Germany on Monday said it was prepared to station 4,000 troops in Lithuania after the Baltic nation called on NATO to strengthen its eastern flank. "Germany is ready to permanently station a robust brigade in Lithuania," Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on a visit to Vilnius, conditioned on the "necessary infrastructure" and "compatibility with NATO plans".

Germany set to station 4,000 troops permanently in Lithuania

The Riigikogu or Estonian parliament, on Tuesday (June 20) approved a new law to legalise same-sex marriage, becoming the first Baltic nation to do so. This comes months after the incumbent Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ liberal coalition government took office and nine years after the country recognised same-sex civil unions.&nbsp; 
 
The vote also makes&nbsp;Estonia the second central European country to pass laws legalising same-sex marriage, after Slovenia which passed&nbsp;an amendment allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt&nbsp;last year.&nbsp;

<h2>What happened during the vote?</h2>

The vote on a marriage equality bill took place in Estonia’s parliament and passed with a majority of 55 votes in the 101-seat parliament with 34 votes against it. This came months after PM Kallas’ coalition of liberal and social democratic parties garnered a majority in the parliament back in March.&nbsp; 
 
Additionally, the incumbent&nbsp;government also survived a vote of no confidence that was tied to the amendments. While&nbsp;Estonia introduced same-sex civil unions back in 2014, it did not recognise&nbsp;adoption rights or&nbsp;parental recognition which comes with&nbsp;marriage. 
 
According to reports, there will be some 85&nbsp;amendments to the country's Family Law Act, while&nbsp;another legislation was&nbsp;introduced which would include&nbsp;same-sex marriage contracts. Additionally,&nbsp;words in the Family Law Act&nbsp;will also&nbsp;now be modified from&nbsp;"man and woman" to "two natural persons."&nbsp;

The law will come into effect&nbsp;in 2024. Notably, while same-sex marriage is legal in most countries across Western Europe that is not the case with former Soviet nations in central Europe. “My message (to central Europe) is that it’s a difficult fight, but marriage and love is something that you have to promote,” PM Kallas told Reuters, after the vote.&nbsp;

She added, “We have developed a lot in those 30 years since we have freed ourselves from the (Soviet) occupation. We are equals among same-value countries.” Meanwhile, two other Baltic nations, Latvia and Lithuania, have introduced bills to legalise same-sex marriage in their parliaments but are yet to move forward with any decision. &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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It's official: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Estonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Estonia</a> has legalised marriage equality. We join other Nordic nations with this historic decision. 
 
I'm proud of my country. We're building a society where everyone’s rights are respected and people can love freely. 
 
The decision will enter into force from 2024. <a href="https://t.co/tQJdO70eEo">pic.twitter.com/tQJdO70eEo</a>
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) <a href="https://twitter.com/kajakallas/status/1671075778593792002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Estonian PM, who was also the first female leader of the country, took to Twitter and said, “It’s official: Estonia has legalised marriage equality. We join other Nordic nations with this historic decision. I’m proud of my country. We’re building a society where everyone’s rights are respected and people can love freely.”

<h2>LGBTQ+ people in Estonia</h2>

According to the Estonian Human Rights Centre, attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people have changed dramatically since 2012. In the Baltic nation with 1.3 million people, at least 53 per cent of people supported same-sex marriage in a poll conducted by the rights centre&nbsp;earlier this year. Notably, the number was up from 34 per cent back in 2021 and also six per cent higher than last year.&nbsp;

However, nearly 40 per cent of Estonians still consider homosexuality unacceptable. The poll also showed that same-sex marriage was opposed by the country’s ethnic-Russian minority which makes up a quarter of the country’s population with less than half (40 per cent) supporting it.

<h2>&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The Ukraine war factor?</h2>

In an interview with the country’s broadcaster LRT, the president of Estonia’s parliament, Lauri Hussar suggested that the change in attitude towards the LGBTQ+ people can also be attributed to the war in Ukraine.&nbsp;

“I think the mood has changed also, because of what happened in Ukraine, because the war brought us to the real problems and what is really important for us,” said Hussar, as quoted by Euronews.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
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The Riigikogu or Estonian parliament, on Tuesday (June 20) approved a new law to legalise same-sex marriage, becoming the first Baltic nation to do so. This comes months after the incumbent Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ liberal coalition government took office and nine years after the country recognised same-sex civil unions.

The Riigikogu or Estonian parliament, on Tuesday (June 20) approved a new law to legalise same-sex marriage, becoming the first Baltic nation to do so. This comes months after the incumbent Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ liberal coalition government took office and nine years after the country recognised same-sex civil unions. The vote also makes Estonia the second central European country to pass laws legalising same-sex marriage, after Slovenia which passed an amendment allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt last year. What happened during the vote? The vote on a marriage equality bill took place in Estonia’s parliament and passed with a majority of 55 votes in the 101-seat parliament with 34 votes against it. This came months after PM Kallas’ coalition of liberal and social democratic parties garnered a majority in the parliament back in March. Additionally, the incumbent government also survived a vote of no confidence that was tied to the amendments. While Estonia introduced same-sex civil unions back in 2014, it did not recognise adoption rights or parental recognition which comes with marriage. According to reports, there will be some 85 amendments to the country's Family Law Act, while another legislation was introduced which would include same-sex marriage contracts. Additionally, words in the Family Law Act will also now be modified from "man and woman" to "two natural persons." The law will come into effect in 2024. Notably, while same-sex marriage is legal in most countries across Western Europe that is not the case with former Soviet nations in central Europe. “My message (to central Europe) is that it’s a difficult fight, but marriage and love is something that you have to promote,” PM Kallas told Reuters, after the vote. She added, “We have developed a lot in those 30 years since we have freed ourselves from the (Soviet) occupation. We are equals among same-value countries.” Meanwhile, two other Baltic nations, Latvia and Lithuania, have introduced bills to legalise same-sex marriage in their parliaments but are yet to move forward with any decision. It's official: #Estonia has legalised marriage equality. We join other Nordic nations with this historic decision. I'm proud of my country. We're building a society where everyone’s rights are respected and people can love freely. The decision will enter into force from 2024. pic.twitter.com/tQJdO70eEo — Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) June 20, 2023 × The Estonian PM, who was also the first female leader of the country, took to Twitter and said, “It’s official: Estonia has legalised marriage equality. We join other Nordic nations with this historic decision. I’m proud of my country. We’re building a society where everyone’s rights are respected and people can love freely.” LGBTQ+ people in Estonia According to the Estonian Human Rights Centre, attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people have changed dramatically since 2012. In the Baltic nation with 1.3 million people, at least 53 per cent of people supported same-sex marriage in a poll conducted by the rights centre earlier this year. Notably, the number was up from 34 per cent back in 2021 and also six per cent higher than last year. However, nearly 40 per cent of Estonians still consider homosexuality unacceptable. The poll also showed that same-sex marriage was opposed by the country’s ethnic-Russian minority which makes up a quarter of the country’s population with less than half (40 per cent) supporting it. The Ukraine war factor? In an interview with the country’s broadcaster LRT, the president of Estonia’s parliament, Lauri Hussar suggested that the change in attitude towards the LGBTQ+ people can also be attributed to the war in Ukraine. “I think the mood has changed also, because of what happened in Ukraine, because the war brought us to the real problems and what is really important for us,” said Hussar, as quoted by Euronews. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Estonia becomes first Baltic nation to legalise same-sex marriage

Lithuania's Ambassador, Diana Mickeviciene has termed China's ambassador to France's comments on the sovereignty of Baltic states as "unacceptable." Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye's statement that ex-Soviet states lack the basis of sovereignty has sparked outrage in Europe, with Lithuania and other Baltic states summoning top Chinese diplomats. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Ambassador Mickeviciene said, "We really reacted with lots of concerns, you may have seen my foreign minister as well as many foreign ministers from Europe, rejecting that statement of ambassador of China in France". She also spoke about ties with India, especially in the backdrop of India opening up its first ever mission in the country.

Lithuania's Ambassador Diana Mickeviciene speaks to WION on ties with India, China

Remarks made by Chinese envoy on the status of ex-Soviet states drew severe flak from several countries across Europe. In an exclusive interview, the Lithuanian Ambassador to India Diana Mickeviciene, raised serious concerns over China's remarks. Watch the video to know more.

