Other events in Baltic States

Lithuanian Honorary Consul in Luhansk (Ukraine) Mykola Zelenec was post mortem bestowed the Lithuanian Diplomacy Star award by the Minsitry of Foreign Affairs, reports LETA/ELTA.

The award was granted for fostering bilateral Lithuania-Ukraine relations and active work consolidating bilateral cooperation.

Ukrainian businessman Mykola Zelenec was appointed Lithuanian Honorary Consul in June 2014. He actively cooperated with Lithuanian Embassy in Ukraine, supported bilateral cultural and business events. Despite warnings due to dangerous situation in the region and complex circumstances, Zelenec was ready to open Lithuanian Honorary Consulate, to raise the Lithuanian flag and seek for regulation of the diplomatic crisis in the region.

In late August 2014, Zelenec was kidnapped and killed in Luhansk region by unknown assailants.

Condolences were offered by the US State Department, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, EU foreign ministers, President of the OSCE, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, Seimas Speaker Loreta Grauziniene and Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius.

The MFA recommends Lithuanian residents not to visit Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions due to unstable situation there.