DATE=3/8/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=LITHUANIA - LANDSBERGIS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259988
BYLINE=JON TKACH
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:


INTRO:  The man who led Lithuania's independence 
movement is in Washington, calling on U-S leaders to 
help his country join the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization.  As Lithuanians celebrate the 10th 
anniversary of their independence this week, Vytautus 
Landsbergis says NATO must take in the Baltic nations 
to ensure the stability of Eastern Europe.  V-O-A's 
Jon Tkach reports.

TEXT:  Mr. Landsbergis -- Lithuania's first post-
Communist leader and now speaker of its parliament -- 
is making the rounds of Washington this week, marking 
10 years since he led Lithuania out from under Soviet 
rule.

In a speech Wednesday, he said the best way to 
continue Lithuania's transition to democracy is for 
NATO to accept it and the other Baltic nations as 
members as soon as possible.  He says the Baltic 
states are depending on U-S help.

            /// LANDSBERGIS ACT ///

      We believe Lithuania and all Baltics are key and 
      strategically important in the next round of 
      NATO enlargement.  We believe we are ready.  
      Once again, we depend on you to provide the 
      forceful leadership necessary on this issue.

            /// END ACT ///

Mr. Landsbergis says Lithuania is well on its way to 
becoming part of the European Union and that 
membership in NATO will solidify its ties to the West. 
Those ties, he says, are especially important as the 
West monitors events in Russia -- events, he says, 
Lithuanians are all too familiar with.

            /// LANDSBERGIS ACT ///

      While resisting their oppression and fighting 
      for the liberty with great losses in the late 
      40s and early 50s, Lithuanians were also called 
      bandits by the Soviet machine of war propaganda.  
      We see the Chechnya war as a real, yet 
      anachronistic, colonial war and potential lesson 
      about the new Russia.

            /// END ACT ///

Lithuania and its Baltic neighbors - Latvia and 
Estonia - are being considered for NATO's second round 
of enlargement.  While Lithuanians have in general 
been in favor of membership in both the European Union 
and NATO, Mr. Landsbergis concedes that some of that 
support is slipping.

Several Lithuanian political parties recently 
reflected that shift by coming out in opposition to 
NATO inclusion. (signed)

NEB/JON/JP




08-Mar-2000 15:46 PM EDT (08-Mar-2000 2046 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.