Lithuania Ambassador to India Diana Mickeviciene speaks to WION about Chinese envoy's remarks

In an exclusive interview with WION's Sidhant Sibal, the Lithuanian Ambassador to India Diana Mickeviciene has termed China's ambassador to France's comments on the sovereignty of Baltic states as "unacceptable." She also added that China should not repeat the narrative of an aggressive nation.

'China should not repeat the narrative of an aggressive nation', says Lithuania Ambassador to India

Lithuania Ambassador to India Speaks Out: China Should Avoid Aggressive Narrative

Diana Mickevičienė, the&nbsp;Lithuanian ambassador to India, called recent remarks by the Chinese ambassador to France on former&nbsp;Soviet nations as "unacceptable".&nbsp;Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye had caused waves of criticism after he questioned ex-Soviet nations over their sovereignty.

Amid the outrage, China caved in as its foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that Beijing "respects the sovereign state status of the participating republics after the dissolution of the Soviet Union".&nbsp;

WION's Sidhant Sibal spoke to Mickevičienė, who was also Lithuania's last Ambassador to China, about the Chinese envoy's controversial remarks.&nbsp;

Asked about Lu's comments, Mickevičienė said: "We really reacted with lots of concerns. You may have seen my foreign minister as well as many foreign ministers from Europe rejecting that statement of the ambassador of China in France." 
She said the Chinese narrative is "totally hostile against international law and the UN charter."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-respects-ex-soviet-states-ex-soviet-states-as-sovereign-nations-amid-outrage-585634">China caves in after outrage, says it respects ex-Soviet states as sovereign nations</a>&nbsp;

She further added that "as we speak, Chinese envoys of number countries are summoned to give wider explanation."&nbsp;

She argued that such a statement "not only derail the international law in large but repeat a narrative of the aggressive country and it's very unfortunate".&nbsp;

"This is unacceptable, China should explain it," she noted.&nbsp;

On being asked about all the questions related to the Chinese role as a neutral arbitrator, she said, "I have already referred to the chronology in 2022 when Beijing hosted the Olympics and post that Russia started the war [in Ukraine], we also have a look into the wider security initiative that China has presented to us."&nbsp;

"This global security initiative is not good for a small state like us because it basically talked about zones of influence and this is the problem...we feel our sovereignty has been really compromised by the statement," she mentioned.&nbsp;

Watch the interview here:&nbsp;

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<h2>What did Lu Shaye say?&nbsp;</h2>

During an interview aired on French television on Friday, Lu said that the countries that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union "don't have effective status under international law because there is not an international agreement confirming their status as sovereign nations". The comments led to outrage across Europe as France and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have also condemned the official.&nbsp;

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Diana Mickevičienė, the Lithuanian ambassador to India, called recent remarks by the Chinese ambassador to France on former Soviet nations as "unacceptable". Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye had caused waves of criticism after he questioned ex-Soviet nations over their sovereignty.

Diana Mickevičienė, the Lithuanian ambassador to India, called recent remarks by the Chinese ambassador to France on former Soviet nations as "unacceptable". Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye had caused waves of criticism after he questioned ex-Soviet nations over their sovereignty. Amid the outrage, China caved in as its foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that Beijing "respects the sovereign state status of the participating republics after the dissolution of the Soviet Union". WION's Sidhant Sibal spoke to Mickevičienė, who was also Lithuania's last Ambassador to China, about the Chinese envoy's controversial remarks. Asked about Lu's comments, Mickevičienė said: "We really reacted with lots of concerns. You may have seen my foreign minister as well as many foreign ministers from Europe rejecting that statement of the ambassador of China in France." She said the Chinese narrative is "totally hostile against international law and the UN charter." ALSO READ | China caves in after outrage, says it respects ex-Soviet states as sovereign nations She further added that "as we speak, Chinese envoys of number countries are summoned to give wider explanation." She argued that such a statement "not only derail the international law in large but repeat a narrative of the aggressive country and it's very unfortunate". "This is unacceptable, China should explain it," she noted. On being asked about all the questions related to the Chinese role as a neutral arbitrator, she said, "I have already referred to the chronology in 2022 when Beijing hosted the Olympics and post that Russia started the war [in Ukraine], we also have a look into the wider security initiative that China has presented to us." "This global security initiative is not good for a small state like us because it basically talked about zones of influence and this is the problem...we feel our sovereignty has been really compromised by the statement," she mentioned. Watch the interview here: × What did Lu Shaye say? During an interview aired on French television on Friday, Lu said that the countries that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union "don't have effective status under international law because there is not an international agreement confirming their status as sovereign nations". The comments led to outrage across Europe as France and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have also condemned the official. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Lithuania's envoy calls Chinese ambassador's comment on ex-Soviet states 'unacceptable'

China’s ambassador to France has sparked anger and dismay among eastern European countries after questioning the sovereignty of former Soviet countries including Ukraine. The Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye, in an interview on Friday (April 22) seemingly suggested that countries that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union are not really sovereign.&nbsp;

What did the Chinese envoy say?

Speaking with France’s LCI news channel, Shaye said, “These ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status.”&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/philippines-raises-concerns-over-taiwan-amid-talks-with-china-585129">Philippines raises concerns over 'escalating tensions' Taiwan Strait amid talks with China</a>

The remarks were made after he was asked whether he believes Crimea is part of Ukraine or not. Crimea was annexed by Russia back in 2014. The Chinese ambassador, in this context, also said, “it depends on how you look at the problem. There's history. Crimea was Russian at the start.”

These comments have not only cast doubt not just on Ukraine which is in the midst of an invasion by Russia but on most eastern European countries which emerged as independent nations after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, many of which are also members of the European Union.

How have the countries reacted?

After the interview, France and eastern European countries released statements in response to the Chinese envoy’s comments. Paris, late Saturday, stated its “full solidarity” with all the allied countries affected, which it said had acquired their independence “after decades of oppression”.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazils-lula-doesnt-want-to-please-anyone-over-ukraine-stance-faces-protests-amid-visit-in-lisbon-585175">Brazil’s Lula doesn’t want to ‘please anyone’ over Ukraine stance, faces protests amid visit in Lisbon</a>

The French foreign ministry also said that it had “learned with consternation about the statements from the ambassador.” It added, “It remains up to China to say whether these statements reflect its position which we hope not to be the case.”

Following the interview,&nbsp;Ukraine condemned what it called “absurd” comments from the Chinese ambassador. On Sunday, the&nbsp;Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak said the status of post-Soviet countries was “enshrined in international law”.&nbsp;

He added, "It is strange to hear an absurd version of the ‘history of Crimea’ from a representative of a country&nbsp;that is scrupulous about its 1,000-year history.”&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/finland-fencing-along-russian-border-amid-security-concerns-after-joining-nato-585059">Finland fencing along Russian border amid security concerns after joining NATO</a> 
 
Meanwhile, Latvia’s foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics took to Twitter and wrote, “Remarks by the Chinese Ambassador in France concerning international law and sovereignty of nations are completely unacceptable. We expect (an) explanation from the Chinese side and complete retraction of this statement.”

Additionally, his Lithuanian counterpart, Gabrielius Landsbergis said, “If anyone is still wondering why the Baltic States don't trust China to 'broker peace in Ukraine', here's a Chinese ambassador arguing that Crimea is Russian and our countries' borders have no legal basis,” reported AFP.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Estonian foreign minister,&nbsp;Margus Tsahkna, also called Shaye's comments&nbsp;“false and a misinterpretation of history.” The three&nbsp;Baltic countries have reportedly said that they would&nbsp;each summon China’s ambassador or representative for an explanation of the envoy’s comments.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
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China’s ambassador to France has sparked anger and dismay among eastern European countries after questioning the sovereignty of former Soviet countries including Ukraine.

