VILNIUS — Ahead of his meeting later this month with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius is dismissing criticism that the Baltic state’s foreign relations is putting pragmatism over idealism.

British journalist Edward Lucas, the Central and Eastern Europe correspondent for The Economist and a long-time writer on Baltic affairs, said in an interview in Vilnius on March 11 that Lithuania’s recent [private_supervisor]warming of relations with eastern neighbors like Belarus and Russia represents a dangerous compromise in values.

“My worry is that you sacrifice some important values, sacrifice the principled support of democracy in the Russia’s near abroad, you don’t give the Russian democrats someone to believe in. Basically it’s some kind of ‘Schroederization’ in Lithuanian foreign policy and I think that’s the danger,” Lucas told the Baltic News Service, comparing the policy to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s warm relations with Russia and subsequently became the chairman of Nord Stream AG.

Lucas has authored a book “The New Cold War,” in which he asserts that Russia is looking to use energy to reassert its dominance over Eastern Europe lost after the collapse of the U.S.S.R. two decades ago. He is critical of Lithuania’s inability to achieve greater energy independence from Russia, telling Baltic Reports in an interview last week that he saw it as the Baltic state’s greatest failure post-independence.

When asked about Lucas’ comment during an interview with News Radio Thursday morning, Kubilius said that establishing a dialogue with neighboring countries instead of making declarations about their lack of democracy is more productive for Lithuania.

“It is of particularly great importance to communicate both with the closest neighbors, I mean Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia just the same as we intense work with other major capitals of the European Union, where we really find this kind of friendly rapport,” Kubilius said. “An opportunity to meet with the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is important, and it came up courtesy of a certain proposal from the Russian side.”

Kubilius will meet with Putin March 26 and 27 and attend the first International Festival held in the honor of Russian conductor Mstislav Rostropovich. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]warming of relations with eastern neighbors like Belarus and Russia represents a dangerous compromise in values.

“My worry is that you sacrifice some important values, sacrifice the principled support of democracy in the Russia’s near abroad, you don’t give the Russian democrats someone to believe in. Basically it’s some kind of ‘Schroederization’ in Lithuanian foreign policy and I think that’s the danger,” Lucas told the Baltic News Service, comparing the policy to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s warm relations with Russia and subsequently became the chairman of Nord Stream AG.

Lucas has authored a book “The New Cold War,” in which he asserts that Russia is looking to use energy to reassert its dominance over Eastern Europe lost after the collapse of the U.S.S.R. two decades ago. He is critical of Lithuania’s inability to achieve greater energy independence from Russia, telling Baltic Reports in an interview last week that he saw it as the Baltic state’s greatest failure post-independence.

When asked about Lucas’ comment during an interview with News Radio Thursday morning, Kubilius said that establishing a dialogue with neighboring countries instead of making declarations about their lack of democracy is more productive for Lithuania.

“It is of particularly great importance to communicate both with the closest neighbors, I mean Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia just the same as we intense work with other major capitals of the European Union, where we really find this kind of friendly rapport,” Kubilius said. “An opportunity to meet with the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is important, and it came up courtesy of a certain proposal from the Russian side.”

Kubilius will meet with Putin March 26 and 27 and attend the first International Festival held in the honor of Russian conductor Mstislav Rostropovich. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]warming of relations with eastern neighbors like Belarus and Russia represents a dangerous compromise in values.

“My worry is that you sacrifice some important values, sacrifice the principled support of democracy in the Russia’s near abroad, you don’t give the Russian democrats someone to believe in. Basically it’s some kind of ‘Schroederization’ in Lithuanian foreign policy and I think that’s the danger,” Lucas told the Baltic News Service, comparing the policy to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s warm relations with Russia and subsequently became the chairman of Nord Stream AG.

Lucas has authored a book “The New Cold War,” in which he asserts that Russia is looking to use energy to reassert its dominance over Eastern Europe lost after the collapse of the U.S.S.R. two decades ago. He is critical of Lithuania’s inability to achieve greater energy independence from Russia, telling Baltic Reports in an interview last week that he saw it as the Baltic state’s greatest failure post-independence.

When asked about Lucas’ comment during an interview with News Radio Thursday morning, Kubilius said that establishing a dialogue with neighboring countries instead of making declarations about their lack of democracy is more productive for Lithuania.

“It is of particularly great importance to communicate both with the closest neighbors, I mean Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia just the same as we intense work with other major capitals of the European Union, where we really find this kind of friendly rapport,” Kubilius said. “An opportunity to meet with the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is important, and it came up courtesy of a certain proposal from the Russian side.”

Kubilius will meet with Putin March 26 and 27 and attend the first International Festival held in the honor of Russian conductor Mstislav Rostropovich. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]warming of relations with eastern neighbors like Belarus and Russia represents a dangerous compromise in values.

“My worry is that you sacrifice some important values, sacrifice the principled support of democracy in the Russia’s near abroad, you don’t give the Russian democrats someone to believe in. Basically it’s some kind of ‘Schroederization’ in Lithuanian foreign policy and I think that’s the danger,” Lucas told the Baltic News Service, comparing the policy to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s warm relations with Russia and subsequently became the chairman of Nord Stream AG.

Lucas has authored a book “The New Cold War,” in which he asserts that Russia is looking to use energy to reassert its dominance over Eastern Europe lost after the collapse of the U.S.S.R. two decades ago. He is critical of Lithuania’s inability to achieve greater energy independence from Russia, telling Baltic Reports in an interview last week that he saw it as the Baltic state’s greatest failure post-independence.

When asked about Lucas’ comment during an interview with News Radio Thursday morning, Kubilius said that establishing a dialogue with neighboring countries instead of making declarations about their lack of democracy is more productive for Lithuania.

“It is of particularly great importance to communicate both with the closest neighbors, I mean Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia just the same as we intense work with other major capitals of the European Union, where we really find this kind of friendly rapport,” Kubilius said. “An opportunity to meet with the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is important, and it came up courtesy of a certain proposal from the Russian side.”

Kubilius will meet with Putin March 26 and 27 and attend the first International Festival held in the honor of Russian conductor Mstislav Rostropovich. [/private_subscription 1 year]

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