Diplomatic Connections July/August 2018

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A Business, Diplomacy & Foreign Policy Publication

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BUSINESS • POLITICS • TRAVEL • ENTERTAINMENT • CONGRESS • MILITARY & DEFENSE PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE, DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX

AMBASSADOR LAURI LEPIK Embassy of Estonia to the United States

AMBASSADOR ROLANDAS KRISCIUNAS Embassy of Lithuania to the United States

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Cover photo credits: Ambassador Lauri Lepik, Embassy of Estonia to the U.S., Christophe Avril/Diplomatic Connections; Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Ben Stansall - WPA Pool/Getty Images; Ambassador Rolandas Krisciunas, Embassy of Lithuania to the U.S.; Consul General Dr. Helmut Boeck, Consulate General of Austria in New York, Christophe Avril, Diplomatic Connections

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AMBASSADOR LAURI LEPIK EMBASSY OF ESTONIA TO THE UNITED STATES

AMBASSADOR ROLANDAS KRISCIUNAS EMBASSY OF LITHUANIA TO THE UNITED STATES

CONSUL GENERAL DR. HELMUT BOECK CONSULATE GENERAL OF AUSTRIA IN NEW YORK

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HOW ESTONIA BECAME AND OTHER BALTIC STORIES: A Conversation with Ambassador Lauri Lepik

BY ROLAND FLAMINI

When the presidents of the Baltic states –

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – met with President Trump in March, the number one topic was security. With an increasingly aggressive Russian bear lurking on their respective doorsteps, the Baltic leaders were seeking the administration’s reassurance that being members of the NATO still meant they were under the Alliance’s protective umbrella. Trump’s apparent ambivalence towards NATO, insisting that its members in effect pay protection money in the form of the Alliance’s unofficial minimum expenditure on defense had made many European members nervous about America’s continued commitment. Estonia’s security situation is complicated by the fact that almost 25 percent of the population is ethnic Russian: President Putin’s incursion into Ukraine was based on the argument that 17 percent of the Ukrainian population was ethnic Russian. But in a recent interview Estonia’s Ambassador Lauri Lepik told Diplomatic Connections the visiting Baltic presidents had -well, a trump card. All three nations meet the 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) minimum expenditure on defense and have done so for years.

In the White House summit’s joint communique all parties subscribed to an “ironclad commitment to Article 5,” the mutual defense clause of the NATO treaty. All four countries, including the U.S., pledged “to confront forces threatening our common values, security interests and shared vision.” The Trump administration confirmed its commitment to deploying troops in the region on a rotation basis. Russia isn’t specifically mentioned in the communique, but Ambassador Lepik said that during the meeting President Trump was “extremely strong in his opinions on Russian behavior.”

Estonia (pop: 1.3 million) is the smallest Baltic country, and the most prosperous. It boasts the most technologically advanced system of government in the world (Skype

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was developed in Estonia). Under a program dubbed e-Stonia, every citizen possesses a personal ID card with an identification number and a login code – in fact, a digital identity – for access to digitized interactions with the state. Estonians can vote on line, as well as file their taxes, consult their medical records, access the health care system, and use digital banking. Estonians can also sign legal documents digitally, without resorting to paper, or a lawyer. As Ambassador Lepik observes, the system is built on mutual trust between citizens and government – but Estonians are notified when the government tries to access their personal government.

This total dependence on digitization is transformative, but can also be vulnerable, as in April 2007 when a massive and intense cyber attack by Russia brought the

H.E. LAURI LEPIK Ambassador of Estonia to the United States Washington, D.C.

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Estonian internet, and therefore the country, to a halt.

The attacks on Estonia’s digital infrastructure paralyzed parliament and shut down banks. National newspapers crashed. Ambassador Lepik argues that Estonia survived, but the reality is that the country stopped the onslaught by “going dark” in electronic terms - shutting down its system.

Estonia’s response was to make cyber defense a national priority. An Estonian Cyber Defense Unit was established consisting of volunteers. The Estonians also established, in the capital Tallinn, a Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) and a NATO cybersecurity research center. The Center pre-dates the U.S. Cyber Command center which has adopted some of the Estonian programs.

Trained as a librarian, Ambassador Lepik has spent most of his diplomatic career either representing his country at NATO in Brussels, or working on security issues in Tallinn. His wife, also an Estonian diplomat, is currently a senior European Union official in the Belgian capital.

Diplomatic Connections: Ambassador, a good place to start is with the recent summit of the Baltic heads of state with President Trump. Could you spell out its objectives, and its achievements.

Ambassador Lepik: Our focus has always been – and President Trump said it as well - on building a special bond between the Baltics and the U.S., and there’s a lot to be said about what this special bond is. We successfully organized several moments in history where our leaders have met. I was fortunate enough to serve in Washington in 1998 when we created, drafted and adopted the U.S.-Baltic Charter (In which the United States declared a profound and enduring interest in the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia). What diplomats do is just to create this kind of relationships.

Diplomatic Connections: Let me quote you President Vejonis of Latvia, who said in advance of the summit that the Baltic states, “expected a very strong political message from the U.S. expressing support for strengthening Baltic security and expressing, once again, support for the independence of the

Janek Skarzynski/AFP/Getty Images

(L-R) European Council President Donald Tusk, Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at a press conference following a digital summit in Tallinn, Estonia.

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Alexander Pohl/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The first panel of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, February 16-18, 2018.

(L-R) Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid, German Lieutenant General Ludwig Leinhos, former General Secretary of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Mary Wareham from Human Rights Watch and New York Times correspondent David Sanger discuss artificial intelligence and warfare.

Baltic states.” In your view, did the U.S. deliver this strong message?

Ambassador Lepik: I’m not going to comment on a president’s statement who is not mine, but I think that our independence, or sovereignty, is not in question. We are beyond that point. We’re not going to tell the U.S. administration how to make things happen here, and in third countries. We are quite self-confident; in that sense, there is no need of being reassured.

During the panel above, the robot Sophia talks to the audience to symbolize artificial intelligence.

Diplomatic Connections: But one of the issues that all three countries wanted to discuss was security.

Ambassador Lepik: Yes, sure. And we’re all concerned, and it was President Trump who actually spoke out on Russia, and on our neighborhood, and on NATO, saying that he is extremely strong in his opinions on Russian behavior, and we agreed.

Diplomatic Connections: A lot of people in this country believe that President Trump isn’t strong enough on Russian behavior.

But I understand you are reassured. All three Baltic countries are, after all, members of NATO, so you are covered by Article 5. Was Article 5 actually mentioned in the final communique?

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Ambassador Lepik: The (joint) communique is a two-pager which we drafted, and it’s good reading material.

Diplomatic Connections: President Trump must be quite pleased with the Baltic states because Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have all met the unofficial, unwritten, but these days much discussed commitment that each NATO member must spend a benchmark minimum 2 percent of the GDP on defense.

Ambassador Lepik: That’s very well put. Our nation has spent about 2 percent for the past five years or so. It was our deliberate decision. We didn’t go into this benchmark thing, but we have it anyway.

Diplomatic Connections: Is there a permanent American military presence in Estonia?