China’s ambassador to France has sparked anger and dismay among eastern European countries after questioning the sovereignty of former Soviet countries including Ukraine. The Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye, in an interview on Friday (April 22) seemingly suggested that countries that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union are not really sovereign. What did the Chinese envoy say? Speaking with France’s LCI news channel, Shaye said, “These ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status.” ALSO READ | Philippines raises concerns over 'escalating tensions' Taiwan Strait amid talks with China The remarks were made after he was asked whether he believes Crimea is part of Ukraine or not. Crimea was annexed by Russia back in 2014. The Chinese ambassador, in this context, also said, “it depends on how you look at the problem. There's history. Crimea was Russian at the start.” These comments have not only cast doubt not just on Ukraine which is in the midst of an invasion by Russia but on most eastern European countries which emerged as independent nations after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, many of which are also members of the European Union. How have the countries reacted? After the interview, France and eastern European countries released statements in response to the Chinese envoy’s comments. Paris, late Saturday, stated its “full solidarity” with all the allied countries affected, which it said had acquired their independence “after decades of oppression”. ALSO READ | Brazil’s Lula doesn’t want to ‘please anyone’ over Ukraine stance, faces protests amid visit in Lisbon The French foreign ministry also said that it had “learned with consternation about the statements from the ambassador.” It added, “It remains up to China to say whether these statements reflect its position which we hope not to be the case.” Following the interview, Ukraine condemned what it called “absurd” comments from the Chinese ambassador. On Sunday, the Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak said the status of post-Soviet countries was “enshrined in international law”. He added, "It is strange to hear an absurd version of the ‘history of Crimea’ from a representative of a country that is scrupulous about its 1,000-year history.” ALSO READ | Finland fencing along Russian border amid security concerns after joining NATO Meanwhile, Latvia’s foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics took to Twitter and wrote, “Remarks by the Chinese Ambassador in France concerning international law and sovereignty of nations are completely unacceptable. We expect (an) explanation from the Chinese side and complete retraction of this statement.” Additionally, his Lithuanian counterpart, Gabrielius Landsbergis said, “If anyone is still wondering why the Baltic States don't trust China to 'broker peace in Ukraine', here's a Chinese ambassador arguing that Crimea is Russian and our countries' borders have no legal basis,” reported AFP. The Estonian foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, also called Shaye's comments “false and a misinterpretation of history.” The three Baltic countries have reportedly said that they would each summon China’s ambassador or representative for an explanation of the envoy’s comments. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Chinese ambassador questions sovereignty of former Soviet countries; France, Ukraine, Baltic nations dismayed

Lithuania took a drastic step on Tuesday (April 4) as its parliament banned Russian nationals from purchasing real esatete in the country. The parliament said that risks to national security were behind the decision. The ban will be in place till 2024. However, the ban will not apply to Russians who are granted residency in Lithuania.

In addition to the ban, Lithuanian parliament also stopped issuance of new visas to Russian and Belarusian nationals. Belarus is a strong ally of Russia.&nbsp;

Many of the citizens of those two countries who carry other travel documents, such as previously issued visas, will be subject to "individual extended checks" at the border to determine if they pose a threat to national security.

"The vast majority of Russian citizens support their country's aggressive military actions, and do not take actions to stop the aggression of their country's regime, so they share the responsibility," Deputy Foreign Minister Jurgita Neliupsiene told parliament in March as she introduced the bill.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. After sustained gains in the battlefield for first few months, the Russian forces had to retreat in the face of Ukrainian counterattacks. After Russia invaded Ukraine, countries that share borders with Russia have been on alert.

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Lithuania took a drastic step on Tuesday (April 4) as its parliament banned Russian nationals from purchasing real esatete in the country. The parliament said that risks to national security were behind the decision.

Lithuania took a drastic step on Tuesday (April 4) as its parliament banned Russian nationals from purchasing real esatete in the country. The parliament said that risks to national security were behind the decision. The ban will be in place till 2024. However, the ban will not apply to Russians who are granted residency in Lithuania. In addition to the ban, Lithuanian parliament also stopped issuance of new visas to Russian and Belarusian nationals. Belarus is a strong ally of Russia. Many of the citizens of those two countries who carry other travel documents, such as previously issued visas, will be subject to "individual extended checks" at the border to determine if they pose a threat to national security. "The vast majority of Russian citizens support their country's aggressive military actions, and do not take actions to stop the aggression of their country's regime, so they share the responsibility," Deputy Foreign Minister Jurgita Neliupsiene told parliament in March as she introduced the bill. Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. After sustained gains in the battlefield for first few months, the Russian forces had to retreat in the face of Ukrainian counterattacks. After Russia invaded Ukraine, countries that share borders with Russia have been on alert. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Lithuania bans Russian nationals from purchasing property in country

The Lithuanian embassy in India has undertaken a unique project to highlight the linguistic similarities between Sanskrit and Lithuanian, two of the oldest languages in the world.

The Lithuanian embassy in India has undertaken a unique project to highlight the linguistic similarities between Sanskrit and Lithuanian, two of the oldest languages in the world. The project involves a street art mural on the outer wall of the Harcourt Butler School in Delhi's Mandir Marg area, showcasing common words in both languages. The colourful mural depicts traditional Lithuanian style and patterns, and it is set to become a popular attraction for passersby. Diana Mickeviciene, ambassador of Lithuania, highlighted the link between Sanskrit and Lithuanian and how this bonds the two countries together. "Lithuanian language is officially recognised as the closest living sister language of Sanskrit and we are very keen to research this particular connection. We have been keen to bring this message of friendship and historical connection. We are looking forward to more present and modern connection," Mickeviciene told WION. Elaborating in Hindi she pointed out, "hamarey desh ki dosti ka nishan bharat key liye (This is a symbol of friendship between India and Lithuania)." WATCH | India: Sanskrit and Lithuanian words adorn the school wall in Delhi × Linas Kaziulionis, a Lithuanian artist, painted the mural on the outer wall of the school. He symbolically painted the final keywords of the mural, "Deva" and "Agni," which have a profound meaning for both nations and represent the linguistic and cultural connection between the people of Lithuania and India. "Really amazing, India is a very good country and planning to come here again. I am very glad to be here and show language similarities," said Kaziulionis. The project involved painting the most common day-to-day Sanskrit-Lithuanian words like Sapna, Madhu, Agni, and Deva in both Devanagari and Lithuanian scripts. The project has not only highlighted the connection between ancient languages but also brought together people from different cultures and backgrounds in a celebration of art and language. The Lithuanian Embassy in association with Vilnius University and the Lithuanian language institute has also published a unique dictionary that showcases the auspicious 108 words in Lithuanian and Sanskrit, which sound and mean the same. ALSO READ | Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit to take place in July: Minister Meenakshi Lekhi The development comes at a time when the Indian embassy is expected to begin its operations in the country in April. The visas for the first Indian diplomats are being given by the Lithuanian embassy in Delhi. The Indian cabinet last year approved the opening of an Indian embassy in the European country. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Lithuanian embassy in India collaborates for Sanskrit-Lithuanian street art project

Lithuania looks to build bridges with India in high-tech and manufacturing says Lithuanian Vice Minister for economy Karolis Zemaitis while speaking to WION's Siddhant Sibbal.

'We are looking to cooperate with India', says Lithuanian Vice Minister Karolis Zemaitis

In an exclusive interview with WION's diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Lithuania's Vice Minister for Economy and Innovation, Karolis Žemaitis, expressed his country's intention to build bridges with India in high-tech, manufacturing, life sciences, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). He said, "I think both of our both of our countries are very advanced in technology. And we can find the ways how we can work together for you to benefit in Europe and for us to benefit in Asia and Indo-Pacific region."

The conversation also touched upon the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, India's leadership role in the G20, Lithuania's support for Ukraine's membership in NATO and the EU, and the potential for innovation and investment cooperation between India and Lithuania.

Sidhant Sibal: With me is the vice minister for economy and innovation of Lithuania. What is the focus of your India visit?

Karolis Žemaitis: Our focus is to build bridges between Lithuania and India in high-tech, manufacturing, life sciences and ICT. We might be different in our sizes with a three million population in Europe. But we are the same in our ambition for growth. And I think my main intention is to build these bridges.

Sidhant Sibal: So one of the key focus areas for global geopolitics today is the Russia-Ukraine conflict. How has that concept impacted Europe, specifically your country?

Karolis Žemaitis: Well, I think everyone is now even more determined to defend the democratic values, the rule of law and our way of life. We are of course, very serious about the situation that is happening in Ukraine. But it is not changing our determination for democracy and we're working together with our European friends and allies together to defend our values if needed, and to support Ukraine in their war against Russia, the aggressor. And it sends a very strong message to everyone around the world that you know, we, the democracies, have to stick together to defend the values.

Sidhant Sibal: India is the president of the G 20 grouping this year. How do you see India playing a role when it comes to the resolution of the conflict, especially as the chair of the grouping?

