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YOUTUBE-GATE? AMBASSADOR SCANDAL REPERCUSSIONS IN LITHUANIA
Budapest Business Journal, Hungary
Aug 20 2013
David Landry
To the surprise of few, heads are rolling in Lithuania in the wake of
a damaging-unto-scandalous telephone conversation between Lithuanian
Ambassador to Hungary Renatas Juška and others that was leaked to
YouTube in July. One ambassador has already resigned as a result,
while the conversationalists themselves have attracted the attention
of their country's prime minister and will likely soon be shown the
exit as well.
In mid-July, an audio recording of a phone conversation between
Lithuanian Ambassador to Hungary Renatas Juška and Lithuanian
Foreign Affairs Ministry Deputy Director Zenonas Kumetaitis was
posted to YouTube with the title "This is how Lithuania really treats
Azerbaijan." The video - which a bit incredibly remains available on
the file-sharing site - features both ministers rather deviating from
their country's party line in discussing relations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia.
After Juška brazenly opines that he is "supportive of those who
lead Armenians. They are also Christians and the Stalin regime also
made them suffer. Their territories were also reshaped just the way
it was with us," Kumetaitis essentially agrees, tossing in "from
the religious or just common human viewpoint, Armenia seems closer,
though they are also [rotten]."
Lithuania-based news outlet Delfi and the Azerbaijan Press Association
are now reporting some new developments thanks to the posting. The
country's ambassador to Azerbaijan, ArtÅ"ras Žurauskas, tendered his
resignation on Friday; this was certainly due in large part to the
reaction in Azerbaijani quarters, which had the country's ambassador
to Lithuania, Hasan Mammadzada, calling the posting "a new provocative
action" against both Azerbaijan and Lithuania. Žurauskas' resignation
was immediately accepted by the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
On Monday came an emphatic condemnation of the two from Lithuanian
Prime Minister Algirdas ButkeviÄ~Mius in which they were described
as having "lost credibility." Though ButkeviÄ~Mius cannot dismiss
the ambassadors from their posts, it is implied that she who can, i.e.
President Dalia GrybauskaitÄ-, will be sacking the offenders.
"I have spoken with the Lithuanian President on this issue," said
ButkeviÄ~Mius. "The decision regarding the ambassadors will be made
in the near future. ... However, the final decision will be made
after the investigation of the Foreign Ministry."
http://www.bbj.hu/politics/youtube-gate-ambassador-scandal-repercussions-in-lithuania_67927
Budapest Business Journal, Hungary
Aug 20 2013
David Landry
To the surprise of few, heads are rolling in Lithuania in the wake of
a damaging-unto-scandalous telephone conversation between Lithuanian
Ambassador to Hungary Renatas Juška and others that was leaked to
YouTube in July. One ambassador has already resigned as a result,
while the conversationalists themselves have attracted the attention
of their country's prime minister and will likely soon be shown the
exit as well.
In mid-July, an audio recording of a phone conversation between
Lithuanian Ambassador to Hungary Renatas Juška and Lithuanian
Foreign Affairs Ministry Deputy Director Zenonas Kumetaitis was
posted to YouTube with the title "This is how Lithuania really treats
Azerbaijan." The video - which a bit incredibly remains available on
the file-sharing site - features both ministers rather deviating from
their country's party line in discussing relations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia.
After Juška brazenly opines that he is "supportive of those who
lead Armenians. They are also Christians and the Stalin regime also
made them suffer. Their territories were also reshaped just the way
it was with us," Kumetaitis essentially agrees, tossing in "from
the religious or just common human viewpoint, Armenia seems closer,
though they are also [rotten]."
Lithuania-based news outlet Delfi and the Azerbaijan Press Association
are now reporting some new developments thanks to the posting. The
country's ambassador to Azerbaijan, ArtÅ"ras Žurauskas, tendered his
resignation on Friday; this was certainly due in large part to the
reaction in Azerbaijani quarters, which had the country's ambassador
to Lithuania, Hasan Mammadzada, calling the posting "a new provocative
action" against both Azerbaijan and Lithuania. Žurauskas' resignation
was immediately accepted by the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
On Monday came an emphatic condemnation of the two from Lithuanian
Prime Minister Algirdas ButkeviÄ~Mius in which they were described
as having "lost credibility." Though ButkeviÄ~Mius cannot dismiss
the ambassadors from their posts, it is implied that she who can, i.e.
President Dalia GrybauskaitÄ-, will be sacking the offenders.
"I have spoken with the Lithuanian President on this issue," said
ButkeviÄ~Mius. "The decision regarding the ambassadors will be made
in the near future. ... However, the final decision will be made
after the investigation of the Foreign Ministry."
http://www.bbj.hu/politics/youtube-gate-ambassador-scandal-repercussions-in-lithuania_67927