Ambassador Lepik: No. There is a French, British and Danish (NATO) army presence. What we’re talking about is a land presence approximately a battle group size of 1,000 soldiers.

Diplomatic Connections: Isn’t there also a problem with having to intercept Russian planes straying into Estonian air space?

Ambassador Lepik: Yes. Diplomatic Connections: And are these frequent incidents.

Ambassador Lepik: I don’t know that they’re frequent, but it is increasing all the time. Let me put it this way: We are for good airmanship – how the pilots fly – and our point really is to encourage the Russian pilots to adopt good airmanship more and more.

Diplomatic Connections: In other words, you think that when Russian pilots overfly your country, a lot of it is negligent flying?

Ambassador Lepik: Exactly.

Diplomatic Connections: From the Estonian point of view, how much of the concern about Russian aggressiveness is historic, and how much based on a specific threat?

Ambassador Lepik: If you take the last two hundred years, we are very much related to Russia and the Russian empire. If we go beyond that, then it’s a different influence - the Danes, the Swedes, the Baltic Sea nations. The Russians weren’t there.

Diplomatic Connections: That’s history. But today, is concern about the Russian part of the daily life of Estonians?

Ambassador Lepik: It’s part of my daily life. I wouldn’t say that it’s part of the daily life of everyone. Certainly, I don’t want to create a situation where we would leave the impression that the crisis is imminent. Of course, we’re working in the background, and certainly, we’re vigilant,

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but I wouldn’t say that there’s something bad happening tomorrow.

Diplomatic Connections: But it could.

Ambassador Lepik: Of course.

Diplomatic Connections: You mentioned that this is your second incarnation in Washington.

Ambassador Lepik: Yes, the first time was from 1996 - 2000.

Diplomatic Connections: How has Washington changed for a diplomat in the intervening twenty years?

Ambassador Lepik: I think the city itself has improved tremendously, and I commend the city government and the developers who have made a big difference. Washington is a wonderful place to be.

Diplomatic Connections: And in terms of work?

Ambassador Lepik: In terms of work, it’s a totally different experience from when I was here previously. The goals are different. The atmospherics are different. I can work with all people in the administration; I don’t have any problems with access. So it’s actually very good, and satisfying.

Diplomatic Connections: Will you tell us something of Estonia’s total commitment to becoming a digital society through the e-Stonia program, which is actually a government program?

Ambassador Lepik: Firstly, I think it’s all about how people

see their relationship with the state, and what being a citizens means. We have created this kind of interaction between the citizens and the state, in the sense that citizens can approach directly and interact directly.

Secondly, the most important thing is that you have to create trust between the people and the state, and we’ve probably found a way how to do it that may be unique.

Trust and a legal framework are at the basis of our digital system: it’s not so much about technology.

Diplomatic Connections: Is there – was there – resistance, perhaps from the older generation to this project?

Ambassador Lepik: No. I think we have to go back to 1991 (i.e. following the collapse of the Soviet Empire of which Estonia was part), and the political trust, willingness and enthusiasm to re-create the spirit of the country. It was so overwhelming, and because we were under the Soviets for so long, there was a desire among our population to be open to the world. So, what happened was that there was a project started in 1994 called Tiger Leap, and that meant we wanted to connect all schools, libraries and public spaces to the internet. Three generations have so far been

exposed to that template. By 1999, as much as 98 percent of all tax returns were filed online. That gives you an idea of how people have accepted this system.

Diplomatic Connections: Estonians can also vote online.

Ambassador Lepik: Yes. You can vote in the traditional way as well. But voting is one act every five years.

Diplomatic Connections: In this country, if anyone tried to link together centrally, and make available, information about individual’s salary, taxes, medical records, banking, education, criminal record, and voting, as you have done, the immediate reaction would be “Big Brother” – invasion of privacy. Was there such a reaction in Estonia?

Ambassador Lepik: No. Here I agree that credit information, what we have read about different social media operations – it has all happened. In our case, we as individuals own our data legally, and certainly we don’t mix the credit, banking or other social data together. I have a legal right to ask who has looked at my data. That’s why you have to create, in addition to the law, a mindset, a trust which then enables everyone to live much more creatively with their available technology.

Raigo Pajula/AFP/Getty Images

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shakes hands with Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sven Mikser in the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center.

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Diplomatic Connections: So basically you had to create a system whereby you’re sure – or relatively sure – that what you had access to, others do not.

Ambassador Lepik: Precisely. More importantly, there has to be a debate in a society within the parliamentary framework focusing on how can we cope with all the new technologies, and start-ups, and it has to be open and public. You just can’t somehow sneak this in. That’s the only reason people trust it in Estonia.

Diplomatic Connections: In 2007, you had the traumatic Russian cyber attack that lasted for days. What effect did that have on Estonia’s commitment to go digital?

Ambassador Lepik: First, we saw the need to create this private-public relationship within the society – and even beyond that, internationally - to tackle those kinds of attacks. We had that, and that’s why we survived it.

Secondly, we created in NATO, the cyber center. In 2008, I took all our NATO allies to Tallinn to discuss cyber defense policy. We came up with this idea as well as established it.

Diplomatic Connections: Which is used NATO-wide?

Ambassador Lepik: Yes. 24

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Diplomatic Connections: Estonia seems to be start-up heaven.

You have cyber projects starting up all the time.

Ambassador Lepik: Right. It’s all about unleashing the creativity of people. Therefore, we are number one in Europe for start-ups per capita.

Diplomatic Connections: And the other thing about Estonia is that you can get residency in Estonia without actually being there.

Ambassador Lepik: There’s a program of residency. One gets a digital card, so that if you have a business in Estonia, for example, you can access all your business accounts, your business’ taxes online. It doesn’t simplify getting a residence permit, or a passport, and it’s not a tax haven, either.

Diplomatic Connections: Does it give you Estonian citizenship?

Ambassador Lepik: No. We started that about two years ago. And world-wide there are about 35,400 new residents, 2,096 from the U.S. Most come from Finland, the second most come from Russia, third from Ukraine.

Diplomatic Connections: This is useful if you have a business in Estonia.

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

A crew secures a British Army Challenger 2 tank of the 5th Battalion The Rifles to a truck trailer after the tank and other heavy vehicles arrived by ship at Paldiski, Estonia. British tanks, mobile artillery and other equipment unloaded at Paldiski as part of a deployment by approximately 800 British combat troops taking part in the multinational NATO Enhanced Forward Presence battalion. NATO member states including Great Britain, France, Germany, the United States and Denmark are supplementing the defensive capabilities of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Ambassador Lepik: Or you can establish a business. If you want to have access to the European market, that’s a good starting point. A business can be established in Estonia and you can run it from the U.S. or anywhere in the world with all the access that you need, without having to travel back and forth. You’ll maintain all the system connections that your business requires to operate – bank accounts, signing documents, etc., while secure communication is provided.

Diplomatic Connections: It also increases your population.

Ambassador Lepik: Yes, indirectly. There are two points to remember. First, it is secure. Our chip card is coded: this is not credit card access, as in the United States. The second point is that legally, our digital signature has the same standing as written with a pen. That saves the nation 2 percent of GDP per year. You don’t need to go to a lawyer to sign papers, you can do it all yourself, and it doesn’t use any paper.