Karolis Žemaitis: Well, I think India plays an important role. It's the biggest democracy in the world. So of course, it has the mandate, to represent democratic values and to represent values all around the world. So, for us, we see a lot of potential for India's leadership and India is already a global power in economics and in politics. And we really see that, especially in this region. India can play a role to show the true example of leadership in the region.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/lithuania-our-presence-in-new-delhi-is-a-message-in-itself-505624">WATCH |&nbsp;Lithuania: 'Our presence in New Delhi is a message in itself'</a>

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Sidhant Sibal: And does your country supports Ukraine's membership for NATO?

Karolis Žemaitis: Yes, our country supports the Ukrainian membership for NATO and European Union, as well as all the major reforms they have despite the war happening.

Sidhant Sibal: So shifting gears to the Indo-Pacific region, you coming to Delhi from Taiwan, your relationship with Taiwan, your country's relationship with Taiwan, so do you think that you will be at the receiving end of the Chinese government?

Karolis Žemaitis: Well, you know, our focus will in our relationship with Taiwan is economic. We are already having a lot of bilateral trade, and a lot of work together. And I was leading one of the biggest, the biggest delegation of Lithuanian industrialists in Taiwan, we had a lot of bilateral meetings. You know, when it comes to China, it's up to China to decide on its position.

But for us, it was never the intention to somehow interfere with the Chinese, with the Chinese way of politics. We intend to develop economic relations with Taiwan just like any other European country, or any country in the world.

Sidhant Sibal: And your views when it comes to a very aggressive China. China has been aggressive with your country. It has been aggressive with India as well, especially on the northern border. So your view on the Chinese aggressiveness with India?

Karolis Žemaitis: Well, I think you know, Lithuania is right now having a case in WTO with China, and this is a very good example of how I think the democracies have to stick together. And that is why I'm here in India. That is why we are looking for stable, reliable partners.

And of course, we are always looking to cooperate especially with India, especially with Japan. Korea, and other countries in the region. And we really see India as an emerging global power. And we rely on India's leadership, both political and economic when it comes to the balancing of powers in the region.

Sidhant Sibal: How do you see both countries working on innovation because this is something India has taken a lead on and especially in the backdrop of India, perhaps opening its embassy in your country later this year?

Karolis Žemaitis: I think you know, Lithuania and India are not competitors. We are co-creators, we can work together and have a win-win situation. Lithuania can be a gateway for Indian companies to European markets or 500 million people. And India can be a platform for Lithuanian companies to expand so I don't think we are in any sort of competition.

I think both countries are very advanced in technology. And we can find ways to work together for you [India] to benefit in Europe and for us to benefit in Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.

So that is why I'm really, confident about our technology and investment, cooperation. And that is why I'm meeting with the governmental representatives of India. I am also hoping for the Indian embassy to open in Lithuania, which will also boost our bilateral relationship.

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In an exclusive interview with WION's diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Lithuania's Vice Minister for Economy and Innovation, Karolis Žemaitis, expressed his country's intention to build bridges with India in high-tech, manufacturing, life sciences, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

In an exclusive interview with WION's diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Lithuania's Vice Minister for Economy and Innovation, Karolis Žemaitis, expressed his country's intention to build bridges with India in high-tech, manufacturing, life sciences, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). He said, "I think both of our both of our countries are very advanced in technology. And we can find the ways how we can work together for you to benefit in Europe and for us to benefit in Asia and Indo-Pacific region." The conversation also touched upon the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, India's leadership role in the G20, Lithuania's support for Ukraine's membership in NATO and the EU, and the potential for innovation and investment cooperation between India and Lithuania. Sidhant Sibal: With me is the vice minister for economy and innovation of Lithuania. What is the focus of your India visit? Karolis Žemaitis: Our focus is to build bridges between Lithuania and India in high-tech, manufacturing, life sciences and ICT. We might be different in our sizes with a three million population in Europe. But we are the same in our ambition for growth. And I think my main intention is to build these bridges. Sidhant Sibal: So one of the key focus areas for global geopolitics today is the Russia-Ukraine conflict. How has that concept impacted Europe, specifically your country? Karolis Žemaitis: Well, I think everyone is now even more determined to defend the democratic values, the rule of law and our way of life. We are of course, very serious about the situation that is happening in Ukraine. But it is not changing our determination for democracy and we're working together with our European friends and allies together to defend our values if needed, and to support Ukraine in their war against Russia, the aggressor. And it sends a very strong message to everyone around the world that you know, we, the democracies, have to stick together to defend the values. Sidhant Sibal: India is the president of the G 20 grouping this year. How do you see India playing a role when it comes to the resolution of the conflict, especially as the chair of the grouping? Karolis Žemaitis: Well, I think India plays an important role. It's the biggest democracy in the world. So of course, it has the mandate, to represent democratic values and to represent values all around the world. So, for us, we see a lot of potential for India's leadership and India is already a global power in economics and in politics. And we really see that, especially in this region. India can play a role to show the true example of leadership in the region. WATCH | Lithuania: 'Our presence in New Delhi is a message in itself' × Sidhant Sibal: And does your country supports Ukraine's membership for NATO? Karolis Žemaitis: Yes, our country supports the Ukrainian membership for NATO and European Union, as well as all the major reforms they have despite the war happening. Sidhant Sibal: So shifting gears to the Indo-Pacific region, you coming to Delhi from Taiwan, your relationship with Taiwan, your country's relationship with Taiwan, so do you think that you will be at the receiving end of the Chinese government? Karolis Žemaitis: Well, you know, our focus will in our relationship with Taiwan is economic. We are already having a lot of bilateral trade, and a lot of work together. And I was leading one of the biggest, the biggest delegation of Lithuanian industrialists in Taiwan, we had a lot of bilateral meetings. You know, when it comes to China, it's up to China to decide on its position. But for us, it was never the intention to somehow interfere with the Chinese, with the Chinese way of politics. We intend to develop economic relations with Taiwan just like any other European country, or any country in the world. Sidhant Sibal: And your views when it comes to a very aggressive China. China has been aggressive with your country. It has been aggressive with India as well, especially on the northern border. So your view on the Chinese aggressiveness with India? Karolis Žemaitis: Well, I think you know, Lithuania is right now having a case in WTO with China, and this is a very good example of how I think the democracies have to stick together. And that is why I'm here in India. That is why we are looking for stable, reliable partners. And of course, we are always looking to cooperate especially with India, especially with Japan. Korea, and other countries in the region. And we really see India as an emerging global power. And we rely on India's leadership, both political and economic when it comes to the balancing of powers in the region. Sidhant Sibal: How do you see both countries working on innovation because this is something India has taken a lead on and especially in the backdrop of India, perhaps opening its embassy in your country later this year? Karolis Žemaitis: I think you know, Lithuania and India are not competitors. We are co-creators, we can work together and have a win-win situation. Lithuania can be a gateway for Indian companies to European markets or 500 million people. And India can be a platform for Lithuanian companies to expand so I don't think we are in any sort of competition. I think both countries are very advanced in technology. And we can find ways to work together for you [India] to benefit in Europe and for us to benefit in Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. So that is why I'm really, confident about our technology and investment, cooperation. And that is why I'm meeting with the governmental representatives of India. I am also hoping for the Indian embassy to open in Lithuania, which will also boost our bilateral relationship. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Lithuania looks to build bridges with India in high-tech and manufacturing: Vice Minister Karolis Žemaitis

A gas pipeline connecting Lithuania and Latvia exploded on Friday. Although, there are no immediate evidence of an attack. Watch further to know more.

