In a curious annual statement to his nation’s diplomats
around the globe, Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis
recently proclaimed publicly that “historical memory
policy” would be one of the main goals of Lithuanian’s
foreign policy, particularly as it looks forward to its
rotating presidency of the EU next year.
The insistence on the Eastern European right wing’s history appears alongside
energy and transport infrastructure, economic development,
consular services for citizens resident abroad, military
security, international alliances and more. The speech
also mentions the need for more coordination of Lithuania’s
“body and mind” implying the need for more rather than
less diplomatic work in the field of history revisionism
internationally.
According to the transcript published on 19 July 2012
by the leading Baltic news portal Delfi, the foreign
minister again made reference to “a unified view of
historic truth” becoming the foreign policy of the
nation, while noting at the same time the recent bill
on (minimal and delayed) restitution for Jewish communal
property as a kind of springboard for proceeding full
speed ahead with the Double Genocide politics inherent
in the Prague Declaration.
Foreign Minister Ažubalis
has in recent years been taken to task by the Jewish
community of Lithuania for his antisemitic outbursts.
He has publicly vilified his own Lithuanian parliamentary
colleagues who signed the Seventy Years Declaration on
the anniversary of Wannsee, offering the infamous “moustache
comparison” that made the New York Times. He was greeted
by a picket line of Holocaust survivors from Lithuania
during his March visit to Tel Aviv. More recently, he
has put on the record his support for the ceremonial
reburial with full honors of the 1941 Nazi puppet prime
minister, when confronted in the Seimas by a leading
member of the Social Democrats.
But now, with a restitution
bill for communal property in his diplomatic pocket alongside
a number of Holocaust projects for foreign consumption,
he apparently judges that the time is ripe for a new
“red-brown offensive” on the diplomatic front. Off the
record, various Lithuanian career diplomats in Western
capitals have told DefendingHistory.com that the “history
control instructions” coming from Vilnius have made their
work more difficult and mired it in untenable complications,
setting back Lithuania’s diplomatic status by years or
more.
But on the record, the foreign
minister seems to continue to veer further from EU and
NATO democratic principles by encouraging monitoring
and opposition toward those, citizens and non-citizens,
who may have a different view of history. In a throwback
to Soviet-style euphemism for state crackdown on dissenting
ideas, he says:
“An important, integral part
of the strategy of history policy is also the monitoring
and prevention of external historical propaganda which
is being carried out today.”
One wonders which websites,
journals and persons the foreign minister might have
in mind. In its own proposal of Seven Simple Solutions
to Jewish-Lithuanian issues, DefendingHistory.com has,
by contrast put it this way, in item no. 4:
“Action to repeal the recent
legislation that would punish (with prison sentences
up to two years!) those who would not agree to (in effect)
equalizing Soviet and Nazi crimes by regarding the former,
in Lithuania, as not amounting to genocide. This law
is an affront to democracy and open society, and has
already intimidated liberal and Western oriented voices
in the country. The people of Lithuania deserve the same
level of freedom and democracy as all other people in
NATO, the European Union and the OSCE. That freedom includes
the equal right to support inter alia the Seventy Years
Declaration.”
◊
The following is a translation
of the relevant section of the foreign minister’s recent
speech:
HISTORICAL MEMORY POLICY
“Dear Colleagues! state consciousness
[thinking at the national level] requires the recognition
of memory, i.e., history. Existing as a precondition
of the continuity of the nation, historical memory lies
in the zone of political expression or even of the battle
for influence. It strengthens relations and prestige
in the world. But when propaganda does harm to memory,
the thinking of the communities is harmed as well as
national security. In this field Lithuania’s actions
need to be better coordinated. Up till now some use history
as a cover for their own agenda, while others believe
that the past is a safe-house for facts and that justice
and Lithuania’s real experiences will shine of their
own power for everyone. This is an erroneous view, which
we must correct today.
“Having established a common
platform for conscience and memory in the European Union
[reference to the Prague Declaration and resulting documents],
we aspire to a unified view of historical truth. Last
year we achieved a breakthrough in relations with the
Jewish communities. Holocaust memory projects, and support
to those who suffered from Nazism increased Lithuania’s
authority in the world and opened the way for expanding
business and cultural ties with Israel, the USA, EU countries,
South Africa and South America, where there are large
Litvak populations. On the other side, we have also formed
a serious view toward the crimes of Soviet totalitarianism.
We are seeking to have denial of these crimes criminalized
through Europe.
“An important, integral part
of the strategy of history policy is also the monitoring
and prevention of external historical propaganda which
is being carried out today. We have also activated Lithuanian
heritage protection and commemoration of past projects
and initiatives.
“A comprehensive book on
Lithuanian history will soon appear. During [our] presidency
of the EU it will show the world in an attractive style
that Lithuania was not born accidentally, but was born
of our forefathers’ mature and consistent decision to
create their future and that of our state independently.
We are also preparing a special manual of Lithuanian
history for diplomats which will aid in responding appropriately
to the distortion of facts encountered in the international
arena and will thus defend Lithuania’s honor and image.
“Of course, a successful history
policy requires civilian support and institutional unity.
For that reason we will continue to discuss actively
with partners and social authorities in order to coordinate
the requirements of Lithuania’s body and mind.” defendinghistory.com
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