Diplomatic Connections: The lawyers must not like that much.

Ambassador Lepik: They have other ways of making money.

Steve Parsons/AFP/Getty Images

Diplomatic Connections: Does every Estonian citizen has a chip card, because without one you can’t exist?

Ambassador Lepik: You can, probably. But then you have to do everything manually.

Diplomatic Connections: We’ve talked about Baltic relations with the United States. But how would you characterize Estonia’s bi-lateral relations?

Ambassador Lepik: I think they’re growing. What my government and the U.S. are trying to do is to expand the scope. It’s not so much about security, which is still a centerpiece, but we do a lot of cultural events, educational and trade as well. We’re a small nation, but hi-tech trade is up and coming – actually, happening already.

Diplomatic Connections: What would you like to have achieved during your time in Washington as ambassador?

Ambassador Lepik: I would like to have seen Estonian business expand in the U.S.; additionally, I would like to see our experience and our knowledge in the digital world, what we have created with our technology proliferate here.

It’s all about how to serve our citizens better - and you can do that through contact with the state governments. What I’m trying to do is to find ways to introduce our approaches to different governors in various states, and I think that’s important.

Queen Elizabeth II receives President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid during a private audience at Windsor Castle.

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Diplomatic Connections: What kind of reaction are you getting?

Ambassador Lepik: Very positive. People are going back to Estonia with focus and determination, we’re achieving a great deal by working with different state governments, facilitating introductions and such, that’s my goal.

Diplomatic Connections: So as far as hi-tech is concerned, Estonia is a proselytizing nation. You not only practice hi-tech, you also preach it.

traveling across the United States to meet those people in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Michigan or Florida. In Silicon Valley – but if we’re speaking about diaspora, they’re all over.

Diplomatic Connections: Thank you very much, Ambassador Lepik, for this interesting and informative interview with Diplomatic Connections. ■

Ambassador Lepik: We do – and it’s kind of fun as well.

Diplomatic Connections: Is there an Estonian diaspora in the U.S.?

Ambassador Lepik: There is a small one, but the nature of that specific population is changing at the moment.

There was a very strong refugee diaspora (during the Cold War). Now people are coming in with different goals. I am

Chesnot/Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron (2ndR) poses with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite (2ndL), Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis (L) and Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid (R) prior to their meeting on April 9, 2018 in Paris.

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Estonian Army Minister Juri Luik (C) talks with French soldiers at the 10th International Cybersecurity Forum with French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb in Lille, France.

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Austria Dr. Helmut Boeck

There are many foreign consulates represented in New York City that function as a valuable support system and actively advocate for their respective citizens living in the United States. Consulates in New York work in tandem with the United Nations and are a vital component to the international community. Diplomatic Connections continues its “Consul General” series with Dr. Helmut Boeck featuring the majestic country of Austria.

Diplomatic Connections: How and when did your career in diplomacy begin?

Consul General Boeck: I joined the Austrian Foreign Ministry in the eighties of the last century; over 34 years as an Austrian diplomat, my postings spanned various continents having served in Senegal, Poland, New York, as Consul General in Hong Kong and as Austrian Ambassador to the Republic of South Korea, as well as to the United Nations in Vienna and, in my last position before coming to New York, as Austrian Ambassador to Australia, New Zealand and many other Pacific countries.

Diplomatic Connections: How did you come to be a diplomat in New York?

Consul General Boeck: Being posted as the new Head of Mission of the Austrian Consulate General in New York is 30

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also a sort of homecoming for me as this great city was my first diplomatic posting in the middle of/late 1980’s. When the opportunity presented itself, returning to New York was very appealing to me. I still have excellent memories of my previous posting here and although the city has changed a bit, I felt right at home after a little while. It is interesting that sometimes in a diplomatic life a career turns full circle also geographically and hence, it is wonderful to be back in New York.

Diplomatic Connections: What is the anticipated length of stay for your particular posting here in New York?

Consul General Boeck: Diplomatic postings in my rank normally last around four years.

Diplomatic Connections: How do you define the mission of a Consulate General and for your nation specifically?

Consul General Boeck: The 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations defines more than a dozen consular functions. Apart from a variety of consular services including the issuance of passports and visas, two very pertinent tasks are, of course, looking after the Austrian community and Austrian interests as well as strengthening bilateral relations. The mission statement for the Austrian Foreign Service is “At Your Service Worldwide.” Thus, the Consulate General in New York is one important

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cornerstone in the Austrian net of four professional and 28 honorary consular representations in the U.S. and of over four hundred representations all over the world.

Diplomatic Connections: What is its role in New York versus another city in the United States?

Consul General Boeck: New York is a host to the United Nations and to citizens from all over the world. The same applies to Vienna which is also hosting a United Nations office and a number of international organizations.

Incidentally and also due to the high diversity of New York’s population, the Consulate General issued visas to at least one person from every country requiring visas to enter the Schengen area in 2017.

Since the Big Apple is also a center for the arts and the media as well as for business opportunities including startups, innovation and science, a structure has been set up with offices specializing in these areas of the bilateral relations.

Manhattan is the center of the most densely populated metropolitan area (Tri-state) in the U.S. with more than 20 million people, roughly 2.5 times the population of Austria.

Migration from Austria to the U.S. has been strong in the past and the main port of entry has been New York. Thus, the Consulate General serves as an important link to those who have stayed in this tremendous city. There are also approximately 2,000 holocaust survivors currently living in New York. This community in the U.S., which includes so many eminent personalities, is a constituent part of Austrian-American relations and its history.

Diplomatic Connections: How is the Austrian Consulate General organized specifically in New York?

Consul General Boeck: The Main Office in New York is on East 69th Street with a focus on consular services and outreach. In addition, Austria maintains an Austrian Cultural Forum with a view of fostering cultural and scientific ties, the Advantage Austria office in the context of commercial and economic matters, as well as an Office of the Austrian National Bank.

Diplomatic Connections: What region does the Austrian consulate represent for the northeast corridor?

Consul General Boeck: The jurisdiction of the Consulate General encompasses 17 out of the 50 states in the U.S., i.e. in the Northeast and Midwest along the Atlantic Coast and the Big Lakes with some 10,000 Austrian nationals and many more tens of thousands former Austrians. The Consulate General issues to them a variety of documents and to Austrian nationals in particular passports. Our job is to keep them informed about developments in our nation and thus represent a visible and appreciated tie to their homeland, respectively former homeland.

Diplomatic Connections: How is the Austrian economic collaboration with the United States?

Consul General Boeck: For the past two years, the U.S. has become Austria’s second largest export market, surpassed only by Germany, and the U.S. is by far the most important market overseas. Austrian investment in the U.S. and U.S. investment in Austria are very similar and amount to more than €10 billion or €12 billion, respectively, providing over 30,000 jobs in the U.S. and more than 21,000 jobs in Austria. Therefore, economic collaboration is certainly of strong mutual interest to both of our countries. Presently, approximately 680 Austrian firms and representations can be found in the U.S. and roughly 330 U.S. representations in Austria.

Diplomatic Connections: What is the role of the Consulate General when you have elections in your country?