Around 250 people evacuated as gas pipeline explodes in Lithuania

An explosion occurred on Friday&nbsp;in the gas pipeline between Lithuania and Latvia, while no immediate evidence of the attack was found after an initial assessment.&nbsp;The “investigation will cover all possible options,”&nbsp;said the Lithuanian gas transmission operator Amber Grid. A video posted by the local media shows fire raging at the blast site in northern Lithuania’s Panevezys County, near the Latvian border. However, it has since been put out by the firefighters who immediately arrived on the scene, said the gas company.&nbsp;

The Chief Executive of Amber Grid, Nemunas Biknius, addressing the media, ruled out the possibility of sabotage and said, “We do not see signs of any potential impact from outside.” He also confirmed that the supply of gas was cut off, at first, after the blast as it damaged one of the two parallel pipelines sending gas to Latvia but was restored hours later. Reports suggest that the repair work on the damaged pipeline will begin on Saturday. &nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/around-250-people-evacuated-as-gas-pipeline-explodes-in-lithuania-552547">Around 250 people evacuated as gas pipeline explodes in Lithuania</a>

Meanwhile, the Latvian energy minister, Raimonds Cudars, said that the explosion has so far not affected the country’s natural gas supplies and added that he has been informed that the reason for the explosion was a technical accident, said local media reports. According to the Baltic news agency BNS, the flames initially rose at least 50 metres in the air and were seen from a distance of up to 17 kilometres, but no injuries or fatalities were reported.&nbsp;

However, Latvia’s Defence Minister, Artis Pabriks, took to Twitter and said that the incident must be carefully evaluated and that the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out. On the other hand, Amber Grid’s Biknius, said that the pipeline which is over four decades old recently had gone under some maintenance work and the officials are also working to determine if that contributed to the blast.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nord-stream-leaks-european-leaders-launch-investigation-into-sabotage-520391">Blasts precede Nord Stream leaks, European leaders hint at sabotage, launch investigation</a>

He added, “All reasons will be investigated and clarified in the coming days.”&nbsp;This comes months after the Nord Stream gas pipelines from Russia to Germany were damaged by undersea explosions amid the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Ukraine. Notably, the pipeline carries gas from Lithuania’s port of Klaipeda to Latvia.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

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An explosion occurred on Friday in the gas pipeline between Lithuania and Latvia, while no immediate evidence of the attack was found after an initial assessment.

An explosion occurred on Friday in the gas pipeline between Lithuania and Latvia, while no immediate evidence of the attack was found after an initial assessment. The “investigation will cover all possible options,” said the Lithuanian gas transmission operator Amber Grid. A video posted by the local media shows fire raging at the blast site in northern Lithuania’s Panevezys County, near the Latvian border. However, it has since been put out by the firefighters who immediately arrived on the scene, said the gas company. The Chief Executive of Amber Grid, Nemunas Biknius, addressing the media, ruled out the possibility of sabotage and said, “We do not see signs of any potential impact from outside.” He also confirmed that the supply of gas was cut off, at first, after the blast as it damaged one of the two parallel pipelines sending gas to Latvia but was restored hours later. Reports suggest that the repair work on the damaged pipeline will begin on Saturday. ALSO WATCH | Around 250 people evacuated as gas pipeline explodes in Lithuania Meanwhile, the Latvian energy minister, Raimonds Cudars, said that the explosion has so far not affected the country’s natural gas supplies and added that he has been informed that the reason for the explosion was a technical accident, said local media reports. According to the Baltic news agency BNS, the flames initially rose at least 50 metres in the air and were seen from a distance of up to 17 kilometres, but no injuries or fatalities were reported. However, Latvia’s Defence Minister, Artis Pabriks, took to Twitter and said that the incident must be carefully evaluated and that the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out. On the other hand, Amber Grid’s Biknius, said that the pipeline which is over four decades old recently had gone under some maintenance work and the officials are also working to determine if that contributed to the blast. ALSO READ | Blasts precede Nord Stream leaks, European leaders hint at sabotage, launch investigation He added, “All reasons will be investigated and clarified in the coming days.” This comes months after the Nord Stream gas pipelines from Russia to Germany were damaged by undersea explosions amid the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Ukraine. Notably, the pipeline carries gas from Lithuania’s port of Klaipeda to Latvia. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explosion in gas pipeline between Lithuania and Latvia sparks scare; sabotage not suspected

Every culture wants to memorialize its dead. Every family needs the missing to be identified to reach closure. Perhaps that is why a wartime mass grave offends something so deep in the human conscience. Little can be said with certainty about the hundreds of bodies discovered last week at Izium, in a pine forest in northeastern Ukraine, other than that they are the beginning of a long story.

Restoring human dignity to the most dehumanising of scenes; heaped anonymous corpses, the reduction of lives to nothing, and the stench of abandonment is a painstaking forensic endeavour.

For many months, perhaps years, the work will continue to match DNA samples, collate the scraps, establish the cause of death, and determine what crimes may have been committed by the Russian forces who fled a week ago.

Any mass grave from Bosnia to Rwanda, from Argentina to Guatemala demands of our humanity the reconstitution of the individual lives ended there.&nbsp;

“On one side in Britain you see the Queen’s dignified burial and on the other this mass grave stemming from mass violence,” said Anjli Parrin, the Kenyan deputy director of the Human Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School. “They are two extremes that remind us that the idea of someone missing, buried anonymously, is a violation of a fundamental instinct to honor the dead.”

When President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia retreats, evidence of possible atrocities surfaces. That now seems to be a pattern of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, most recently in Izium. The post-apocalyptic scene last spring in Bucha, near Kyiv, of dozens of corpses arrayed in black plastic bags beneath weeping birches laden with mistletoe has proved to be the prelude to another troubling landscape.

The exhumation of a burial site in a pine forest, after more than five months of Russian occupation of Izium, has revealed one mass grave of Ukrainian Army soldiers, seventeen of them, according to an inscription on a cross. There were also 445 mainly unmarked individual graves. Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament’s commissioner for human rights, spoke of “genocide of the Ukrainian population.”

But genocide&nbsp;requiring the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnicial, racial or religious group, as such,” in the words of the 1948 Genocide Convention is not easily proved. Other international crimes, including crimes against humanity and extrajudicial executions, may also have occurred.

It took nine years for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to rule that the 1995 Serbian killing of more than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys around Srebrenica constituted genocide. This was the worst single massacre in Europe since 1945. 
It was also a massacre foretold.

For any correspondent covering the war there, as I did, it was clear for a long time that the so-called “safe areas” of Bosnia under the protection of the United Nations were no such thing. The blue helmets of UN troops had become a symbol of impotence. The horror, when it came, was merely a re-enactment, on a different scale, of the eviction and slaughter of the Muslim population of Bosnia by Serbian forces three years earlier, at the start of the war in 1992.

Izium, if the war in Ukraine endures and festers (even for years as seems possible), is unlikely to be the last site of myriad graves lost in the forest. Nor are the horrors emerging in Ukraine new to a nation with a poignant history in this regard, including at Babyn Yar, the ravine in Kyiv where more than 33,000 Jews were massacred in 1941 by the Nazis.

My colleague in Bosnia, Elizabeth Neuffer of the Boston Globe, who was later killed in Iraq, wrote of the Cerska mass grave 27 kilometres&nbsp;northwest of Srebrenica in “Crimes of War,” a book edited by Roy Gutman and David Rieff:

“The corpses were dressed in civilian clothes. They had gunshot wounds to the back of their heads. Their decaying hands were bound behind their back.” She continued: “Each part of the human skeleton,&nbsp;some two hundred bones and thirty-two teeth, has its tale to tell.”

They will come to Izium, the forensic pathologists, the ballistic experts, the forensic odontologists examining teeth, the anthropologists, the radiologists, the police investigators, the national and international authorities intent on establishing what violence produced those graves. Establishing the cause and manner and circumstance of death in war is hard. That much I have learned.

“It’s not just the collection of evidence that is difficult, it is preserving it,” Ms Parrin, who has been working on mass graves in the Central African Republic, said. “You are labeling and numbering and photographing under enormous stress and trauma, and you have to demonstrate the chain of custody...who passed what to whom and who locked it in which office and when.” 
It’s easy to get something wrong. Mistaken identity is not unusual.

Before Bosnia, there was Argentina, which I covered in the mid-1980s. Buenos Aires was awakening then to the scope of a national nightmare. Every conversation seemed to end in tears as parents, haunted by desperate imaginings, recalled their children who had been “disappeared” by the military junta. That many of the tens of thousands of “desaparecidos” had been dumped from planes into the South Atlantic between 1976 and 1983 was not yet known.

So did the Argentine military turn “disappear” into a transitive verb and the ocean into a mass grave. I sat and listened. That’s what journalists do: listen through silence, awaiting a clue, the revealing epiphany, the face that crumples like a dynamited building. 
The grief of bereaved parents was overwhelming. Sudden disappearance was too much to bear. There was no farewell and no adequate means to mourn. This twisted minds toward desperate acts.

I took away the conviction that for the bereaved, disappearance into an anonymous mass grave turns every living being into someone with a possible resemblance to a lost child, whose death can never be entirely accepted.

