Lithuania marks 20th anniversary of independence (Photo)

11.03.2010, 14:37

Lithuania marks an anniversary of the reestablishment of independence today. Belarus is represented at the celebration by former chairman of the Supreme Council Stanislau Shushkevich.

The first head of independent Belarus will take part in all events on occasion of restoration of Lithuania’s independence – he is expected to meet with the president of Lithuania and leaders of European states and have some meetings in the Seimas.

President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers, President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Poland Lech Kaczynski, President of Finland Tarja Halonen, and President of Slovenia Danilo Turk have arrived in Lithuania to mark March 11.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary Pamela Quanrud, Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs Birgitta Ohlsson, Russian Minister of Transport Igor Levitin, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, former Estonian President Arnold Ruutel, and other representatives of foreign states take part in the celebrations.

Representatives of parliaments of Armenia, Bulgaria, Poland, Georgia, the Czech Republic, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Moldova, Slovenia, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, the United States also attend the celebrations.

President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite visited a ceremony of raising flags of the three Baltic states at Simonas Daukantas square.

Addressing the Seimas, the president noted that independence was the ultimate goal that united the people, lighting the fire of Sąjudis and kindling the hearts of all people. It was the efforts of each and every active Lithuanian citizen that helped the country stand up, ru.DELFI.lt reports.

“We felt the breath of freedom, we believed in our victory and we trusted each other. Standing together, the people confronted the economic blockade and defied brutal violence on January 13. Twenty years ago, reestablishing, protecting and strengthening Lithuanian independence was an imperative necessity that each of us took personally. A grandmother's brooch donated to the Blockade Fund, an application to join the Volunteer National Defense Service, determination to build from the very foundation the most important state institutions - all was equally vital and significant,” the president said.

The president and guests will attend a concern given in the National Philharmonic Hall on occasion of the day of restoration of Lithuania’s independence.

Earlier, Grybauskaite handed in flowers to families of the people, signed the Act of Independence on February 16, 1918. The flowers will be laid today on the graves of those who signed the Act of the Reestablishment of the State of Lithuania.

“Some of the events on the path of building a state can change the destiny of a nation. Such was the Declaration of Lithuanian Independence which dedicated the nation to the values of freedom. The spirit of resolve proclaimed by twenty prominent representatives of the people elected to the Council of Lithuania paved the way to the restoration of Lithuanian statehood,” Dalia Grybauskaite said at the ceremony of handing over flowers.

On February 16, 1918, the Lithuanian Council declared the reestablishment of the independent Lithuanian State at s session in Vilnius.

Lithuania became a part of the Soviet Union in 1940. On January 11, 1940, the Supreme Council of Lithuania adopted the Act of Independence. Lithuania seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991.