– March 11, 1990, the restoration of Lithuanian statehood, is a joyous day for all of us. The return of Lithuania to the ranks of sovereign states is of great importance for us - Marek Kuchcinski said in Vilnius. The Speaker of the Seimas visited the capital of Lithuania to take part in the celebrations of the Day of Independence Restoration. The Seimas was also represented by the deputies Tadeusz Aziewicz, Tomasz Latos and Jerzy Meysztowicz.

The ceremonies in the Parliament building began with a minute of silence in memory of Lithuanian freedom fighters. In his speech, Seimas Chairman Viktoras Pranckietis spoke of the courage of those who led the country to independence. Speaker of the Latvian Parliament Ināra Mūrniece, in turn, recalled the need for unity among the Baltic States.

The Speaker of the Sejm spoke about the period of the turn of 1989-90 -. It was a triumph for Solidarity and Sąjūdisutwo great social movements that went far beyond our national borders - he stressed. Marek Kuchciński also recalled the common work of both nations 450 years ago, the Union of Lublin, preceded by the Baptism of Lithuania. - Poles and Lithuanians, following the principle of "free with free, equal with equal", established an equal union of both nations, becoming in a sense precursors of the EU, and built a modern parliamentary system - He noted. The Speaker of the Seimas also spoke about the need to restore the activity of the parliamentary assemblies of Poland and Lithuania. He also made an offer of enhanced parliamentary cooperation with the Baltic States. - God bless Poland, Lithuania and all of Central and Eastern Europe - he concluded.

The host of the ceremony, Victoras Pranckietis, stressed that since the memorable day of March 11, 1990, Lithuanians have been free from the imposition of thinking and foreign will, from lies and fear. Pranckietis also pointed out that the price of Lithuanian freedom was not small and many people gave their lives for it. The Seimas Chairman reminded that 2018 was declared the year of Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, signatory of the Declaration of February 16, 1949 of the Council of the Lithuanian Freedom Struggle Movement (LLKS), commander of the LLKS armed forces, on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Representatives of the Seimas and assembled guests observed a minute of silence in memory of Ramanauskas-Vanagas, while his daughter Auksutė Ramanauskaitė-Skokauskienė called for the knowledge of those who, like her father, fought for Lithuania's freedom to reach beyond the country's borders.

The guests gathered at the Seimas also listened to a message recorded especially for the occasion Vytautas Landsbergis, who headed the Lithuanian state in the memorable year 1990, and on March 11 presided over a historic session of Parliament, during which the Act of Restoration of the State of Lithuania was proclaimed, proclaiming the establishment of the independent Republic of Lithuania. Landsbergis greeted the gathering "on the occasion of the celebration of the resurrection and rebirth of Lithuania and on the birthday of the Second Republic of Lithuania." He spoke about what was not sorted out in 1990 and what remains in the hands of the young generation, the foundations of politics, the cleanest possible law, settlements for wartime crimes, the tasks of Lithuanian constitutionalists in the dispute with the European Court of Human Rights regarding the treatment of the memory of persecuted members of the Lithuanian resistance.

During the ceremony, Bronislovas Juozapaitis, a meritorious soldier, participant in the partisan struggle for Lithuania's freedom, prisoner of the gulag in Norilsk, an aged partisan, was awarded the "Knowledge" statuette.

After the Seimas celebrations, a ceremony of hoisting the flags of the Baltic States took place in Independence Square. Afterwards, the heads of the Parliaments of Lithuania, Poland and Latvia signed the Open Letter to the Presidents of the Parliaments of the European States. "Nord Stream 2 does not aim to diversify gas supply sources, but is aimed at deepening the energy dependence of the European Union, and in particular the dependence of Central and Eastern European countries on Russia," reads the document, which was also signed earlier by the presidents of the parliaments of Ukraine and Moldova. The Speaker of the Sejm and the Polish deputies accompanying him also held talks with Seimas Chairman Viktoras Pranckietis. After the meeting, Speaker Kuchcinski and Chairman Pranckietis met with journalists. - We emphasize two important principles: common concern for the security of all EU countries, including those in the eastern part of the Union, and solidarity and cooperation. Together we also support Ukraine - said the Speaker of the Sejm during a press conference.

As part of the ceremonial celebrations in the capital of Lithuania, Marshal Marek Kuchcinski also took part in the Holy Mass in Vilnius Cathedral.

Marshal Kuchciński's visit to Vilnius was another occasion for a meeting of the Presidents of the Polish and Lithuanian Parliaments. Viktoras Pranckietis visited Warsaw in early March in connection with the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Lithuania. The speech he delivered at that time in the Seimas was the first speech of a President of the Parliament of another country at a session of the Seimas in the 21st century. In turn, the Speaker of the Seimas was in Vilnius in September last year. At that time Marek Kuchcinski addressed the plenary session of the Seimas. He spoke about the importance of the alliance of both countries and the value of cooperation between Warsaw and Vilnius.

Lithuania's Independence Day has been celebrated since March 11, 1990. On that day, the first meeting of the freely elected Supreme Council of Lithuania was held and the State of Lithuania was proclaimed. During the first meeting, the Council adopted the Act on the Rebirth of the Independent State of Lithuania.

text: CIS

Photo: Pawel Kula