NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2013

With good news from Lithuania!

EMBASSY OF LITHUANIA, NEW DELHI

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LITHUANIA’S EUROPEAN UNION PRESIDENCY RESULTS PRESENTED

On December 20 President Dalia Grybauskaitė pre-sented the results of Lithuania’s Presidency of the EU Council to European leaders in Brussels. She underli-ned that Lithuania stood at the helm of the European Union at a very special time and with the rotating Pre-sidency nearly over the country is happy with its results.

Despite busier than usual agenda, international crises and constant pressure and provocations from Russia, Lithuania has successfully fulfilled the responsible task entrusted to it, ensured smooth running of the EU Co-uncil and continuity of work. Lithuania has Negotiated two and a half times more legal acts than is normally done during a rotating presidency - 251 documents im-portant for Europe’s future were adopted and progress was achieved in negotiating 114 initiatives.

“Through collaborative efforts we have reached mi-lestone agreements to ensure financial, economic and energy security of the European Union. Lithuania has justified Europe’s trust. Solid foundation has been laid for further building an open, reliable and growing Eu-rope,” the President said.

The most difficult and important achievement of the Lithuanian EU Presidency is completion of negotiations on 59 programmes that are essential to implementation of the EU’s multiannual financial framework. It means that the 28 member states next year will have access to EU support for realization of the projects aimed at boos-ting the well-being of their people and national econo-mic growth. Lithuania will be able to use for its needs a LTL 44.5 billion support in the period 2014-2020.

Lithuanian EU Presidency placed special focus on fi-ghting youth unemployment. The Council Declaration on the European Alliance for Apprenticeships will foster young people’s work-based learning. Funds are earmar-ked in the new multiannual EU budget for implementing the Youth Guarantee initiative. Under it Lithuania will receive 109 million litas in 2014-2015 and 120 million litas will come from the Cohesion Fund by 2020.

Decisions to enhance Europe’s energy security and competitiveness were also made during the Lithuanian presidency. Agreement was reached on the list of stra-tegic projects providing for their financing from the EU budget for the first time. The list includes 6 projects of importance to Lithuania’s energy security.

Extraordinary negotiating capacity and search for compromise were needed for banking union deals. Agreement of EU members on the single resolution mechanism, bank recovery and resolution directive and deposit guarantee schemes will not only enable effective restructuring of insolvent banks and deliver financial aid instruments, but also protect deposits and help restore the trust of global markets in the Union.

Vilnius Summit that triggered historic changes in Ukraine and other Eastern Partnership countries also attracted attention of Europe and the whole world. EU initialed association agreements with Moldova and Ge-

EMBASSY OF LITHUANIA WISHES YOU MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

orgia, signed visa facilitation agreement with Azerbai-jan and agreement on participation in EU-led missi-ons with Georgia, initialed aviation agreement with Ukraine and offered visa-free regime to Moldova.

Over this half year, Lithuania has also moved for-ward negotiating free trade agreements with strategic partners. Talks were launched with the United States of America and finished with Canada. Mandate was recei-ved to negotiate investment protection with China.

Lithuanian EU Presidency contributed to promo-ting the country’s name in Europe and across the world. Over 30,000 foreign guests visited Lithuania, 1,800 journalists from all over the world covered the presidency events, President Grybauskaitė gave more than fifty interviews, and around 500 Lithuanian cul-tural events took place in various European countries. In India too the Presidency was actively used to pro-ject Lithuania’s name, with the Days of Lithuania ha-ving been organized with 15 events on the country’s culture, economy, history and academic exchanges. The two Indian journalists that visited Lithuania du-ring the Eastern Partnership summit covered Lithu-anian events and culture extensively in the Times of India and the Navbharat Times.

All in all it was a huge learning experience for the country that required close coordination of all the go-vernment agencies and private sector.

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso praised the Lithuanian EU Presidency calling it a great success during the last European Council in Brussels.

It was the first EU presidency for Lithuania that has joined European block in 2004. Greece will take over the rotating EU presidency from Lithuania on 1 Janu-ary 2014.

Compiled from: Press Service of the President of Li-thuania, the Lithuania Tribune.

VILNIUS CHRISTMAS TREE IS THE WORLD’S MOST SPECTACULAR

CNN has announced the list of top 12 world’s most spectacular Christmas trees, with Vilnius tree named as number one.

CNN writes: “The well-preserved old town in the Lithuanian capital looks like just the sort of place that needs a Christmas tree. Now it’s got one – in fact, at 25 meters, the tallest Christmas tree in the Baltics“.

“Well, “tree” – it’s actually a metal skeleton covered with fir tree branches. Lithuanian fir tree branches, though – they’re not made in China,” reports CNN.

The rest of Christmas trees in the world that were named by CNN as the most spectacular are: Lego Christmas tree in Malaysia, Rockefeller Cen-ter Christmas tree in New York; Galeries Lafayette Christmas tree in Paris; Floating Christmas tree in Rio de Janeiro; National Christmas tree in Washing-ton, D.C.; Brandenburg Gate Christmas tree in Berlin; Macaroon Christmas tree, Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte, North Carolina; Umbrella tree, Goring hotel in Lon-don; Opera Christmas tree, Grand Hotel de Borde-aux & Spa in Bordeaux, France; Fendi Christmas tree, Hotel de Russie in Rome, Italy; and Recycled bottle Christmas tree in London.

