LITHUANIA'S JUSTICE MINISTER PLEDGES CONTINUITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VILNIUS 000058

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR/NB AND EUR/OHI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KCOR KNAR PREL LH
SUBJECT: LITHUANIA'S JUSTICE MINISTER PLEDGES CONTINUITY
AND COOPERATION WITH USG

REF: A. VILNIUS 57


B. 2004 VILNIUS 1548

C. 2004 VILNIUS 1546


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Justice Minister Gintautas Buzinskas,
meeting with Ambassador Mull on January 14, pledged
continuity in his Ministry and U.S.-Lithuanian cooperation on
legal issues. Both sides agreed on the need for additional
efforts on anti-corruption and counter-terrorism. The
Ambassador expressed a desire to fine-tune the bilateral
Extradition Treaty to bring it in line with U.S.-EU
legislation. Ambassador Mull praised the Ministry for its
constructive efforts on Jewish communal property restitution
and offered his assistance in progressing further. Buzinskas
emphasized that the GOL would not change its policy vis-a-vis
restitution and that the Ministry would continue its work on
schedule. Buzinskas' reassurance is a positive signal that
the GOL remains committed to restituting Jewish property and
will not unnecessarily delay the process. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Ambassador Mull met with Gintautas Buzinskas,
recently confirmed Justice Minister, January 14 as part of
his tour of Lithuania's new Cabinet (refs A, B, and C).
Buzinskas pledged continuity in the Ministry's functioning,
noting that as "only one man at the top" he did not intend to
overhaul the institution. He showed trust in his
subordinates, often yielding the floor to his ViceMinister
and State Secretary during the meeting, and said that the
Ministry's "strategic direction" remains the same.

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Buzinskas: "Coalition is Stable"
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3. (SBU) The Ambassador asked Buzinskas, one of the Labor
Party's five Cabinet ministers, for his insights on the
functioning of the ruling coalition. Buzinskas stressed that
there were no major conflicts within the coalition,
especially on legal issues. The government's policy of
continuity, he said, demonstrated its maturity and the
stability of the coalition.

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Continuing Cooperation: Visits and Projects
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4. (U) The Ambassador emphasized the value of sending Justice
Ministry officials to the United States for training,
highlighting the recent trip of ViceMinister Gintaras Svedas,
who spoke highly of his experience in America. He encouraged
Buzinskas to consider a similar visit to the United States in
the coming months. Ambassador Mull noted that our priority
with the Ministry for 2005 would be on assisting with
anti-corruption measures. The Ambassador also urged a
continuation of Embassy-sponsored seminars on topics such as
IPR, ethics, trafficking in persons, and cyber-crime.
Buzinskas replied that he perceived cooperation in combating
corruption and terrorism, "difficult problems that require
continual attention," as most fruitful.

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Extradition Treaty
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5. (U) Ambassador Mull praised our bilateral Extradition
Treaty as exemplary and solidly in place, although he
expressed an intention to fine-tune the treaty in the coming
months to ensure it is compatible with U.S.-EU agreements.
ViceMinister Svedas agreed, noting that other bilateral
agreements might also require some small adjustments due to
Lithuania's accession to the EU.

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Jewish Property Restitution
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6. (SBU) Ambassador next raised the restitution of former
Jewish communal property seized during the Holocaust. He
praised the Ministry for its positive role in making progress
towards a final list of properties, and urged a speedy
resolution to the restitution issue. He offered to assist
the Ministry in its interactions with the international
Jewish Community and noted that Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC
Director for International Jewish Affairs, would be traveling
to Vilnius later in January to present the latest version of
the property list.


7. (SBU) Buzinskas replied that the new administration would
not alter Lithuania's position on this issue, and that the
Justice Ministry would continue its work on the property list
and draft amendment to the Law on Restitution. Buzinskas
also noted that for three years he worked with a German fund
on compensation to Holocaust victims, gaining valuable
experience in dealing with the international Jewish community
and restitution issues.

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Comment: No Hiccups for Restitution
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8. (SBU) Fall Parliamentary elections, and the advent of a
new government, created some uncertainty regarding the
restitution of former Jewish communal property. Viktor
Uspaskich and his Labor Party, the largest faction in the new
Parliament, have declined to take a strong stance on the
issue. Labor Party stalwart Buzinskas has now made clear to
us, however, that under his leadership the Ministry of
Justice will not change course in its work on restitution.
Although ultimately restitution will depend on a political
decision taken in Parliament, we can at least be confident
that administrative delays will not hold the process back.
We fully expect the Ministry of Justice to continue its
professional handling of the restitution issue.
MULL