Consul General Boeck: Austrian nationals living abroad are entitled to participate in all federal and EU elections and at many elections at state level by postal vote. The Consulate General assists with a number of procedural issues including voter registration. The Consulate General is, however, no polling station. Although we help with forwarding and returning ballot papers, no ballots are cast at the premises of the Consulate General.

Diplomatic Connections: What services does the Consulate General offer to your country’s nationals residing in your district as well as visiting tourists?

Consul General Boeck: The tasks are really manifold and probably the best overview one could get is found on the Consulate General’s website in German and English: www.austria-ny.org Let me just mention the most important ones:

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■ issuance of personal documents such as passports and birth certificates; ■ authentication of signatures and, particularly for the U.S., issuance of an apostille; ■ assistance with citizenship and related matters, such as elections and military service; ■ consular protection for arrested Austrians including visits at detention centers; ■ assistance with pension matters and restitution issues; ■ point of first contact with information on all other matters including legal and health issues; ■ travel advice particularly for Austrian tourists;

Diplomatic Connections: What would the difference be if you were to make suggestions for a tourist versus someone going there on business?

Consul General Boeck: Visitors to Austria and the Schengen area, both tourists and business people, who are U.S. citizens, generally do not require visas for a stay of up to 90 days within a period of six months, neither for the purpose of studies nor educational courses.

Useful information for visitors to Austria is readily available on the websites of the respective offices of the Consulate General. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Consulate General (for tourists) and the specialized offices Advantage Austria (for business) as well as the Austrian National Tourist Office respectively.

■ assistance in emergency situations (injuries, lost passports, missing persons etc).

Diplomatic Connections: Are there any upcoming cultural events organized by the Consulate General? Are they open to the public?

Diplomatic Connections: How does the Consulate General participate in the cultural and touristic promotion of your nation in the United States?

Consul General Boeck: There are many events, most of them at the Austrian Cultural Forum. All events are open to the general public and are free. Due to limited capacity, however, it is necessary to register in time. Some events have already taken place this year at the Consulate General’s Main Office like the lecture Eternal spring, The gardens of Stoclet House (1905–1911) – the masterpiece of Josef Hoffmann and the Wiener Werkstätte by the Austrian scholar Professor Dr. Anette Freytag.

Consul General Boeck: Although the Consulate General is hosting events from time to time at the Main Office, the real stage for cultural events is at the Austrian Cultural Forum. Whoever is interested should have a look at the ACFNY homepage and the intense program featuring new events every week: www.acfny.org/events/ Regarding tourism, there is the New York regional office of the Austrian National Tourist Office. We have a link to their website informing about Austria as a tourist destination: www.austria.info/us The Austrian National Tourist Office in New York also establishes business contacts for tourism companies with a special website: b2b.austria.info/us/ Diplomatic Connections: How can the Consulate General help those who are not Austrian citizens planning to travel to your country?

Consul General Boeck: We encourage everyone interested in travelling to Austria to visit our website https://www. bmeia.gv.at/en/gk-new-york/travel-to-austria/. Apart from a travel guide to Austria, our principle function is to inform people about entry visas, residence permits and studying in Austria. And of course, we are happy to receive phone calls or written queries on any issue not dealt with on our website.

Diplomatic Connections: If you had a message for our readers specifically concerning your country, what would it be and why?

Consul General Boeck: My message would be “small is beautiful.” As I mentioned before, the New York metropolitan/Tri-state area alone accounts for two and a half times the population of Austria. Thus, Austria is a rather smaller country by size, but the beauty of its landscape and its cities brimming with history and culture can hardly be surpassed. In 2017, for example, Vienna was voted the most livable city in the world for the eighth time in a row. Positive feedback is provided by many visitors. We hope you visit and experience Austria in the near future. ■

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Newest Member WindsorDynasty THE

OF THE

THE ANNOUNCEMENT that the new Cambridge baby was to be named Louis Arthur Charles was widely seen as the latest tribute by the British royals to the memory of their kinsman Rear Admiral Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma, the last Viceroy of India before its independence, and a victim of homegrown terrorism long before the Islamic variety emerged as a global threat.

Lord Louis was related to both Queen Elizabeth II and to her husband, Prince Philip, who was his nephew and also took his name. He encouraged Philip’s courtship of the young Princess Elizabeth, and was later a mentor to their eldest son Prince Charles, growing up. Once Prince Philip married the princess, Dickie Mountbatten (as he was known in the family) lobbied strongly to have the Windsor family name changed to Windsor-Mountbatten, but Winston Churchill advised Queen Elizabeth against allowing it, and the double-barreled name never came into full use.

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A decorated military commander, Louis Mountbatten was assassinated by Irish IRA terrorist when his fishing boat was blown up in County Sligo, in the Republic of Ireland, in 1979.

Mountbatten was the highest ranking victim of the terrorist group in the years of conflict over the status of British Northern Ireland.

Three years later, a son was born to Princess Diana and Prince Charles and named William Arthur Philip Louis. In turn, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge named their first born George Alexander Louis in 2013, and now Uncle Dickie’s moniker has come to the fore as the first name of the latest addition to the Cambridge family.

The birth of Prince Louis of Cambridge, as he will officially be styled, also recalls – probably unintentionally – an earlier prince by the same name: Prince Louis of Battenburg, Lord Louis’ father. It was he who Anglicized the family name from Battenburg to Mountbatten..

Samir Hussein/WireImage

Prince Louis Arthur Charles

Jack Taylor/Getty Images

Prince William and Kate Middleton pose for photographers with their newborn baby boy Prince Louis of Cambridge outside the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London, England. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child was born on April 23, 2018 at 11:01, weighing 8 lbs. 7 oz.

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The announcement that Kate had given birth to another son (after a couple of false alarms) overshadowed, however briefly, the marriage in May of Prince Harry to the American actress Meghan Markle. The limelight quickly moved back on the royal wedding - but with Prince Harry now one place lower in the direct line of succession to the British throne. Prince Louis now takes the fifth place in line, immediately after his sister Princess Charlotte, and before Prince Harry, who gets bumped to sixth place.

Like his siblings, father and uncle before him, the newest addition to the Cambridge family was born in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in London, a high-end maternity ward where the Duchess of Cambridge occupied a luxury suite. Seven hours after the birth the duchess appeared on the steps of the Lindo Wing, coiffed, wearing red, walking in what Vogue magazine described as “simple Gianvito Rossi stillettos,” carrying her newborn baby - and ready to go home. In what has become part of the ritual, she waved to photographers and a crowd of well-wishers before being whisked by her husband, Prince William, to their Kensington Palace residence.

The red dress was interpreted by the media as her acknowledgement of the fact that Prince Louis was born on St. George’s Day, April 23. St. George is the patron saint of England, and many English people wear something red to mark the occasion.

The duchess’ departure so soon after the birth set a record; following the birth of her daughter she left for home 10 hours later.

In the well structured life of the British royal family, the next step in the newborn prince’s life is his christening, with its inevitable family photo of the leading members of the Windsor dynasty, from the queen regnant – Elizabeth II – to the most recent arrival of her successors. ■ continue to page 47

Fox Photos/Getty Images

A younger Royal Family with Lord Mountbatten.