Meanwhile the Associated Press reported about another Christmas tree from Lithuania – an unusual one, made of 1,100 empty bottles of champagne and sparkling water. Built by DaliusValukonis, the Lithua-nian policeman, it became an eye-catcher in the town of Lazdijai in Southern Lithuania near the Polish bor-

der. It is a recycling project that required its author to spend three years and hundreds of hours of his free time to create the tree using bottles he got from res-taurants, bars, family and friends.

Source: CNN, Associated Press

CHRISTMAS TREE OF THE EMBASSY OF LITHUANIA IN INDIA INAUGURATED

On December 13 the Christmas tree of the Embassy of Lithuania in India was inaugurated. The Lithuanian community of New Delhi and the children of the cre-ative studio ‘Windows, the art and craft corner’ were present at the inaugural gathering.

For three weeks the children of the ‘Windows, the art and craft corner’ were learning how to make the Christmas decorations using the ancient Lithuanian wool felting technique. Now the kids themselves deco-rated the Christmas tree with the best of their creations.

“The Christmas decorations made by Indian kids not only decorated our Christmas tree but also war-med up our hearts. Lithuania is happy to share her Christmas traditions with the Indian children” – said Lithuania’s ambassador in India Laimonas Talat-Kelp-ša who greeted the Lithuanian and Indian children.

All the participants of the gathering were also gree-ted by Santa Claus who visited the Embassy from the far North and brought everyone Christmas gifts.

Delhiites first discovered Lithuanian wool felting tradition in 2012 when the Lithuanian Embassy in

New Delhi and the visiting group of Lithuanian textile artists “Baltos kandys” organized their first wool fel-ting workshop in India. The old Lithuanian craft , now reborn as popular hobby in Lithuania, captured the imagination of RenukaTanuja, the founder of the chil-dren’s art studio and educationist in New Delhi who passed it on to the kids of her studio.

Inauguration of the Christmas Tree decorated by the Indian kids became the closing event of the Days of Lithuania in India. For six weeks from 31 October numerous cultural programmes, academic conferen-ces and economic presentations on Lithuania were or-ganized in India.

LITHUANIAN DELICACIES PRESENTED AT THE EMBASSY OF LITHUANIA

On Tuesday, December 10, Lithuanian culinary de-licacies were presented at the Embassy of Lithuania in India. Importers, caterers and the representatives of important Indian hotels were invited to taste hard cheese “Džiugas“ and pealable cheese sticks „Pik Nik“ by the dairy company „Žemaitijos pienas“, chocolates by „Rūta“ and Mead drink by „Stakliškės“.

„During the last six weeks we have organized over ten different events presenting Lithuanian culture and economy. This is one of the last events of the „Days of Lithuania in India“ and it happens to be the „most delicious““ – said Lithuania‘s Ambassador to India Laimonas Talat-Kelpša.

Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the Republic of IndiaC-93, Anand Niketan, New Delhi 110021

Tel. (+91 11) 43132200, Fax. (+91 11) 43132222, http://in.mfa.lt

Ambassador mentioned that many of the guests of this evening came to know about Lithuanian cheese and chocolates a month ago during the India International Trade Fair in New Delhi where Lithuania had a pavilion for the first time. „They stopped by there, liked the pro-duct and now came back, looking for bigger quantities this time“ – joked the head of the Lithuanian Embassy.

And the whole of India came to know about Lithu-anian Mead a couple of weeks ago after the „Times of India“ published an article on this most ancient drink of the world that has its recipy in Rigveda.

After the presentation at the Embassy Lithuanian food

products were presented to all the Delhiites at the exhibi-tion „Fine Food India“ on December 11-13. The three Li-thuanian companies „Žemaitijos pienas“, „Rūta“ and „Sta-kliškės“ had a joint stand of Lithuanian delicaties there.

The presentation of Lithuanian delicacies was initia-ted by the Indian – Baltic Chamber of Commerce.

“LITTLE TEATRE GROUP” IN NEW DELHI

On November 27 - 8 December the Lithuanian the-atre for children “Teatriukas” („The Little Theatre Gro-up” performed in New Delhi under the banner of the Days of Lithuania in India taking place for six weeks since October 3.

A group of Lithuanian actors Dalia Mikoliūnaitė, Žil-vinas Ramanauskas and musician Gediminas Žilys pre-sented the play of Žilvinas Ramanauskas ”Fairy Tale”. It

was the based on the Lithuanian folklore, mythological images and offered modern representation of the Lithu-anian traditional folk culture.

“Teatriukas” performed at the Delhi Public School RK Puramon November 27. On December 5-8 the “Fai-ry Tale” was performed at the International Children’s Theater Festival organized by Ryan Foundation. The 13th edition of the festival this year brought together young performers from Bangladesh, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Iceland, Iran, Latvia, Nepal, Norway, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, UK, Zambia and “Teatriukas” from Lithuania.

It turned out that the well- known Lithuanian folk songs about animals, village and forest life captivated not only the members of the Lithuanian community in India who grew up with these songs, but also Indi-an children. Young Indian theatre lovers were invited to perform on stage together with the Lithuanian actors, playing simple folk characters like a grandmother, a

cow, a goat, a fish. The Indian audience happily joined in singing well-known Lithuanian folk tunes.

The performance gave Indian viewers unique oppor-tunity to listen to the Lithuanian language, closest living sister language of Sanskrit. To facilitate the understan-ding of the “Fairy Tale”, the fabula and description of main characters of the performance were also presented to the audience in English and Hindi languages.