BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

13/10/2006

Known Lithuanian diplomat leave post accused of contacts with Russian interest grouping

Albinas Januska since this week is no more the Secretary of Lithuanian Foreign Ministry as he left the ministry at his own will last week, online paper Penki kontinentai writes.

Januska's name recently emerged in local mass media in the connection with story of destruction in the Belarus city of Brest of the State Security Department of Lithuania (VSD) officer and a diplomat, Vitautas Pociunas. Some of the publications claimed that certain Foreign Ministry officials, including Januska, had contributed to the transfer of Pociunas from the high post in the VSD (3rd directorate director) to the Lithuanian consulate in Grodno (Belarus). It was also said in the media that Januska was allegedly connected with representatives of the energy business representing interests of Russia.

The papers wrote that in the connection with these accusations, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pjatras Vajtekunas, had resolutely taken his subordinate under his protection. According to the minister, he had spoken to the representatives of the secret services and they did not confirm the facts mentioned in the press, so he declared about his trust in Januska.

Penki kontinentai adds that the 46-year-old Januska was an active figure of the Lithuanian independence movement Sajudis and was also among the creators of the diplomatic service of Lithuania since 1992. Januska was considered one of the main "architects" of Lithuania's security policy, the online paper marks.

Source:

http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=1095