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Hulton-Deutsch/Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis via Getty Images

1948: Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, with his wife Edwina as Viceroy and Vicereine of India, dressed in official regalia.

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Medical Experts Justin Benabdallah, M.D. Justin Benabdallah, M.D., is a urologist at Sibley Memorial Hospital, as well as an assistant professor of urology with the Brady Urological Institute and Department of Urology at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Dr. Benabdallah is board eligible in urology with the American Board of Urology.

He is trained in using minimally invasive and robotic surgery techniques in the treatment of prostate and kidney cancer and has expertise in endourology for the treatment of kidney stones. He also specializes in men’s health, including erectile dysfunction, male infertility, vasectomy and enlarged prostate.

Dr. Benabdallah earned his medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.

He completed an internship and residency in urology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and his fellowship in endourology and minimally invasive urology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, where he served as a clinical instructor in urology.

To learn more or request an appointment: 1-855-88-HOPKINS (U.S. Toll-Free) +1-410-402-5041 (International) hopkinsmedicine.org hopkinsmedicine.org/international

Justin Benabdallah, M.D.

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Medical Experts Stephen Broderick, M.D., M.P.H.S. Dr. Stephen Broderick is a thoracic surgeon and assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His clinical practice is based primarily at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., and he also has privileges at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and Howard County General Hospital in Columbia, Maryland.

Dr. Broderick recently joined Johns Hopkins from St. Louis, where he was a thoracic surgeon at St. Luke’s Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.

His clinical expertise includes surgical treatment of lung cancer, esophageal cancer and other thoracic malignancies, as well as benign thoracic conditions. He is particularly interested in minimally invasive surgery for lung cancer.

Dr. Broderick attended Georgetown University School of Medicine. He completed his residency at NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital and his fellowships at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Washington University School of Medicine in thoracic surgery.

To learn more or request an appointment: 1-855-88-HOPKINS (U.S. Toll-Free) +1-410-402-5041 (International) hopkinsmedicine.org hopkinsmedicine.org/international

Stephen Broderick, M.D., M.P.H.S

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Vivek Kumbhari, M.D. Dr. Vivek Kumbhari is the director of bariatric endoscopy at Johns Hopkins Medicine, as well as an assistant professor of medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has been practicing medicine at Johns Hopkins for five years and recently joined the medical staff at Sibley, where he sees patients on Mondays and Fridays. Dr. Kumbhari provides a range of services, including endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). His expertise includes minimally invasive, non-surgical therapies to facilitate weight loss and the treatment of obesity-related diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, as well as performing endoscopic therapies to treat oncologic conditions involving the gastrointestinal tract.

Dr. Kumbhari has research interests in endoscopic innovation, interventional endoscopic ultrasonography, obesity, submucosal endoscopy and treatment of metabolic disease. He has contributed to over 150 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and invited reviews, and speaks both nationally and internationally.

To learn more or request an appointment: 1-855-88-HOPKINS (U.S. Toll-Free) +1-410-402-5041 (International) hopkinsmedicine.org hopkinsmedicine.org/international

Vivek Kumbhari, M.D.

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occasions, reached its much anticipated climax in the chapel of the historic Windsor Castle where the pair were officially married. While most watched by television or some other device, the couple were cheered by 100,000 people who had actually attended on the sidelines of the streets of Windsor.

And it was a day full of enchantment - from the simple elegance of the bride’s dress and long train created by the British designer Clare Waight Keller at the French fashion house of Givenchy, to the celebrated black revivalist touches in the service, the African American choir, and the enthusiatic 14-minute sermon from African American

Meghan Markle and her mother (L), Doria Ragland, arrive for her wedding ceremony to marry Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018.

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Walter Bagehot, the 19th century editor of the Economist magazine, once warned that the British monarchy should avoid too much public exposure. “Its mystery is its life,” he wrote in his famous essay on the Victorian royals of his day. “We must not let in daylight upon the magic.”

But that was then. This modern-day royal wedding between Prince Harry of Wales, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and his American actress bride, Meghan Markle, was seen by approximately a seventh of the entire world’s population with massive, unprecedented global press coverage. A courtship that played out in public, complete with a few family tribulations not unfamiliar to most such

ITS MYSTERY IS ITS LIFE

Danny Lawson/AFP/Getty Images

American actress Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on May 19, 2018 during her wedding to Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

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Bishop Michael Curry. Adding to the anomalous events of the day, the famously independent-spirited bride announced that she would bravely break with tradition and make a speech at the wedding reception; no doubt likely pulling it off successfully, she looked not only radiantly happy throughout the day but extremely at ease.

The 36-year-old actress is, of course, the second American woman to marry a member of the British royal family. In 1936, King Edward VIII’s intention to marry twice-divorced Wallis Simpson was opposed by the British government, sparking a constitutional crisis which led to Edward’s abdication. But attitudes have changed, and – more important - the likelihood of Harry succeeding to the throne is not probable with several in front of him.

Shortly before his marriage, Prince Harry dropped from fifth to sixth place in the line of succession to the British throne following the birth of Prince Louis, third child of older brother Prince William. Prince Charles is the heir apparent, followed by William, and then come William’s children - George, Charlotte, and Louis.

Still, the marriage had a powerful narrative in the person of Meghan Markle, and where she is coming from. Diplomatically, it was widely seen as a boost to Anglo-American ties at a time when the so-called special relationship isn’t looking so special. That point was underscored by the British Ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch. “The interest, excitement, and support from Americans for the Royal Wedding has been extraordinary, demonstrating the depth of friendship, warmth and affection between our two countries,” he said at an embassy reception to celebrate the wedding. “The British people are thrilled that Prince Harry is marrying an American.”

The assembled guests likewise reflected the social and cultural ties of what some call the Anglosphere, bringing together stars like George Clooney and Oprah and members of the British aristocracy, as well as the cast of Suits, the television show that marked both the peak and the end of Meghan Markle’s career as a professional actress.

Much discussion has revolved round the question of how Meghan will impact the British royals. When Prince Charles, standing in for the bride’s absent father, walked her part of the way up the aisle, it was seen as her formal acceptance into the Windsor family. She now has her own page on the British monarchy’s website, including her quote from a 2015 United Nations conference: “I am proud to be a woman and a feminist.”

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Being Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex carries a price however. The Royal Family, from the queen down, scrupulously avoids taking public positions on political, and to some extent social issues, and time will tell whether the outspoken duchess will be prepared to live within such constraints. She intends to make the British Commonwealth the focus of her official role. The national flower of each of the 53 Commonwealth member states was woven into her trailing, silk tulle veil, from the African violet of Tanzania to the hibiscus of the Solomon Islands. Moreover, she and the prince came together over a shared interest in social activism. They first met in Canada when Prince Harry was there for the Invictus Games, which he originated.

As for Prince Harry, the wedding may have represented closure of sorts. The Guardian newspaper pointed out that the only previous time that he had appeared before a worldwide television audience of comparable size was 21 years earlier, when, as a sad and lost young boy he walked through the streets of London in the funeral procession of his mother, Princess Diana. “Many could say that his mother’s spirit was represented by the presence of Elton John at his wedding,” commented the paper.

