Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarūnas joins the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center (GSSC) as an Associate Expert.
Publications
Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review Vol. 44, 2026
This issue of the Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review begins at home. In an interview with Kęstutis Budrys, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, we discuss Lithuania’s key foreign policy priorities – sustained support for Ukraine, a strong and credible but firmly transatlantic NATO, a resilient Eastern neighbourhood, and closer cooperation with like-minded partners, including in the Indo-Pacific. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigitas Mitkus, in turn, outlines preparations for Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027.
The Evolving Dual Governance Model under Xi Jinping: A Glance into China’s Biotech Sector
Analyses of China’s governance often fixate on political centralization, portraying the system as a “one-man show” dominated by President Xi Jinping. Since taking office in 2012 and securing an unprecedented third term, Xi has consolidated exceptional decision-making authority and positioned himself as the chief architect of policy across nearly all strategic domains.
Trump-Lukashenka Call and Geopolitics of Political Prisoner Releases in Belarus
On August 15 the whole world’s attention was focused on the President of the U.S. Donald Trump ahead of his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Around the time Trump’s plane was in the sky on the way to Alaska, Telegram channel Pul Pervogo, also known as Lukashenka-affiliated page on the messenger, was the first to report that Trump had called Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Russia’s strategy amid Trump’s mediation breakthrough in the South Caucasus
The diplomatic impact of the joint statement by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the US regarding the path towards peace has generated momentum for the South Caucasus. The statement signed on 8 August is an effective outcome of US mediation, which the Russians were uninterested in, and the EU was unable to achieve.
The nature of the Azerbaijan-Russia relations: through crisis to more symmetry
Azerbaijan-Russia relations are under considerable pressure. The “allied cooperation” established by Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev in February 2022 is not able to absorb the adverse effects of the looming crisis. The triggers for the souring relationship are the incidents in which Russia harms Azerbaijani citizens, resulting in fatalities.
The Black Sea Region and the Impact of the War: geopolitics, geoeconomics and security ‘transversal costs’ and ‘unintended benefits’
Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, which broke out on 24 February 2022, has prompted significant geopolitical shifts in the broader Black Sea region. The traditional balance of power has altered markedly. The middle powers bordering the region have seized the emerging “windows of opportunity" arising from the withdrawal of war-torn Russia from what it perceives as its natural geopolitical sphere.
“Make Riga Great Again? The Latvian Municipal Election Race”
Latvia's municipal elections in Riga are illuminated by a bright star of political populism. Posing as a local Donald Trump, businessman-politician Ainārs Šlesers is, according to polls, heading for victory. His campaign is based on combating stagnation and political inertia in the country, and promises rapid economic growth—along with criticism of the West and its values.
“Thus, all the West must do is maintain military and economic support for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia. A firm and principled response against aggression is the only language that Putin understands—and it clearly makes him uncomfortable”
“Things like the war in Ukraine are a good lesson for us, they give us time to ready ourselves. The Ukrainians are buying us time, we need to use that well and prepare”
“The Lithuanian government is keeping its promise to promote values-oriented diplomacy, which is grounded in an appreciation for diversity, dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful resolutions of disputes in all domains of international relations”
Media library
The 11th GSSC Vilnius Forum
On November 21, the Geopolitics and Security Studies Centre, under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, together with the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden in Lithuania, the Atlantic Council, the Munich Security Conference (MSC), RAND Europe, GLOBSEC, and LRT, organized the eleventh forum dedicated to the memory of Lithuanian diplomat Stasys Lozoraitis.
Focus Areas of the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center
The aim of the focus areas is to analyse the most important processes in international politics, security and economics, to understand their impact on Lithuania, to make recommendations to decision-makers and to inform the general public. The content of the programmes includes the preparation of analytical studies and publications, the organisation of conferences, and the production of visual material. Analytical work is carried out by leading Lithuanian and foreign experts.
