Paksas Cancels Bush Meeting, Appears in Court

[Khephra]

Paksas Cancels Bush Meeting, Appears in Court
Thu December 4, 2003 07:42 AM ET

(Page 1 of 2)
By Bryan Bradley

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania President Rolandas Paksas, facing near-certain impeachment over allegations he has links to Russian mobsters, on Thursday bowed to pressure not to embarrass a key ally by canceling a visit to Washington.

Paksas, who was later grilled in court for giving a Russian at the heart of the mobster accusations citizenship by special decree, had been due to meet President Bush next Monday.

Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas, at the helm of a center-left majority coalition, and Speaker Arturas Paulauskas slammed Paksas on national television on Wednesday night, urging him to quit and demanding he cancel the trip to Washington.

Paksas told reporters he would only resign at the end of two five-year terms, but suddenly canceled the White House visit.

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http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=3937311