US embassy cable - 05VILNIUS8

UNCLAS VILNIUS 000008 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR, EAID, PGOV, LH, HT41 
SUBJECT: OUTPOURING OF LITHUANIAN SUPPORT FOR TSUNAMI 
VICTIMS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 959 
 
1.  We delivered reftel points encouraging assistance for the 
victims of the December 26 Indian Ocean earthquake and 
tsunami to Diana Mickeviciene of MFA's Asia and Pacific 
 
SIPDIS 
Division on January 4.  Mickeviciene said that the GOL will 
likely announce on January 5 plans to contribute 150,000 
Litas (USD 60,000) from its reserve fund to the Lithuanian 
Red Cross's special account for victims.  She added that the 
Vilnius Municipality will contribute a further 100,000 Litas 
(USD 40,000) to the account.  Lithuania's Red Cross reports 
that, to date, more than 900 private donors have contributed 
an additional 155,000 Litas (USD 62,000) to the account. 
Caritas, a charity affiliated with the Catholic Church, has 
collected nearly 12,000 Litas (USD 5,000) in private 
donations. 
 
2.  There were no Lithuanian casualties from the events of 
December 26. 
 
3.  Comment:  Given the absence of Lithuanian casualties and 
this country's relative poverty (second-lowest per-capita 
income in the EU), the outpouring of assistance from the 
government and private citizens here strikes us as generous. 
KELLY