Years earlier, at the wedding of Princess Diana to Prince Charles, the officiating Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, had said, “Here is the stuff of which fairy tales are made,” but it wasn’t quite the case. From all accounts, the marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer was, if not formally arranged, at least initiated behind the scenes as a suitable match by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, widow of King George VI and her close friend the Countess Fermoy. And, again from all accounts, Charles never completely cut off his long standing liaison with the woman who is now his wife, Camilla.

The Charles and Diana “fairy tale” didn’t have a happy ending. A bitter divorce had followed, and the couple had gone their separate ways - and this, too, is doubtless stored in Prince Harry’s memory. But there are differences. Prince Harry’s first meeting with Meghan Markle is a classic boymeets-girl story which certainly didn’t qualify as a suitable match, and which needed no palace help for the couple to fall in love.

Two days after the wedding, with a major cleaning up operation still underway in Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex carried out their first public function – a garden party at Buckingham Palace. The American duchess’ royal life had begun.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, leave St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle after their wedding on May 19, 2018.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, travel in an Ascot Landau carriage (pulled by four Windsor Grey horses) past St. George's Chapel as they begin their procession through Windsor following their wedding at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018. 2200 members of the public were permitted to be inside the grounds of Windsor Castle.

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The wedding cake by Claire Ptak of London-based bakery Violet Cakes. It consists of elderflower syrup made at The Queens residence in Sandringham from the estates own elderflower trees, as well as a light sponge cake uniquely formulated for the couple. A filling made from Amalfi lemon curd and elderflower buttercream ties all the elements together. The cake is decorated with Swiss meringue buttercream and 150 fresh flowers, mainly British and in season, including peonies and roses.

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Clare Waight Keller, a fashion designer at Givenchy, holds a sample of an intricately woven piece of lace that was similar to Meghan Markle's wedding veil during an interview at Kensington Palace in London on May 20, 2018, the day after the royal couple's wedding.

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The royal couple head up The Long Walk back into Windsor Castle in the Ascot Landau carriage.

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The newly married Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, leave Windsor Castle after their wedding to attend an evening reception at Frogmore House, May 19, 2018.

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H.E. ROLANDAS KRISCIUNAS Ambassador of Lithuania to the United States Washington, D.C. 99 44

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LITHUANIA AND THE

GEOGRAPHY T C I L F N CO An Interview with Lithuanian Ambassador ROLANDAS KRISCIUNAS

OF

During the Cold War, the Fulda Gap in Germany

was regarded as the most likely route for a Soviet tank assault on West Germany. NATO and Soviet strategists understood the importance of the lowland passes in between the Vogelsburg Mountains, and the area on either side was an armed camp. A large number of the 250,000 U.S. troops deployed in Germany were concentrated there.

In today’s Cold War, the new Fulda Gap is the Suwalki Gap,

By ROLAND FLAMINI

a 60-mile stretch of land on Poland’s northern border with Lithuania (Suwalki is a Polish town); but it also connects the Russian Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad with Belarus, a staunch Moscow ally. Kaliningrad is home to units of the Russian fleet, and to a strong army presence, and like the Fulda Gap, the Suwalki Gap is an object lesson in the geography of conflict. If Putin overran and closed the Suwalki Gap, the Baltic States - Lithuania, Latvia and

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Estonia - would be cut off from NATO, of which all three are members, and the rest of Europe. Of course, nobody is more aware of this possible scenario than the Baltic states themselves, says Lithuanian Ambassador Rolandas Krisciunas. A special agreement allows the Lithuanians to monitor Russian trains traversing the Suwalki Gap and limiting what they can carry, and where they can stop on the route. And as of 2017, NATO deploys around 1,000 troops in each of the Baltic states which, Ambassador Krisciunas told Diplomatic Connections, is symbolic, but sends a message to the Kremlin that NATO’s Article 5, committing the Alliance to mutual support, is not an empty promise.

But, as with its Baltic neighbors, Russia looms large in Lithuania in other respects. The country has an ethnic Russian population (but only 6 percent, compared to more than 30 percent in both Estonia and Latvia); Russians are the country’s biggest tourist group and travel to it in large numbers, and Russia is Lithuania’s number one trading partner. According to Krisciunas, Russian dissidents meet in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, to vent against the Putin 96

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regime. In April, the presidents of the three Baltic States marked their centenary of independence from Russia with a visit to Washington for a summit with President Donald Trump and other top administration officials, where reassurances of support were forthcoming. The trio were warmly received at the White House in part because all three countries were among the handful of countries which comply with Trump’s insistence that all NATO member states should spend above 2 percent of their GNP on defense.

The interview was held at the Lithuanian Embassy on 16th Street in northwest Washington, a building Lithuanian exiled diplomats kept open as their nation's embassy during Lithuania’s years of Soviet occupation.

Diplomatic Connections: Please give us your assessment of the recent U.S.-Baltic summit in Washington, in which your president and the heads of state of Latvia and Estonia met with President Trump and other members of the administration.

Ambassador Krisciunas: All three Baltic states were very happy with the summit, which was the first of its kind. It

Janek Skarzynski/AFP/Getty Images

A Polish border post in Zerdziny, northern Poland, on the NATO nation's frontier with alliance partner Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad region.

The 80-kilometre stretch of Polish-Lithuanian border sandwiched between Kaliningrad and Belarus is called the "Suwalki Gap" and its capture would amputate NATO's three Baltic members and so shatter alliance credibility. The sign says, “National Border, Crossing Prohibited.”

Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte (L) and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite visit soldiers serving in the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) battalion battle group in Rukla, Lithuania.

NATO advance force battalion group (EFP) demonstrating a water obstacle crossing during an International exercise 'Iron Wolf 2017 /Saber Strike 2017' in Stasenai on June 20, 2017. The multinational Exercise Iron Wolf 2017 as part of the Exercise Saber Strike 2017 took place in Lithuania and over five thousand troops from 10 NATO allies participated.

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was the highlight of a year in which Lithuania celebrates 100 years of the restoration of its independence. The message of our partnership with the United States came out of this very strongly. The meetings themselves were rich in content. We of course discussed security issues, economic ties between the Baltic states and the United States, energy security, and it was emotionally very charged, stressing the long standing relationship. The story of the United States’ relations with the Baltic states is a very strong story of principled U.S. policy. Throughout the Soviet occupation of our country the U.S. always stood by us, and even helped us to retain this building as our embassy. Okay, Lithuania was occupied, but this piece of land had never been occupied, and because it was Lithuania’s diplomatic representation, it was, and is Lithuanian soil. This building is like a monument to our bi-lateral relationship, and we never considered abandoning it because it of the emotional connection.

Diplomatic Connections: Let me quote you President Vejonis of Latvia who said in advance of the summit that the Baltic states, “expected a very strong political message from the U.S. expressing support for strengthening Baltic security and expressing once again, support for the independence of the Baltic states.” Did the U.S. deliver that strong message?

