostly I talk with Mindaugas Balčiūnas, he has become my liaison there, and it is usual that most communication goes through a particular person, and we have had many discussions. There are always many technical questions as well as game plans to decide. We have talked about everything.

I am open about my work and what I do, but at the end of the day the responsibility is mine. I am ultimately answerable for the success or otherwise of the national team.

You have a quiet and reserved character for such a high profile position.

I don’t like to boast and it is not necessary for me to seek attention for its own sake, and I understand that attention only usually gets in the way. At the moment I haven’t won or lost a game, but there is a lot ahead.

The most important thing is that we don’t take short cuts and work solely for the win. In this business you are judged by your results. Even though it doesn’t always fully reflect the effort you put in. In previous championships teams have played well but not achieved results, and vice versa.

What is your coaching style? Do you demand discipline to stick to a system, or do you give players more freedom?

You always start with a plan and it changes over time. Basketball is a game and you’ll find very few teams with such a tight system that players can’t move out of.

I work more on establishing principles that the players can then use as a basic structure, my strategy is based more on principles than a rigid structure.

What is a good shot, what is a bad shot? - it’s often not easy to make that judgement. The players are on the court, you can’t expect them to be robots. But a lot depends on the player. One might have more ability which gives them more freedom to move away from the rigidity of the structure.

So what have you been doing while waiting for the decision on the world championships?

I’m still picking my support team. We have no time pressure so I can look at it properly and give it full consideration. You have to talk to people, find a time to meet, then they have to have time to think about their answer. It’s not a process that can be rushed, and if it’s done properly it will be much better in the long run. The full team should be in place before too long.

In regards to the championships, it’s not just me waiting for the decision, all Lithuania is waiting. I am keeping an eye on the form of players.

As I don’t have a club I have more time to see how all our players are performing, and now I have the time to look deeper into each of them. It is as much a hobby as a job and it is lucky I have the extra time to do that at the moment.

How do you plan to deal with the pressure when it does arrive?

Expectations are always high. In Lithuania I know this.

I don’t know what happened in the last championship, why some players didn’t go and why we still expected a medal. The chances to achieve good results are rare enough already, and to put extra pressure on everyone concerned just makes the task harder.

There are a lot of components you need to put together and you also have to have realistic expectations. There are not many teams that can put pressure on themselves and still perform, Spain was one and they stated before the games that they came to win, and then achieved that despite a slow start. They were good enough to recover. And the USA can state at the start of a tournament that they are there to win, but those teams are rare.

You have to set your maximum goals and they need to be achievable. The Serbs went there with much lower expectations and they came home with the silver.

Have you noticed a change in your life since taking the job?

No. There has been no reason for it to change yet.

Do you get advice from strangers?

Not so far. Maybe I’m not as easily recognised as yet, and I believe a lot will depend on when we start playing and how we will go. So far I can walk calmly down the streets.

Can I ask if you are a Žalgiris or Rytas fan?

I’ll be diplomatic. When either team plays in the European championships

I support both teams. But generally I look at games more professionally - what they do and how they do it. I know people in both of the teams so there is a personal aspect as well.

While we teach our children that competing is more important than winning, as a coach your only option is to win. How does that manifest itself in the real world?

Wining is number one, no discussion, but with the kids it’s more about competition, but I see that even they want to win. There is a sporting instinct that is needed to be an elite sportsman, and all elite sportspeople have that desire to win.

But it still requires passion. If you come home from a win or a loss and don’t care then it’s time to give up the game. The passion has to be there.

I forget who said it, but I agree with the quote that after each loss a small part of you dies.

His articles in Lietuvos Rytas are very sharp and drive most of his readers insane; they go mad and flood the newspaper’s website with angry comments.

His programs on Lithuanian Radio (Lietuvos radijas) are totally different – in a calm, gentle voice he talks about the UK, where he has lived for the past 15 years, and impressions from his travels around the world.

