Pазвитие экономики Литвы и тенденции посткризисного периода

After the restoration of independence, Lithuania underwent rapid social economic and political transformation. Today Lithuania has functional market economy which lies at the basis of stable economic development. After accession to the European Union, Lithuania has been actively making the best of EU common market and public policy. Membership in the NATO, joining the Schengen Area, support from the EU structural funds, rather good relations with neighbours in the East and in the West and rather convenient geographical position (including the ice-free Klaipėda Seaport) can be mentioned as favourable factors for Lithuania. These factors positively affect Lithuania's economic development, improve Lithuania's image, promote export and inbound tourism. The fact that Lithuania's natural resources are poor stimulates mobiiization of human resources which today are more promising in terms of lasting economic development. Taking into consideration the above mentioned factors, the author analyses the transformations of Lithuania's economy in the last ten years. Emphasis is placed on the identification of recent economic problems, survey of the leading sectors of economy (energy, mechanical engineering and metal processing, chemistry, foods production, transport and agriculture) and detailed analysis of foreign trade (import, export, trade partners) and other key economic indices (Gross Domestic Product, direct foreign investments, average salary, pensions), and analysis of interrelations of the mentioned indices and causality of their changes. A rather large part of the article is devoted to development perspectives of the Lithuanian economy and its priority branches (tansport and logistics, information and communication technologies, laser and biotechnologies, food and wood processing industries), which largely depends on the common EU problems and financial crises and ability of Lithuania to flexibly adjust to the changing world markets and economic conditionsVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŠvietimo akademij