Ambassador Krisciunas: Yes, of course. As I said, we talked about how much we had accomplished together. We talked about NATO and where the Alliance is heading, and in that context we discussed some issues that were of interest to the President (Trump) who expects NATO to be stronger with the burden shared more equally than it is today, and that’s also the Baltic interest.

Diplomatic Connections: However, President Trump has reason to be very pleased with all three Baltic states because you live up to this unofficial benchmark for Alliance members of 2 percent of GDP expenditure on defense that has become holy writ to this administration.

Ambassador Krisciunas: That’s right. All of us are spending above 2 percent, and we are not stopping there. In Lithuania, we are currently discussing among all parties so that we will have political agreement, how we will be spending a much bigger amount over the next five years.

Two percent is not a goal per se which we achieved, and we’re stopping there. We’re an example for the United States to say to the other NATO members, if the Baltic states can do it, you should be doing this also. And it strengthens our position: we are not security consumers,

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we’re also security producers. When the United States invited us to join their forces in Afghanistan we went. If we’re asked to contribute in Iraq, we do so. So we’re always listening to whatever is asked by our partners, and we deliver, to the best of our ability. And that, I think, is what NATO should be, everyone delivering to his ability. The more member states contribute to NATO, it will strengthen NATO, not weaken it.

Diplomatic Connections: Your country is on the frontier of both NATO and the European Union. How much concern is there in Lithuania about recent Russian aggressiveness?

Ambassador Krisciunas: It would be, I would say, not smart to not be concerned. When you see our big neighbor doing the things that it has done in Crimea, earlier in Georgia, in Eastern Ukraine, you’re concerned because you would like to find a reason why this is happening, and what we could expect next. Our situation is much different from any other country in the region because the Baltic states are part of NATO, which comforts us; but at the same time, we are always telling our partners that we cannot relax. We should be very rational about our concern. If Russia believes that NATO is for real, that it will deliver on Art. 5 without the slightest doubt, nothing will happen. That’s the key task: to convince them that NATO is a serious thing, it’s not just an idea that will collapse at the first test, if anyone wants to test it. When we discussed together with other leaders within NATO we say we should be very clear with our messaging, and with our steps. Because what Russia understands best is actions. The Russians will tell different stories about anything that is happening, but I think we have taken a lot of strong steps.

Diplomatic Connections: For example, there is now a NATO military presence in all three of the Baltic states called the Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group…

Ambassador Krisciunas: It’s enhanced forward presence. In our case in Lithuania, we have Germans as the core battalion, and smaller units from other countries. Each country has a lead force from one country – in our case Germany, in Latvia’s it’s Canada, and in Estonia it’s the United Kingdom. In Poland, the main military presence is American.

Diplomatic Connections: Isn’t there also a NATO air force presence to discourage Russian overflights?

Ambassador Krisciunas: Oh yes. We always have them, and (different nations) rotate. For some period you have Polish,

Vitaly Nevar/TASS via Getty Images

Trains crossing the Suwalki Gap are inspected by both the Lithuanians and the Russians. Here a Russian policewoman and dog carry out a search.

Freight trains at Chernyshevskaya, a rail border crossing point on the Russian-Lithuanian border.

John Thys/AFP/Getty Image

(L-R) Latvia's Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis, Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Estonia's Prime Minister Juri Ratas and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki show a map of the High Level Group on Baltics Energy Market ahead of the start of the summit of European Union (EU) leaders at the EU headquarters in Brussels on March 22, 2018.

then French, Belgians, U.S., all the countries that have pledged to participate in this arrangement. It’s also a very strong component because just recently, for example, the planes scrambled to inspect Russian planes approaching Lithuanian air space..

Diplomatic Connections: Are such incidents frequent?

Ambassador Krisciunas: It used to happen much more frequently. There was a period when it would happen very often: a day would not go by without seeing something like this. Now it’s from time to time.

Diplomatic Connections: Your country shares a frontier with Kaliningrad, the Russian Baltic port separate from the mainland and wedged between Lithuania and Poland. Access from Kaliningrad to Russian ally Belarus is through the Suwalki corridor, across 60 miles of Polish-Lithuanian border territory, but that gap is the Baltic states’ only link to NATO and the European Union: close it, and the Baltic states are cut off.

Ambassador Krisciunas: The Suwalki corridor is the distance between the Belarus border and the Kaliningrad-Lithuania border. There are defensive plans, and it’s been taken into account. Belarus is of course a close ally of Russia. Not a lot of people know that we have special arrangements with Kaliningrad. Trains go through Lithuania to Kaliningrad, but there is an agreement what could be on the train, how often it could stop, or not stop at all, what information should be given to us in advance, and there will be our people on the train. We’ve had talks with the Russians about arrangements for the World Cup (June 2018) because

some of the activity will be in Kaliningrad.

Diplomatic Connections: Meanwhile, there are Russian tourists coming to the Baltics for vacations, and so on.

Ambassador Krisciunas: Of course, and Russian tourism is increasing. The Russian tourists still keep on coming, we’re not enemies, and we welcome them. Being concerned about your neighbor doesn’t mean that they are enemies.

We’re not at war and there are no issues with the Russian population as such. Of course, we have issues with the government and Putin’s policies, but there’s a fine distinction between the two. And we have a lot of Russian friends who are coming to Lithuania because they can speak freely. In May, there was a Russian forum in Vilnius: Exiled Russians and some people from Russia came together in what is becoming a traditional forum. They discussed different issues – how it is, the current policies, what to expect in the future. Most of them are democratic minded people who are not able to express their feelings in Russia, hence the assembly in Vilnius. The Russian culture is very rich, and is appreciated in Lithuania, it’s the policies of the Putin regime that raise questions and concerns.

Diplomatic Connections: When you’re back in Lithuania, do you sense that there is widespread public concern about the situation?

Ambassador Krisciunas: It’s not like everyone in Lithuania wakes up in the morning and asks, “Are we still free?” You continue to page 104

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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite pose with soldiers serving in the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) battalion battle group, in Rukla, Lithuania. Steinmeier and Grybauskaite visit a German-led NATO battalion, part of the alliance's effort to beef up its eastern flank amid tensions with neighboring Russia.

A United States Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft lands at the Air Base of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Siauliai, Lithuania, behind the Lithuanian, U.S. and NATO flags.

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Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images

An F-16 fighting jet flies over the air base during an exercise of NATO's Baltic air-policing mission at the Siauliai Air Base in Siauliai, Lithuania.

Soldiers of the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces take part in an exercise.

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don’t feel any kind of tension. We don’t believe that anything will happen as long as the neighbors are sending very clear messages, and that’s what we’re doing. It’s much easier in any crisis to prevent something from happening than to deal with the consequences.

Diplomatic Connections: Your personal background is more financial then diplomatic. You have had two diplomatic posts, both of them in the United States, but prior to that you have been deputy minister of finance.

Ambassador Krisciunas: I spent more than ten years in the ministry of finance, but I started my career as a diplomat.

After my first posting in Washington, I was asked to establish a department in the ministry of finance preparing for Lithuania’s membership of the European Union. I was a part of the negotiations (with Brussels) on some chapters of the (entry) negotiations and everything went smoothly.