On 17 December Andrius Užkalnis (pictured), a journalist, is going to launch his first book England: About those people and their country (Anglija: Apie tuos žmones ir jų šalį). Andrius agreed to share with us his thoughts about the similarities and differences between Lithuanian and British people and to tell us a little of what the book will be about.

Your book ‘England: About those people and their country’ will be published soon. How did the inspiration to write it come about? Is it from the your love of the country?

I am not a great believer in inspiration. It is overrated. Except where one is so depressed and tired that they can hardly physically get out of bed, I do not think mood should stop someone from writing. If one has something to say, that is. I love writing and never had to wait for inspiration.

I spent 15 years in England and often noticed how people of my country (of whom there are tens of thousands here) viewed it in a simplistic and critical way, and most of this criticism came out of ignorance. I wanted to help them. I hope it does not sound too arrogant or pretentious, but God is my witness, many of them could do with some help on the understanding front. Why are houses in England so small? Why there are two separate cold and hot water taps? Why is an Indian meal not a foreign meal but part of the national diet? Why do many single malts reek of peat? All these things need explaining. I hope to have done it in a sympathetic and engaging way.

We Lithuanians are not the most open-minded of nations, and travelling does not sit well with us, generally. We have some brilliant travellers but they are not the norm. And the first reaction of a Lithuanian abroad is ridicule and derision. It is not just about being impolite. The bone-headed peasant approach is, first and foremost, hurting the Lithuanians themselves. Instead of seeing another country and learning from it, they forever search for proof of how inferior and nonsensical it is.

I particularly wanted to be helpful to people of the older generation: those who now travel to UK to see their grandchildren as their children moved to this country, and often it is one of their first opportunities to travel abroad. They hold a lot of stereotypes and myths about England, fostered by Russian textbooks and TV decades ago. I wanted them to be better informed than that.

In this way, I am both cruel and kind in my writing. I debunk myths mercilessly but at the same time I hope that the information and understanding that people are left with in the end is helpful.

I would never say that I fell in love with England. I came to know it quite well, and many of the things here I admire. There are things that I like less - like the encroaching childishness, political correctness, the peculiar fascination of the educated classes with the wackiest left-wing ideas. But I tend to try and understand the reasons behind them even when I know full well I could not accept them.

As I said on one occasion, when people like Polly Toynbee or George Monbiot of the Guardian can write what they like, it is called freedom of speech. However, when their lunatic rants are seen as the mainstream thought of the educated class, it is creepy.

Still, I think the country is great: the layers of history, the openness to the world and the sheer taste for travel and exploration of the world is astounding. Coming from a small country with very insular, peasant-like mentality and parochial approach to almost everything, the scale of the best in British ambition and aspiration is awesome. I tried to communicate this in my book.

What will the book be about? Is it some kind of travel guide? Or intended for those who want to move to England?

It is not a travel guide as such. Not that it would not be useful for someone who travels to the UK (indeed, in the last chapter I included some practical tips and suggestions about enjoying the best that the country can offer).

I would not like to be part of anyone’s decision to relocate to another country, and not because “incitement to emigration” has only been recently decriminalised in Lithuania (this legal provision did exist although I never heard of anyone prosecuted on these charges - call it a bizarre anomaly). A decision to move has to be one’s own; however, the more you know about the country, the better.

I think this applies to all travel - whether it is for ten days or ten years. Many disappointments stem from ignorance and lack of homework. The same happens when half-baked myths and stereotypes take the place of some old-school preparation. I have nothing against stereotypes and generalizations - I think it is part of human nature to draw conclusions, that’s what analysis process is about - but the trouble with lazy stereotypes is that they are unhelpful. I believe that the best aspect of travel is catching glimpses and reflections of our own memories and bits of knowledge. If you are working on shoddy knowledge, it is very difficult to do.

In your opinion, what are the main similarities and the biggest differences between Lithuanians and English people?

English life is all about individuality. It is not about collective. Being a naturally private person and not a great fan of ideas of communal work, play and amusement, I took to England very well. I enjoy privacy and people minding their own business. I appreciate the understatement and hints rather than theatrical, Baroque display of emotion that most Lithuanians are so fond of.

