Lithuanian IPU Delegation Hosts Reception in Geneva to Celebrate State Restoration Centennial
On 26 March, the Lithuanian Parliamentary Delegation attending the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Lithuania in Geneva, hosted a reception at the Palais des Nations to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the proclamation or restoration of independence of Lithuania and other Baltic Sea States.
The event was opened by the Deputy Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, Gediminas Kirkilas. Member of Seimas Emanuelis Zingeris, the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Wojciech Sawicki as well as leaders and members of parliament from Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Finland, Ukraine, Georgia, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand addressed the guests. Congratulation messages from Seimas Speaker Viktoras Pranckietis, Professor Vytautas Landsbergis and the arrested Belarusian opposition politician Nikolaj Statkevič were publicly read out. Professor Liudas Mažylis of the Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas made a presentation about the declarations of independence of the Baltic Sea states during the 1917-1918 period.
Members of the parliamentary IPU delegations from various countries as well as permanent representatives in Geneva participated in the event.
The guests enjoyed a beautiful performance by a young Lithuanian duo from Lausanne “Tutto a Dio” – Greta Staponkutė (viola) and Augustinas Rakauskas (accordion).
