ANALYSIS

Lithuania's President Adamkus reflects on country's transformation

by Breffni O'Rourke
RFE/RL Newsline

PRAGUE - It's a big step from being a worker in a Chicago automobile factory to becoming the head of state of Lithuania. But Valdas Adamkus has managed such a leap in the course of a lifetime marked by sharp contrasts. In fact, it could be said that his life reflects the kaleidoscope of events in the Baltics over most of this century.

Born in Kaunas in 1926, when Lithuania and neighboring Estonia and Latvia were independent, the young Mr. Adamkus was caught up in the tragedies of the Soviet annexation and the German occupation. A teenage resistance member during the war years, he and his family fled westward in 1944. Five years later, in 1949, they emigrated to the United States, where Mr. Adamkus began working at the Chicago auto plant and then went on to study civil engineering.

In the early 1970s, Mr. Adamkus joined the new U.S. Environment Protection Agency, eventually becoming U.S. coordinator for the Baltic states on environmental protection.

Mr. Adamkus then rose through the U.S. federal civil service, before returning to his homeland to contest Lithuania's 1998 presidential election. He won that ballot by a narrow margin and has managed to steadily increase his popularity since then.

Mr. Adamkus recently paid his first state visit to the Czech Republic for talks with President Vaclav Havel and other Czech leaders. While in Prague he visited RFE/RL's headquarters, where he spoke to foreign and domestic journalists.

Asked about how the time he spent in the U.S. had an impact on his political thinking, Mr. Adamkus said: "50 years is almost a lifetime for the grown individual, and I have to say that definitely I grew up within a democratic society, with democratic principles. Like I said, democracy cannot be learned from books, and I feel I am part of that system, part of the principles and thinking."

On the broader theme of democratization, Mr. Adamkus spoke of his pleasure at the slow but steady transformation in social consciousness now taking place in Lithuania. He said the whole country seems to be striving toward accepting individual responsibility, the new philosophy so different from that of the last half-century.

"What really is delightful is that the attitude, philosophy and outlook among the people is changing, especially I would say among the younger generation. What is disappointing for me is that these changes, in terms of the economy, in terms of improving standards of living for people, are not happening as rapidly as I would like," he observed.

Turning to foreign policy issues, President Adamkus noted that Lithuania's geo-political situation is very sensitive and its policy based on the European Union's (EU) guidelines of recognizing states but not becoming internally involved in them. He said Lithuania is strongly committed to good working relations with its eastern neighbors, Russia and Belarus.

Asked specifically about ties with Belarus, Mr. Adamkus replied: "I believe there is a very warm feeling [on the part of Lithuanians] toward the people of Belarus, but the difficulty we have right now is the very uncertain situation as to whom we should speak to, because the [Belarusian] people are divided on that issue. Legally they say that the present regime does not actually represent the people, it represents only the government, the bureaucracy. And of course this is not for us to decide; that's what makes things very difficult."

Turning to the issue of Lithuania's integration into Western structures, the president expressed confidence in prospects for joining both the EU and NATO.

He said he believes there are good prospects that at its Helsinki summit in December the EU will invite Lithuania to begin formal membership negotiations. He played down Lithuania's dispute with the union over the timetable for closure of the Ignalina nuclear power plant, which the EU considers unsafe. He said there is a common European understanding of the need for safety in nuclear power issues.

As for NATO, he said he believes that barring unexpected developments, Lithuania will become a member early next century. Commenting that all signs are positive, President Adamkus noted that Lithuania is already playing a supporting role in international peacekeeping operations, such as in Kosova.

Breffni O'Rourke is a Prague-based journalist.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, October 3, 1999, No. 40, Vol. LXVII

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