This does not make me a very good and typical Lithuanian, but I guess it takes all sorts.

I also enjoy the concept of a personality-centered world. I like it when people refer to “I” and “my” when talking about their job, their role and their authority. When I came to England, it surprised me to hear a middle-level manager of a company say “on MY payroll, I have 20 people”, “people whom I pay” - it was unusual but I thought it was brilliant. A Lithuanian manager would never say that. He would refer to the company, the organization, any large entity, or any entity, for that matter. He would never use “I”.

I like it when a judge, a policemen, even a tax inspector says “I”, and does not believe he must hide behind an organization or a body. This is the single biggest difference that I can admire.

Next to it, the natural mistrust that an Englishman feels toward people who take themselves too seriously. Someone who is not able to laugh at themselves is seen as seriously socially deficient, or at best pompous and humourless. In Lithuania, pompousness comes with social status and often needs to be engaged so that a person is respected as a figure of authority. I always disliked that and England was a breath of fresh air for me in this respect.

The English are famous for their peculiar humour. Do you have a favourite English joke and would share it with our readers?

My main observation - and I note this in my book - is that the principal aspect of English humour is that it is not separate from serious activities and thoughts.

We in Lithuania think that joking is an activity which has to know its time and place. A normal Englishman would not imagine a presentation without a joke, a bit of self-mockery, a tongue-in-cheek reference. The only person in UK who can go on for an hour with a sombre expression on his face and be an absolute killjoy, Lithuanian-style, is Prime Minister Gordon Brown, but he is not English anyway and I am not really sure if he is truly a person. He would also qualify for the best English joke, albeit a macabre one. He is also a proof that not only Lithuanians can have scandalously inept and socially maladjusted people in high offices.

You recently marked 100 days in office as the Foreign Minister, what have been the most pressing issues you have needed to deal with as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs?

You know the key topic in the world today economic crisis. Those currently in the government (be it in Lithuania, Germany or Singapore) are to certain extent runners on the track of growing hurdles. The faster and smarter the governments sprint, the bigger the chances for their countries not to fall over one of these hurdles. So, the diplomatic service of Lithuania has also been seriously engaged in fighting the economic crisis.

We are searching for potential investors all over the world and we are working actively with the Lithuanian business community in helping them to export. I have already participated in two trips with the foreign ambassadors residing in Lithuania to iauliai and Alytus in order to promote the investment environment of the two towns. We are also working very actively inside the EU stressing the European principle of solidarity and seeking that the EU would stand united in the light of today s challenges and the member-states outside the EU zone were not left alone to struggle severe economic problems they are currently facing.

One thing is clear - foreign policy is an extension of internal policy. So, if a country wants to conduct efficient diplomacy, it must do its homework properly. We are trying to do the same now. We are working with the Ministry of Economy in order to form concrete proposals ready for significant investment. Moreover, we are working in close cooperation with the Ministry of Energy in order to prepare the energy sector for European electricity and gas links. Not only we are in constant contact with the Ministry of Culture on issues of Lithuania s image and our Diaspora abroad but also we work with the Ministry of the Interior in order to improve our consular services.

Believe me, no minister in the current Government of change has a privilege of resting or relaxing. However, this active and hopefully efficient way of life suits us just fine.

You have traveled to the UK, America, Brussels and Latvia, among other countries, what have been your impressions of how the rest of the world sees Lithuania?

I would like to point out that I have not only met officials of foreign countries during my visits. I have also met business people, the academic community and others. The thing that delights me most is that Lithuanians are known in the world. Somebody has friends from Lithuania, business people from the East and the West do business in our country, some people have enjoyed our wonderful lakes and calm farmsteads as tourists, some artists cannot forget our marvellous sand dunes in the Curonian spit. This proves that Lithuania exists in everyday life of Europe and the world.

Regarding the foreign officials I have met, I got the impression they all treat Lithuanians like trustworthy partners, placing confidence in words, commitments and responsibilities.

