Lithuanian Prime Minister Will Meet Putin in Moskow

Lithuania’s Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius on 26-27 March will visit Moscow to attend the first International Festival held in the honour of Mstislav Rostropovich.  The Prime Minister Kubilius is also scheduled to meet with the Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

According to the Lithuanian media the meeting was initiated by Moscow.  The same reports state that Kubilius was not planning to attend the cultural event in the first place.  Nevertheless, Kubilius changed his mind after the information via diplomatic channels from Russia indicated that the meeting of the two leaders would be desirable.

After the Government’s meeting on 17 March the Prime Minister said to the journalists, “This is an important news. 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. We are going on an informal visit; my wife and I have an invitation to the Rostropovich festival. We also heard a proposal to use the occasion to meet with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.”

This time Andrius Kubilius will be granted the Russian visa.  Five years ago, when Kubilius was a leader of opposition his visa application to visit Russia was refused.

This article was originally published by the Lithuanian Tribune,  Lithuanian partner of Estonian Free Press