New Minister of Interior Furmanavicius Promises

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VILNIUS 001548

SIPDIS

TALLINN FOR FBI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL CMGT ASEC LH
SUBJECT: New Minister of Interior Furmanavicius Promises
Continued Cooperation; Easier Residency Permit Process

REF: VILNIUS 1523

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET


1. (U) Summary: Ambassador Mull met with newly appointed
Minister of Interior Ginteras Furmanavicius on December
21, 2004. Furmanavicius thanked the Ambassador for past
U.S. efforts to train the Ministry's experts in border
security and law enforcement. He stated his commitment
to maintaining close cooperation with the U.S., noting
that both countries face similar challenges in terms of
terrorism, organized crime, and money laundering. The
Ambassador raised concerns about Lithuania's residency
permit process for U.S. citizens - particularly Fulbright
Scholars - noting that such could act as a disincentive
for U.S. investment in Lithuania. Minster Furmanavicius
agreed to help work towards finding an acceptable
solution, suggesting the Migration Office is ready to
work with us to address this issue. In an effort to
increase cooperation and bi-lateral government contacts,
the Ambassador encouraged Minister Furmanavicius to make
an early visit to the United States to meet with top
federal law enforcement officials. End Summary



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Maintaining the Status Quo: Good Cooperation; Continued
Training
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2. (U) Ginteras Furmanavicius became Minister of Interior
on December 14, 2004, making him the fourth Minister of
Interior in four years, and second in the last two.
Although controversy clouded his appointment, with
allegations swirling of his business dealings with an
accused embezzler, Lithuania's investigative service has
cleared Furmanavicius and there has been no additional
evidence to substantiate these allegations (ref A).


3. (U) Receiving Ambassador Mull for his December 22,
2004 courtesy-call, Minster of Interior Ginteras
Furmanavicius noted that we were the first foreign
diplomats to meet with him, and, although only recently
appointed, he was well aware of the excellent cooperation
that has existed over the past several years between the
USG and Lithuania's Ministry of Interior. He thanked
the U.S. for the training and equipment it has provided,
citing the radiological detection equipment at the
airport and security equipment used in border security to
help thwart WMD proliferation. Alluding to President
Bush's speech during his visit to Lithuania,
Furmanavicius pointed out that Lithuania and the U.S.
have many mutual challenges to address - organized crime,
terrorism, money laundering -and he intended to address
these challenges with the same level of bi-lateral
cooperation as his predecessors. Domestically,
Furmanavicius's agenda focuses on increasing state
security, while improving government services and
decreasing the economic disparity between urban and rural
regions.


4. (U) The Ambassador echoed the Ministers comments on
USG-GOL cooperation in the area of law enforcement and
border security, stating he looked forward to continued
cooperation in the future. The Ambassador made specific
mention of the police force used to guard the U.S.
Embassy, noting that while the Ministry of Interior has
cutback on overall security at embassies in Vilnius, the
police still maintain a presence at the U.S. Embassy,
helping ensure our security. He noted that law
enforcement training has been one of the strongest areas
of cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, and he
hopes to build on the already successful programs the USG
has undertaken with the GOL, namely undercover police
work, post-blast training with the FBI, and security
assessments of port security in Klaipeda and railroad
security at the borders. As a way to increase
cooperation and improve already excellent bi-lateral
relations, the Ambassador encouraged Minister
Furmanavicius to make an early visit to the U.S. to meet
top law enforcement officials in Washington.

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Residency Permits: A Sticking Point
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5. (SBU) One area of concern the Ambassador raised with
Minister Furmanavicius is the current GOL residency
permit policy. He mentioned the large number of
complaints he has heard from U.S. citizens regarding
their attempts to obtain a residency permit, citing the
often-confusing and lengthy process of acquiring a
residency permit. The current process, the Ambassador
noted, could act as a disincentive for U.S. investment in
Lithuania, if U.S. investors have difficulty obtaining
resident permits.


6. (SBU) The Fulbright Scholars are of particular
concern. The Ambassador noted that they are in Lithuania
for an academic year, but must wait a considerable amount
of time before receiving their visas, often longer than
90 days, when they become out of status and must leave
the country or face fines. The Ambassador mentioned that
the Fulbright program is a government sponsored program
and would hope the Migration Office could ensure that the
Fulbright scholars receive their visas before the 90-day
temporary residence period expires. The Ambassador cited
the bi-lateral program the GOL has in place with the
French government and hopes that the U.S. Embassy can
work with the Migration Office to establish a similar
program. Minister Furmanavicius stated he was well aware
of the U.S. concerns regarding residency permits and
would do everything possible to solve the problem and
make it easier for U.S. citizens to come to Lithuania to
study, invest or live. He suggested we contact the
Migration Office directly, as they are prepared to talk
with the U.S. in order to solve this problem.

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Comment
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7. (SBU) Minister Furmanavicius seems prepared to
continue the close cooperation his predecessors have
forged with the USG, with his list of priorities offering
specific areas where the USG can offer training and
support, namely in state security. He realizes the
importance of maintaining good relations and has taken
note of the residency permit issue and seems willing to
address it promptly. We will explore options for
bringing Furmanavicius to Washington in the future.


MULL