During your recent trip to America Hilary Clinton paid you some nice personal compliments, and you signed some significant agreements during your visit. Can you tell us more about it?

During my working visit to the US, on 9 March I had a warm and friendly meeting with the Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. We had a good and open exchange of views on a broad range of subjects: transatlantic agenda, policy towards Russia and EU Eastern Neighbourhood countries, energy security, Afghanistan, Guantanamo. I personally underlined the necessity for closer EU-US co-operation and that one with NATO allies. Specifically, I pleaded for the need to develop a joint transatlantic policy towards Russia and Eastern European countries, namely Ukraine and Georgia, in particular in the light of the economic crisis.

We agreed on the importance of engagement in the dialogue with Russia. However, the renewal of the dialogue should be not only constructive but also principled. We need to be as firm and clear as we can in this case. It is not easy to engage with Russia, when this country fails to comply with its commitments. At the same time, we need to strengthen our engagement with Eastern Neighbourhood countries, especially Ukraine and Georgia. We also highlighted the importance of energy security issues, the necessity to work on diversification of energy supplies and independence from single energy source. We also agreed that Afghanistan is a major priority for NATO at the time being.

After the meeting, Secretary Clinton and I signed the Protocol of Exchange of Ratification on the Treaties of Bilateral Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance. These twin agreements between the United States and Lithuania will allow police and prosecutors in both countries to employ state-of-the-art tools to cooperate more effectively to bring criminals to justice on both sides of the Atlantic. The agreements will form part of an important network of similar agreements that the United States has reached with all the countries of the European Union. This exchange is the first of 27 that the United States will undertake in coming months with all EU member countries.

Lithuania is a small country, but we play an important role in mediation between the EU and Georgia, Ukraine and Belarus, among others. Is Lithuania a major player in the EU family, or are our efforts just a sideshow to decisions beyond our control?

I don’t think the distinction between the major players and the “sideshows” is really valid here. I believe that our task should not be gaining the status of a major player, or a regional power, or the centre of the region. Our task and vital interest, instead, is a stable, democratic and prosperous neighbourhood. I’m convinced that this interest is rather universal; it unites us with the people of our partners in the Eastern neighbourhood. That is why we are engaged in assisting the people of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Belarus to reach this task.

Our efforts of mediation between the EU and Eastern Neighbourhood countries are also aimed at this very task, as we often feel that we grasp the situation in the region better than some older members of the EU, that we have a deeper knowledge of internal processes and inherent mentalities. This expertise is an important asset for the EU as a whole, and not merely a “sideshow”. Not all our efforts have immediate tangible results; nevertheless, we gain experience ourselves, and we earn sincere appreciation by our partner countries.

There is always opposing schools of thought in Lithuania, those that seek better relations with Russia, and those that want to hold them to task over the crimes of the Soviet era. How do you see the future with our largest neighbour?

There are questions over which Lithuania and Russia don t have a common ground, but that doesn t stop Lithuania from continuing to pursue its goals and seeking closer contacts with Russia that could lead us to a constructive dialogue. We have noticed signs of more constructive attitude from Russia on our bilateral agenda. We welcome this sign towards more dialogue.

Over the past 18 years Lithuania succeeded in establishing a solid legal basis for bilateral cooperation in the areas of economy, culture, trade, etc. Russia is main Lithuania s trade partner. Trade turnover is gradually rising and in 2008 it amounted to more than 7 billion euros. I am convinced that mutual efforts of both countries will contribute to the successful development of our relations in the future and will generate positive results on our bilateral agenda.

Let me remind you that Lithuania seeks to pursue principled and constructive cooperation with Russia, expand mutually beneficial economic and cultural ties, as well as pursue dialogue with Russia based on democratic values, truth and justice. Lithuania dedicates specific attention to the Kaliningrad region of Russian Federation, with a perspective to promote openness of the region and its cooperation with the EU, particularly in the context of the Lithuanian Presidency in the Council of Baltic Sea States in 2009.

There is a lot of controversy over restructuring of the Department of National Minorities and Lithuanians Living Abroad, and the closing of the Lithuanians Returning to the Homeland Information Centre. What will be the eventual outcome of these changes?