Before Argentina, there was Lithuania. My grandmother came from Zagare, a small Lithuanian town renowned for its cherries. The last Jew there, Aizikas Mendelsonas, died in 2011. When he was born in 1922, there were almost 2,000 Jews in Zagare, with its seven synagogues.

The Nazis ended all that after pushing into Lithuania in June 1941. On October&nbsp;2, 1941, the Jews of Zagare were ordered into the main square before being taken into the woods for execution.

In 1944, the Soviet Red Army, having fought its way into Lithuania, examined a mass grave in the forest outside Zagare and found 2,402 corpses (530 men, 1,223 women, 625 children, and 24 babies), as I discovered in researching a book on my family. A sign in the woods points to the “Graves of the Victims of the Jewish Genocide,” now also commemorated by a monument on the main square.

The hypothetical European fate of my family, had they not left Zagare in time, was to die nameless in a nameless ditch. Perhaps that is why mass graves have haunted me.

These things linger, subliminally or not. Two decades after Srebrenica, a French photographer, Adrien Selbert, showed me photographs of the town, now gathered in a book called “Srebrenica, From Night to Night.” They captured a town overcome by the weight of the past, unable to shake it off, gripped by a kind of sullen idleness. Stray dogs wander empty streets. Neon signs and streetlights glare into vacancy.

It was clear that all the bullets the Serbs emptied into their male victims constituted equal violence upon their female survivors, who were left with the hurt of the unsayable.

What Russia has done, in Izium and elsewhere, is forge a Ukrainian national identity that is more powerful than ever, along with wounds that will be refracted down through the generations.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

Every culture wants to memorialize its dead. Every family needs the missing to be identified to reach closure. Perhaps that is why a wartime mass grave offends something so deep in the human conscience.

Every culture wants to memorialize its dead. Every family needs the missing to be identified to reach closure. Perhaps that is why a wartime mass grave offends something so deep in the human conscience. Little can be said with certainty about the hundreds of bodies discovered last week at Izium, in a pine forest in northeastern Ukraine, other than that they are the beginning of a long story. Restoring human dignity to the most dehumanising of scenes; heaped anonymous corpses, the reduction of lives to nothing, and the stench of abandonment is a painstaking forensic endeavour. For many months, perhaps years, the work will continue to match DNA samples, collate the scraps, establish the cause of death, and determine what crimes may have been committed by the Russian forces who fled a week ago. Any mass grave from Bosnia to Rwanda, from Argentina to Guatemala demands of our humanity the reconstitution of the individual lives ended there. “On one side in Britain you see the Queen’s dignified burial and on the other this mass grave stemming from mass violence,” said Anjli Parrin, the Kenyan deputy director of the Human Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School. “They are two extremes that remind us that the idea of someone missing, buried anonymously, is a violation of a fundamental instinct to honor the dead.” When President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia retreats, evidence of possible atrocities surfaces. That now seems to be a pattern of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, most recently in Izium. The post-apocalyptic scene last spring in Bucha, near Kyiv, of dozens of corpses arrayed in black plastic bags beneath weeping birches laden with mistletoe has proved to be the prelude to another troubling landscape. The exhumation of a burial site in a pine forest, after more than five months of Russian occupation of Izium, has revealed one mass grave of Ukrainian Army soldiers, seventeen of them, according to an inscription on a cross. There were also 445 mainly unmarked individual graves. Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament’s commissioner for human rights, spoke of “genocide of the Ukrainian population.” But genocide requiring the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnicial, racial or religious group, as such,” in the words of the 1948 Genocide Convention is not easily proved. Other international crimes, including crimes against humanity and extrajudicial executions, may also have occurred. It took nine years for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to rule that the 1995 Serbian killing of more than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys around Srebrenica constituted genocide. This was the worst single massacre in Europe since 1945. It was also a massacre foretold. For any correspondent covering the war there, as I did, it was clear for a long time that the so-called “safe areas” of Bosnia under the protection of the United Nations were no such thing. The blue helmets of UN troops had become a symbol of impotence. The horror, when it came, was merely a re-enactment, on a different scale, of the eviction and slaughter of the Muslim population of Bosnia by Serbian forces three years earlier, at the start of the war in 1992. Izium, if the war in Ukraine endures and festers (even for years as seems possible), is unlikely to be the last site of myriad graves lost in the forest. Nor are the horrors emerging in Ukraine new to a nation with a poignant history in this regard, including at Babyn Yar, the ravine in Kyiv where more than 33,000 Jews were massacred in 1941 by the Nazis. My colleague in Bosnia, Elizabeth Neuffer of the Boston Globe, who was later killed in Iraq, wrote of the Cerska mass grave 27 kilometres northwest of Srebrenica in “Crimes of War,” a book edited by Roy Gutman and David Rieff: “The corpses were dressed in civilian clothes. They had gunshot wounds to the back of their heads. Their decaying hands were bound behind their back.” She continued: “Each part of the human skeleton, some two hundred bones and thirty-two teeth, has its tale to tell.” They will come to Izium, the forensic pathologists, the ballistic experts, the forensic odontologists examining teeth, the anthropologists, the radiologists, the police investigators, the national and international authorities intent on establishing what violence produced those graves. Establishing the cause and manner and circumstance of death in war is hard. That much I have learned. “It’s not just the collection of evidence that is difficult, it is preserving it,” Ms Parrin, who has been working on mass graves in the Central African Republic, said. “You are labeling and numbering and photographing under enormous stress and trauma, and you have to demonstrate the chain of custody...who passed what to whom and who locked it in which office and when.” It’s easy to get something wrong. Mistaken identity is not unusual. Before Bosnia, there was Argentina, which I covered in the mid-1980s. Buenos Aires was awakening then to the scope of a national nightmare. Every conversation seemed to end in tears as parents, haunted by desperate imaginings, recalled their children who had been “disappeared” by the military junta. That many of the tens of thousands of “desaparecidos” had been dumped from planes into the South Atlantic between 1976 and 1983 was not yet known. So did the Argentine military turn “disappear” into a transitive verb and the ocean into a mass grave. I sat and listened. That’s what journalists do: listen through silence, awaiting a clue, the revealing epiphany, the face that crumples like a dynamited building. The grief of bereaved parents was overwhelming. Sudden disappearance was too much to bear. There was no farewell and no adequate means to mourn. This twisted minds toward desperate acts. I took away the conviction that for the bereaved, disappearance into an anonymous mass grave turns every living being into someone with a possible resemblance to a lost child, whose death can never be entirely accepted. Before Argentina, there was Lithuania. My grandmother came from Zagare, a small Lithuanian town renowned for its cherries. The last Jew there, Aizikas Mendelsonas, died in 2011. When he was born in 1922, there were almost 2,000 Jews in Zagare, with its seven synagogues. The Nazis ended all that after pushing into Lithuania in June 1941. On October 2, 1941, the Jews of Zagare were ordered into the main square before being taken into the woods for execution. In 1944, the Soviet Red Army, having fought its way into Lithuania, examined a mass grave in the forest outside Zagare and found 2,402 corpses (530 men, 1,223 women, 625 children, and 24 babies), as I discovered in researching a book on my family. A sign in the woods points to the “Graves of the Victims of the Jewish Genocide,” now also commemorated by a monument on the main square. The hypothetical European fate of my family, had they not left Zagare in time, was to die nameless in a nameless ditch. Perhaps that is why mass graves have haunted me. These things linger, subliminally or not. Two decades after Srebrenica, a French photographer, Adrien Selbert, showed me photographs of the town, now gathered in a book called “Srebrenica, From Night to Night.” They captured a town overcome by the weight of the past, unable to shake it off, gripped by a kind of sullen idleness. Stray dogs wander empty streets. Neon signs and streetlights glare into vacancy. It was clear that all the bullets the Serbs emptied into their male victims constituted equal violence upon their female survivors, who were left with the hurt of the unsayable. What Russia has done, in Izium and elsewhere, is forge a Ukrainian national identity that is more powerful than ever, along with wounds that will be refracted down through the generations. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

The singular offense of the mass grave: Story of Izium and beyond

As China increases military pressure on Taiwan, an island it claims as its own territory, and deepens connections with Russia even as the invasion of Ukraine continue, Latvia and Estonia withdrew from a China cooperation group on Thursday.

The two countries followed in the footsteps of Baltic neighbour Lithuania which withdrew last year.&nbsp;

Lithuania's ties with China had deteriorated after the former permitted Taiwan to establish a de facto embassy last&nbsp;year. The nation also endorsed US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. A move which China called "erroneous" accusing the Baltic NATO nation of violating the one-China principle.

