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Labas everybody!\\xa0 This is Jack, and I\\u2019m Raminta, and you\\u2019re listening to Lithuanian Out Loud, the world\\u2019s first Lithuanian language lessons in a podcast series!\\xa0

So, what\\u2019s new in Lithuania today?\\xa0 According to the Wikipedia page \\u201cLithuanian Nationality Law" in 1944 when the Soviet army pushed the Nazis out of Lithuania and Lithuania\\u2019s people were forced to become part of the Soviet Union, there was a great Lithuanian diaspora to the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina and other parts of the world.

In 1990 after Lithuania reestablished its independence, the Lithuanian Seimas or parliament enacted the \\u201cLithuanian Nationality Law."
According to this law, a person is a citizen if they\\u2019re born in Lithuania or if they\\u2019re naturalized.\\xa0 To become a naturalized citizen a person must;

1-Complete a residency period
2-Pass a Lithuanian language exam
3-Pass an exam on the Lithuanian Constitution
4-Proof of financial support
5-An oath of loyalty to the Republic of Lithuania

But according to the Lithuanian Nationality Law there\\u2019s a third way to become a citizen - if you\\u2019re a descendant of a member of the Lithuanian diaspora.
It\\u2019s called the Right of Return Clause and it was included in the 1991 constitution.
In November of 2006 the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania ruled the Lithuanian Nationality Law was \\u201ccontroversial, inconsistent, and confusing."
One problem, it seems, is that grandchildren and great grandchildren of the diasporans who\\u2019ve never been to Lithuania and who don\\u2019t speak the language and who may live in Canada, Argentina or France, can vote in Lithuanian elections, receive Lithuanian passports, and as a result, European Union passports.
The Lithuanian Parliament or Seimas plans to work on the law in 2007.
And in case you ever wondered, what\\u2019s the official name of Lithuania?\\xa0 It\\u2019s The Republic of Lithuania or Lietuvos Respublika.
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Let\\u2019s say we\\u2019re back in a restaurant or nightclub having drinks and you want to toast your drinking partner.
In English we might say \\u201cto you" or \\u201cto your health!" or \\u201chere\\u2019s mud in your eye!"
In Lithuanian we say u\\u017e jus when we\\u2019re being formal and u\\u017e tave to someone we know well.

U\\u017e is a word we touched on in episode 0018.\\xa0 U\\u017e\\xa0 is one of those words that has many uses.

please repeat
pra\\u0161om pakartoti

u\\u017e jus!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0
to you!

u\\u017e tave!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0
to you!

u\\u017e jus!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0\\xa0
to you!

u\\u017e tave!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0\\xa0
to you!

Now let\\u2019s toast Lithuania.\\xa0 Well, why not?

u\\u017e Lietuv\\u0105!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0
for Lithuania!

u\\u017e Lietuv\\u0105!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0
for Lithuania!

of course we can toast other nations as well

u\\u017e Australi\\u0105!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0
for Australia!

u\\u017e Airij\\u0105!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0
for Ireland!

u\\u017e Nyderlandus!\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0
for the Netherlands!

u\\u017e Egipt\\u0105!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0
for Egypt!

u\\u017e Anglij\\u0105!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0\\xa0
for England!

u\\u017e Brazilij\\u0105!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0\\xa0
for Brazil!

u\\u017e Botsvan\\u0105!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0 \\xa0
for Botswana!

Great!\\xa0 Now let\\u2019s toast our friend across the table\\u2026

u\\u017e D\\u017eiak\\u0105!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0
for Jack!

u\\u017e Ramint\\u0105!\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0
for Raminta!