Having in mind the large and permanently growing Lithuanian Diaspora, the 15th Government of Lithuania has obligated to strengthen ties between Lithuania and Diaspora. Among the measures of strengthening ties it envisaged preservation of the Lithuanian language, traditions and culture within the Diaspora, consolidation of the Lithuanian identity, implementation of the concept of Global Lithuania - wider involvement of Lithuanians living abroad into social, cultural, economic and political life of Lithuania - adaptation of Lithuania to live in the Global World.

The Department of National Minorities and Lithuanians Living Abroad has administered two unrelated tasks, both of which are important in the life of a democratic society. Disconnection of these tasks will give more prominence both to the issues related to the national minorities and Diaspora.

The issues of national minorities will be coordinated by the Ministry of Culture and the issues of Lithuanians living abroad by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Department of Lithuanians living abroad will be established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will participate in shaping of the policy of the state towards Lithuanians living abroad and administer financial support of the state to the Lithuanian Diaspora. This Department will also take over information functions, which currently are performed by the Lithuanians Returning to the Homeland Information Centre.

On the level of Government, Board of Diaspora issues will be established. It will be a forum of the Ministers and representatives of Diaspora for discussing and articulating the main strategic trends of relations between Diaspora and the state (homeland). The Board will be chaired by the Prime Minister. Governmental institutions will be obliged to implement decisions and recommendations of the Board.

A new structure of administration of issues related to Lithuanians living abroad will not only improve coordination of activities among state institutions on this issue, but will also help to administrate the state s finances allotted to the issues of Diaspora.

An issue of some controversy has been the allocation of two prisoners from The Guant namo Bay Detention Camp to be held in Lithuania. What is the latest on this?

After receiving the official request from the US administration to help to solve the Guantanamo problem and to accept two detainees, the State Defence Council of Lithuania instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to start consultations with the US administration on this issue and to explore all the aspects needed to make a decision.

Currently, we are in the process of consultations between relevant institutions inside Lithuania, we are also consulting with the US administration. At the same time, we are engaged in the process of discussions and consultations within the European Union with a view to find a common EU platform on the issue. Lithuania will make a final decision only after considering all political, legal, economic, humanitarian and other aspects of possible acceptance of detainees from Guantanamo. This process can take up to several months.

There has been talk about the closure of some Lithuanian embassies, what are the priorities in Lithuania’s diplomatic presence around the world in the current economic and political climate?

Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already notably cut its expenses: representation expenses were reduced by half, almost by half were reduced expenses for business trips and telecommunications. There have also been cuts in other administration expenses, including allowances for diplomats working abroad. In 2009, the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already been reduced by 45 million Litas or 16 %. According to the assignations to the Ministry, currently we are at the level of year 2006.

When it comes to the closure of our embassies, I don t deny that there is a possibility of closing some of them. Although I still believe it can be avoided, since a closure of an embassy has both, financial and political costs. Therefore we have to consider this option properly together with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas and the Government. Now we are making some calculations on whether it is better to close the embassy utterly or leave one or two representatives in a particular country. We will present these calculations by the end of April.

Although the expenses are being reduced, the tasks for our Diplomatic service and challenges are increasing. We are committed to improve our consular services; we aim to put even more effort into search of new export markets for the Lithuanian business and to attract investments. The energy security and Eastern Partnership, as well as an effective Lithuanian European policy and links with the USA and NATO are among top priorities of our foreign policy.

Even in current economic climate embassies have the same long-lasting objective to represent Lithuania duly, assert citizens rights, take part in propagating democratic values and human rights, create safe and stable international environment.

And finally, is it true that you are a tough but fair boss, and often call your various departments at 8.00am to make sure that they start work on time?

I am convinced that the most important thing is to accomplish work and to perform given tasks on time. It is less important whether it is before or after eight o clock.

But as a matter of fact, the time that we have to perform our tasks is limited, so the departments of the Ministry, as well as me, do start work early there is no time to lose.