Watch |&nbsp;Taiwan rejects China's 'one country, two systems' plan

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Croatia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia are some of the nations that are still part of the cooperation arrangement.

Both Latvia and Estonia said in comments released on Thursday that they will keep pursuing "constructive and pragmatic relations with China" while upholding the rules-based global order and human rights.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/volodymyr-zelensky-tells-officials-if-you-want-victory-for-ukraine-stop-talking-to-press-506073" hreflang="en">Volodymyr Zelensky tells officials, 'if you want victory for Ukraine' stop talking to press</a>

In recent days, western criticism of China's escalating military pressure on democratically ruled Taiwan has risen.&nbsp;

Latvia's&nbsp;continued membership in the China group, according to the country's&nbsp;foreign ministry, is&nbsp;"no longer in line with our strategic objectives in the current international environment."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-jinpings-visit-to-saudi-arabia-chinese-foreign-ministry-says-no-information-to-offer-505993" hreflang="en">Xi Jinping's visit to Saudi Arabia: Chinese foreign ministry says no information to offer</a>

The country recently on Thursday adopted a vote recognising "Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism," while calling on other like-minded countries to express the same view.

Latvian MPs also declared that Russia's actions in Ukraine amount to "targeted genocide against the Ukrainian people".

(With inputs from agencies)

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As China increases military pressure on Taiwan, an island it claims as its own territory, and deepens connections with Russia even as the invasion of Ukraine continue, Latvia and Estonia withdrew from a China cooperation group on Thursday.

As China increases military pressure on Taiwan, an island it claims as its own territory, and deepens connections with Russia even as the invasion of Ukraine continue, Latvia and Estonia withdrew from a China cooperation group on Thursday. The two countries followed in the footsteps of Baltic neighbour Lithuania which withdrew last year. Lithuania's ties with China had deteriorated after the former permitted Taiwan to establish a de facto embassy last year. The nation also endorsed US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. A move which China called "erroneous" accusing the Baltic NATO nation of violating the one-China principle. Watch | Taiwan rejects China's 'one country, two systems' plan Croatia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia are some of the nations that are still part of the cooperation arrangement. Both Latvia and Estonia said in comments released on Thursday that they will keep pursuing "constructive and pragmatic relations with China" while upholding the rules-based global order and human rights. Also read | Volodymyr Zelensky tells officials, 'if you want victory for Ukraine' stop talking to press In recent days, western criticism of China's escalating military pressure on democratically ruled Taiwan has risen. Latvia's continued membership in the China group, according to the country's foreign ministry, is "no longer in line with our strategic objectives in the current international environment." Also read | Xi Jinping's visit to Saudi Arabia: Chinese foreign ministry says no information to offer The country recently on Thursday adopted a vote recognising "Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism," while calling on other like-minded countries to express the same view. Latvian MPs also declared that Russia's actions in Ukraine amount to "targeted genocide against the Ukrainian people". (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

After Lithuania, now Latvia and Estonia quit China cooperation group

Amid the Taiwan crisis, a Lithuanian inter-parliamentary delegation consisting of two ministers of parliament are in New Delhi and are holding talks with several stakeholders with a focus on strengthening ties with India.

Lithuania: 'Our presence in New Delhi is a message in itself'

Few days after Lithuania decided to ban the transit of sanctioned goods to Russia's Kaliningrad region, the European commission has now said it is working overnight on plans to diffuse the growing Kaliningrad's crisis.

EU officials scramble to douse Kaliningrad tensions

After Russia warned&nbsp;Lithuania over restrictions imposed on rail traffic to Kaliningrad, the US said it "stands by Lithuania".

"Specifically our commitment to NATO's Article Five the premise that an attack on one would constitute an attack on all that commitment on the part of the United States is ironclad," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-says-he-is-proud-of-russian-troops-in-ukraine-490300">Also Read:&nbsp;Putin says SARMAT missile would be commissioned by year's end</a>

Russia warned of serious consequences over Lithuania's decision restricting rail traffic calling it a "hostile action". Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave on the Baltic Sea located between Lithuania and Poland.

The US backed the move by Lithuania over its "unprecedented economic measures" while declaring that it does not want to give "Russian saber-rattling or Russian bluster and don't even want to give it additional airtime."

Watch:&nbsp;Zelensky says Russia to intensify attacks on Ukraine

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Putin's regime summoned EU envoy Markus Ederer to the foreign ministry. Lithuania while citing EU sanctions had banned the transit of goods&nbsp;to the enclave.&nbsp;Lithuania is a NATO and EU member.&nbsp;

"It's ironic to hear rhetoric about alleged violations of international treaties from a country which has violated possibly every single international treaty," Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said.

"There is no Kaliningrad blockade," Lithuania's prime minister said, adding, "Lithuania is implementing EU sanctions."

However, Russia demanded "immediate restoration of normal Kaliningrad transit".

(With inputs from Agencies)

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After Russia warned Lithuania over restrictions imposed on rail traffic to Kaliningrad, the US said it "stands by Lithuania". "Specifically our commitment to NATO's Article Five the premise that an attack on one would constitute an attack on all that commitment on the part of the United States is ironclad," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

After Russia warned Lithuania over restrictions imposed on rail traffic to Kaliningrad, the US said it "stands by Lithuania". "Specifically our commitment to NATO's Article Five the premise that an attack on one would constitute an attack on all that commitment on the part of the United States is ironclad," State Department spokesman Ned Price said. Also Read: Putin says SARMAT missile would be commissioned by year's end Russia warned of serious consequences over Lithuania's decision restricting rail traffic calling it a "hostile action". Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave on the Baltic Sea located between Lithuania and Poland. The US backed the move by Lithuania over its "unprecedented economic measures" while declaring that it does not want to give "Russian saber-rattling or Russian bluster and don't even want to give it additional airtime." Watch: Zelensky says Russia to intensify attacks on Ukraine Putin's regime summoned EU envoy Markus Ederer to the foreign ministry. Lithuania while citing EU sanctions had banned the transit of goods to the enclave. Lithuania is a NATO and EU member. "It's ironic to hear rhetoric about alleged violations of international treaties from a country which has violated possibly every single international treaty," Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said. "There is no Kaliningrad blockade," Lithuania's prime minister said, adding, "Lithuania is implementing EU sanctions." However, Russia demanded "immediate restoration of normal Kaliningrad transit". (With inputs from Agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Kaliningrad rail transit row: US backs Lithuania as Russia warns of 'consequences'

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania has imposed a transit ban to Kaliningrad. In a recent update, Russia told to Lithuania that your citizens will feel the pain.

Moscow fumes over Lithuanian ban: 'Your citizens will feel the pain,' says Russia

Kaliningrad – a Russian region between two European Union nations Poland and Lithuania – has been caught in a row between Russia and Lithuania. How does the row affect the Russian region?

Why is Kaliningrad at center of row between Russia and Lithuania?

Hundreds of&nbsp;Lithuanians&nbsp;are&nbsp;clubbing&nbsp;together&nbsp;to&nbsp;buy&nbsp;an advanced military&nbsp;drone&nbsp;for&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;in its war against Russia, in a show of solidarity with a fellow country formerly under Moscow's rule.

Some 3 million euros ($3.2 million) have been raised in just three days - out of the 5 million euros needed - largely in small amounts, according to Laisves TV, a Lithuanian internet broadcaster that launched the drive.

"Before this war started, none of us thought that we would be&nbsp;buying guns. But it's a normal thing now. Something must be done for the world to get better," said Agne Belickaite, 32, who sent 100 euros as soon as the fundraising launched on Wednesday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-troops-may-retreat-from-luhansk-says-regions-governor-482802">Ukrainian troops may retreat from Luhansk, says region's governor</a>

"I've been donating to&nbsp;buy&nbsp;guns for&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;for a while now. And will do so until the victory," she told Reuters, adding she was motivated in part by fears Russia could attack Lithuania.

