VILNIUS — One of Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė’s political advisers has spoken out against critics who say that her foreign policy is pro-Russian.

Grybauskaitė has been regularly criticized by Lietuvos Rytas columnist Vytautas Radžvilas for her handling of the CIA prison scandal. Since the president came into office, she has forced the information regarding the prison to come out, embarrassing the country’s important ally the United States. The previous administration had [private_supervisor]denied that the prison existed. Meanwhile others have protested her warming relations with Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko and the Kremlin, including The Economist’s Edward Lucas.

Darius Semaška, the president’s chief foreign policy adviser, said on radio that the pro-Russian tag simply “doesn’t stick.”

“The priorities are completely clear. They have known for a long time that Lithuania is anchored to the EU, NATO and we are doing the best we can to meet the Lithuanian national security and prosperity needs in the interests of good-neighborly relations and good practices. We also will use our experience and transfer it to Eastern European countries that want it. This is not special — these priorities were set since our accession to EU and NATO in the first year.”

Semaška denied a rift between the foreign ministry and the president. Earlier the president forced the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas to resign.

“Relations are good, business-like, and specifically the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Minister are well-coordinated, consistent. Interviews, discussions as well as those of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, whose meetings with myself or my colleagues in the Foreign Policy Group regularly participate in and monitor,” the adviser said.

On the subject of the CIA prison, he said the outing of the information on the secret jail is a triumph for Lithuanian values.

“Values are especially emphasized now. We should remember the example of the CIA prison: human rights, rule of law, civil control of special services — these principles were demonstrated as especially important to Lithuania,” Semaška said. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]denied that the prison existed. Meanwhile others have protested her warming relations with Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko and the Kremlin, including The Economist’s Edward Lucas.

Darius Semaška, the president’s chief foreign policy adviser, said on radio that the pro-Russian tag simply “doesn’t stick.”

“The priorities are completely clear. They have known for a long time that Lithuania is anchored to the EU, NATO and we are doing the best we can to meet the Lithuanian national security and prosperity needs in the interests of good-neighborly relations and good practices. We also will use our experience and transfer it to Eastern European countries that want it. This is not special — these priorities were set since our accession to EU and NATO in the first year.”

Semaška denied a rift between the foreign ministry and the president. Earlier the president forced the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas to resign.

“Relations are good, business-like, and specifically the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Minister are well-coordinated, consistent. Interviews, discussions as well as those of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, whose meetings with myself or my colleagues in the Foreign Policy Group regularly participate in and monitor,” the adviser said.

On the subject of the CIA prison, he said the outing of the information on the secret jail is a triumph for Lithuanian values.

“Values are especially emphasized now. We should remember the example of the CIA prison: human rights, rule of law, civil control of special services — these principles were demonstrated as especially important to Lithuania,” Semaška said. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]denied that the prison existed. Meanwhile others have protested her warming relations with Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko and the Kremlin, including The Economist’s Edward Lucas.

Darius Semaška, the president’s chief foreign policy adviser, said on radio that the pro-Russian tag simply “doesn’t stick.”

“The priorities are completely clear. They have known for a long time that Lithuania is anchored to the EU, NATO and we are doing the best we can to meet the Lithuanian national security and prosperity needs in the interests of good-neighborly relations and good practices. We also will use our experience and transfer it to Eastern European countries that want it. This is not special — these priorities were set since our accession to EU and NATO in the first year.”

Semaška denied a rift between the foreign ministry and the president. Earlier the president forced the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas to resign.

“Relations are good, business-like, and specifically the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Minister are well-coordinated, consistent. Interviews, discussions as well as those of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, whose meetings with myself or my colleagues in the Foreign Policy Group regularly participate in and monitor,” the adviser said.

On the subject of the CIA prison, he said the outing of the information on the secret jail is a triumph for Lithuanian values.

“Values are especially emphasized now. We should remember the example of the CIA prison: human rights, rule of law, civil control of special services — these principles were demonstrated as especially important to Lithuania,” Semaška said. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]denied that the prison existed. Meanwhile others have protested her warming relations with Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko and the Kremlin, including The Economist’s Edward Lucas.

Darius Semaška, the president’s chief foreign policy adviser, said on radio that the pro-Russian tag simply “doesn’t stick.”

“The priorities are completely clear. They have known for a long time that Lithuania is anchored to the EU, NATO and we are doing the best we can to meet the Lithuanian national security and prosperity needs in the interests of good-neighborly relations and good practices. We also will use our experience and transfer it to Eastern European countries that want it. This is not special — these priorities were set since our accession to EU and NATO in the first year.”

Semaška denied a rift between the foreign ministry and the president. Earlier the president forced the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas to resign.

“Relations are good, business-like, and specifically the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Minister are well-coordinated, consistent. Interviews, discussions as well as those of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, whose meetings with myself or my colleagues in the Foreign Policy Group regularly participate in and monitor,” the adviser said.

On the subject of the CIA prison, he said the outing of the information on the secret jail is a triumph for Lithuanian values.

“Values are especially emphasized now. We should remember the example of the CIA prison: human rights, rule of law, civil control of special services — these principles were demonstrated as especially important to Lithuania,” Semaška said. [/private_subscription 1 year]

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