My post in the ministry was expected to be for three years, but the work kept changing rapidly, and there were plenty of things which kept me there, among them the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. It was a very hectic time when I would go to the United States to convince people to buy our bonds. We had some fiscal unbalances, our expenditure shot through the roof, and income went down because unemployment was on the rise. So it was very difficult. It was very exciting professionally, but you would like to avoid that kind excitement. Lithuania was able to get through the crisis on its own. We displayed maturity as

a state, and persevered. We went through an austerity program, and there was a big drop in GDP the first year; then the next year we had already begun to pick up, and successfully convince the lenders – American investors, and also some Europeans – and in the end we came out of it stronger.

Diplomatic Connections: You were in Washington from 1998 to 2001. What differences do you find in D.C., and also is it different to work in this time?

Ambassador Krisciunas: At that time I was first secretary for economic affairs, and now I’m ambassador, which is a big difference. Of course, then, as today, Washington was and is a world capital of diplomacy, so anyone coming here is pleased with the job. There’s not a single issue globally that isn’t reflected here. It’s a dream come true for diplomats to attain a Washington posting. Another big difference was 9/11. Before leaving in June, we were living with my family in Crystal City. From my balcony I could see the Pentagon, and it was mind-blowing to see all those pictures on TV of the attack. For me and my family it was especially shocking! Unbelievable! It changed the country quite significantly: the U.S. before September 11, and after September 11 is different.

Diplomatic Connections: And Washington as a city?

Ambassador Krisciunas: It’s improved in some areas, and in some areas you would say probably not so much, for

Jeremy Horner/LightRocket via Getty Images

Tourists view the Hill of Crosses in Siauliai, Lithuania, one of the city's major landmarks.

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example, the traffic jams. But new office buildings are popping up; there were some districts you would not ever enter at night, now you see cozy restaurants and so.

Demographics have changed. The security is much different. Seventeen years ago in some areas you would think twice to go to a Metro station at night, but not today.

And in this neighborhood (Sixteenth Street, Northwest Washington) I remember hearing the story that some years ago Spanish diplomats from (the Spanish Embassy) across the street were mugged, and it wasn’t the safest area.

Now, it’s a different story. The politics have changed too, but that’s something you take for granted because nothing stays the same.

Diplomatic Connections: When you leave Washington what do you hope to have achieved?

Ambassador Krisciunas: You always want to make a difference, and my background is economics, and I think that the economic ties is a very strong basis for political cooperation, so I would like to continue to see our bi-lateral trade increasing every year. Fluctuations in the U.S. dollareuro exchange doesn’t seem to make much difference.

Tourism to Lithuania is increasing from the United States: 2017 was the first year that tourism from the U.S. was among the top ten countries, and I like the steady growth there.

Ambassador Krisciunas: Now it’s getting close to $1.7 billion, that’s in the top ten trading partners. For the U.S. it’s not that big, but if you look at the list of Lithuania’s trading partners, the U.S. is knocking on the door of the top five – top six.

Diplomatic Connections: What are Lithuania’s main exports to the U.S.?

Ambassador Krisciunas: Dairy products, chemicals, furniture – we are one of the biggest suppliers for IKEA, for example.

A lot of what IKEA is selling is manufactured in Lithuania, and that’s why one of the companies that is considering investing in Pennsylvania, which could mean hundreds of jobs in the United States, is one of IKEA’s major suppliers.

They want to be closer to their clients. There are negotiations in progress with the local authorities on what would be the locations and what would be the conditions, and it would be the largest Lithuanian investment in the United States.

Diplomatic Connections: What about natural gas (LNG)?

Ambassador Krisciunas: Until four years ago, we were solely dependent on supplies of gas from Russia, and Russia was abusing its monopoly position; we were paying the highest price for gas in the European Union. It was difficult to explain in economic terms because gas to Germany travels farther than gas to Lithuania, but we had no option; there was only one pipeline and that was coming from Gasprom

ourism T Diplomatic Connections: What is the size of bi-lateral trade between the two countries?

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(Russian national energy company). So we built an LNG terminal and 2017 was a breakthrough year in our bilateral relations with the U.S. because that’s when we bought LNG from America. We would like to buy more from the U.S. An LNG terminal just enables us to buy gas from wherever we want, if the price is right. During the summit we signed a memorandum of understanding with two U.S. companies on LNG. Under certain circumstances it makes sense to buy energy from the United States. We have the ability to import gas not just for Lithuania, but also for the region. There is no longer a possible crisis situation in which we are left without gas. Also important for the region is electricity. A couple of years ago we laid an undersea cable to connect us to Sweden, and we built another electricity line to Poland. We are part of the EU, but we used to be an energy island because we were not linked to other European countries for energy. So these projects were very strategic for us.

Diplomatic Connections: Is there a Lithuanian diaspora in the United States?

Ambassador Krisciunas: Yes, actually the largest Lithuanian diaspora is in the United States. The first wave was in the late 19th century when Lithuania was still occupied by the Russian empire. There are American Lithuanian newspapers which are older than our re-established own state; the oldest is still being published in Chicago, which has the

largest concentration of Lithuanian Americans in the United States and dates back more than 107 years. The second wave of immigrants came after World War II. When the Soviets occupied Lithuania thousands were sent to Siberia, thousands were killed, and people were running from the Soviets because they knew what to expect. The most recent one was after the independence of 1990, when the borders opened and anyone could go anywhere, and some people came to the United States, some of them very young.

Diplomatic Connections: Is there a reverse migration?

Ambassador Krisciunas: Yes, but we still have a negative flow, but it’s stabilizing.

Diplomatic Connections: Has there been any change in the public attitude towards the European Union?

Ambassador Krisciunas: We are one of the most Eurooptimistic in the European Union. The overwhelming majority is very happy with the new European Union institutions, and trusts the new institutions. It’s one of the most positive attitudes you will find among all the member states. And the other Baltics are not very far off. It’s puzzling why we see more of this than some other countries, like Hungary, or Poland. It might be historical reasons. It might be some other reasons. But yes, we like to be a part of this strong family, which has chosen the

Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images

“Lithuania built an LNG terminal and 2017 was a breakthrough year in our bi-lateral relations with the U.S. because that’s when we bought LNG from America.” Ambassador Krisciunas

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democratic way of development, which is the best system, and, of course, being a captive nation for so long we really treasure this family life approach: everyone is there because they believe in the same kind of values, they see their lives in the same trajectory. And the European Union brought peace to Europe. If you look at Europe’s history, it never was so free, so peaceful, and actually so wealthy.

And sometimes I hear, if you’re pro-Europe you must be anti-American. No, you don’t need to be anti-American.

Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians are the most proAmerican people in Europe. We had our centennial celebration in the Ronald Reagan Building (in Washington, D.C.), and that was symbolic because Reagan is the most respected American president in Lithuania. He fought the Evil Empire and all the Lithuanians were rooting for him, hoping that one day he would succeed, and he did.

Lithuanians will never run out of high fives for Americans.

When we had American soldiers, they were surprised how, seeing them in uniform, people would come and talk to them. And that’s how it is, and always will be.

Diplomatic Connections: Mr. Ambassador, thank you for taking time to speak with Diplomatic Connections. I'm sure our readers will enjoy this interview. ■

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