The&nbsp;drone&nbsp;has proven effective in recent years against Russian forces and their allies in conflicts in Syria and Libya, and its purchase is being orchestrated by Lithuania's Ministry of Defence, which told Reuters it planned to sign a letter of intent to&nbsp;buy&nbsp;the craft from Turkey next week.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine Crisis: 9 killed, dozens injured in fresh shelling in Kharkiv

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Ukraine&nbsp;has bought more than 20 Bayraktar TB2 armed&nbsp;drones from Turkish company Baykar in recent years and ordered a further 16 on Jan. 27. That batch was delivered in early March.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-war-pro-russian-forces-claim-to-have-captured-strategic-town-lyman-482653">Ukrainian officials say Russia-backed forces captured strategic town Lyman</a>

"This is the first case in history when ordinary people raise money to&nbsp;buy&nbsp;something like a Bayraktar. It is unprecedented, it is unbelievable," Beshta Petro,&nbsp;Ukraine's ambassador to Lithuania, told Laisves TV.

Most of the heavy weapons that NATO countries have sent to&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;so far are Soviet-built arms still in the inventories of eastern European NATO member states, but some have recently started to supply Western howitzers.

"While governments of the&nbsp;world's largest countries are endlessly deliberating ... Lithuanian society simply comes&nbsp;together&nbsp;and, you know, is about to fundraise 5 million euros and&nbsp;buy&nbsp;the&nbsp;drone&nbsp;- which is an impressive message to the world," said Belickaite.

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Hundreds of Lithuanians are clubbing together to buy an advanced military drone for Ukraine in its war against Russia, in a show of solidarity with a fellow country formerly under Moscow's rule.

Hundreds of Lithuanians are clubbing together to buy an advanced military drone for Ukraine in its war against Russia, in a show of solidarity with a fellow country formerly under Moscow's rule. Some 3 million euros ($3.2 million) have been raised in just three days - out of the 5 million euros needed - largely in small amounts, according to Laisves TV, a Lithuanian internet broadcaster that launched the drive. "Before this war started, none of us thought that we would be buying guns. But it's a normal thing now. Something must be done for the world to get better," said Agne Belickaite, 32, who sent 100 euros as soon as the fundraising launched on Wednesday. Also read | Ukrainian troops may retreat from Luhansk, says region's governor "I've been donating to buy guns for Ukraine for a while now. And will do so until the victory," she told Reuters, adding she was motivated in part by fears Russia could attack Lithuania. The drone has proven effective in recent years against Russian forces and their allies in conflicts in Syria and Libya, and its purchase is being orchestrated by Lithuania's Ministry of Defence, which told Reuters it planned to sign a letter of intent to buy the craft from Turkey next week. Watch | Russia-Ukraine Crisis: 9 killed, dozens injured in fresh shelling in Kharkiv Ukraine has bought more than 20 Bayraktar TB2 armed drones from Turkish company Baykar in recent years and ordered a further 16 on Jan. 27. That batch was delivered in early March. Also read | Ukrainian officials say Russia-backed forces captured strategic town Lyman "This is the first case in history when ordinary people raise money to buy something like a Bayraktar. It is unprecedented, it is unbelievable," Beshta Petro, Ukraine's ambassador to Lithuania, told Laisves TV. Most of the heavy weapons that NATO countries have sent to Ukraine so far are Soviet-built arms still in the inventories of eastern European NATO member states, but some have recently started to supply Western howitzers. "While governments of the world's largest countries are endlessly deliberating ... Lithuanian society simply comes together and, you know, is about to fundraise 5 million euros and buy the drone - which is an impressive message to the world," said Belickaite. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Message to the world' - Lithuanians club together to buy drone for Ukraine

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis believes that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a dangerous precedent in modern history. In an exclusive interview with Executive Editor of WION Palki Sharma, he explained that Baltic nations are worried about a possible Russian aggression.

“If a big country and a nuclear power is allowed to cross another country’s border and stay there, it changes the meaning of the security architecture that was probably built after the second World War. That means that if you are allowed to do it once, what stops you from doing it more times?”

“There are countries in the vicinity who are at risk. One is Moldova and there was some military movement in Transnistria which is actually between Ukraine and Moldova. But the question is whether NATO borders will be enough to stop Russia and there are people in a number of Baltic states who are thinking that maybe it will not be enough,” Landsbergis said in the interview.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/karachi-university-blast-woman-suicide-bomber-was-graduate-student-at-pakistani-university-474259" hreflang="en">Karachi blast: Suicide bomber was graduate student at Pakistani university</a>

Ukraine has received a lot of help from NATO nations since the Russian invasion started in February 24 and the Lithuanian FM praised the ‘unprecedented’ response from the world.

“Before the 24th of February, you would have heard more about the disagreements and the difficult road towards a consensus when it comes to the European Union. Now, we have not only managed to secure the 27 around the European table but also to expand it. The global response to the Russian aggression was unprecedented and this is what caught Mr Putin by surprise,” he explained.

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Has Europe's response to Ukraine war been satisfactory? 
 
Why does Lithuania reject migrants from West Asia?<a href="https://twitter.com/palkisu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@palkisu</a> speaks to Lithuanian foreign minister <a href="https://twitter.com/GLandsbergis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GLandsbergis</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheInterview?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheInterview</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rx0oZXZcLk">https://t.co/Rx0oZXZcLk</a>
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Lithuania was one of the first countries in Europe to massively decrease their reliance on Russia when it comes to oil and gas imports and Landsbergis believes that along with all the economic sanctions, a ban on oil and gas is the right move in order to hurt Russia’s economic interests.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaishankar-better-to-engage-with-world-on-own-terms-than-try-to-please-it-474304">Jaishankar: Better to engage with world on own terms than try to please it</a>

German economy minister Robert Habeck said on Tuesday that they are looking for ways to replace Russian oil and the Lithuanian FM believes that this is a great step towards finding a consensus.

“The sanctions are extremely important if we need to stop the war from going on for one or two years. But what more can be done is to ban the imports of oil and gas. This is what Lithuania has been asking for and certain announcements from German government gives us hope.”

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis believes that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a dangerous precedent in modern history. In an exclusive interview with Executive Editor of WION Palki Sharma, he explained that Baltic nations are worried about a possible Russian aggression.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis believes that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a dangerous precedent in modern history. In an exclusive interview with Executive Editor of WION Palki Sharma, he explained that Baltic nations are worried about a possible Russian aggression. “If a big country and a nuclear power is allowed to cross another country’s border and stay there, it changes the meaning of the security architecture that was probably built after the second World War. That means that if you are allowed to do it once, what stops you from doing it more times?” “There are countries in the vicinity who are at risk. One is Moldova and there was some military movement in Transnistria which is actually between Ukraine and Moldova. But the question is whether NATO borders will be enough to stop Russia and there are people in a number of Baltic states who are thinking that maybe it will not be enough,” Landsbergis said in the interview. Also read | Karachi blast: Suicide bomber was graduate student at Pakistani university Ukraine has received a lot of help from NATO nations since the Russian invasion started in February 24 and the Lithuanian FM praised the ‘unprecedented’ response from the world. “Before the 24th of February, you would have heard more about the disagreements and the difficult road towards a consensus when it comes to the European Union. Now, we have not only managed to secure the 27 around the European table but also to expand it. The global response to the Russian aggression was unprecedented and this is what caught Mr Putin by surprise,” he explained. #LIVE | Can Europe stand up to Russia's energy blackmail? Has Europe's response to Ukraine war been satisfactory? Why does Lithuania reject migrants from West Asia?@palkisu speaks to Lithuanian foreign minister @GLandsbergis on #TheInterview https://t.co/Rx0oZXZcLk — WION (@WIONews) April 27, 2022 × Lithuania was one of the first countries in Europe to massively decrease their reliance on Russia when it comes to oil and gas imports and Landsbergis believes that along with all the economic sanctions, a ban on oil and gas is the right move in order to hurt Russia’s economic interests. Also read | Jaishankar: Better to engage with world on own terms than try to please it German economy minister Robert Habeck said on Tuesday that they are looking for ways to replace Russian oil and the Lithuanian FM believes that this is a great step towards finding a consensus. “The sanctions are extremely important if we need to stop the war from going on for one or two years. But what more can be done is to ban the imports of oil and gas. This is what Lithuania has been asking for and certain announcements from German government gives us hope.”

Exclusive | Europe needs to find consensus on banning Russian oil and gas, says Lithuanian Foreign Minister

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda and Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda. The leaders expressed their strongest condemnation of the decision by the Russian Federation to recognise the so-called “DPR” and “LPR”.

Ukrainian President Zelensky holds joint presser with Polish and Lithuanian counterparts

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