Press release, 6 August 2014
The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania marked the 25th anniversary of signing the Gotland Communiqué that had paved the way to Lithuania’s national independence. The participants of the event were addressed by Speaker of the Seimas Loreta Graužinienė. According to her, the Gotland Communiqué had a special meaning, “This was when Lithuanians from all over the world united in a common goal for the first time since the Soviet occupation.” According to the Speaker of the Seimas, the document is still meaningful in the current context of international politics, “The Gotland Communiqué achieved its main objective: an independent Lithuanian state was restored. But life does not stand still, it poses new challenges. Given the complex geopolitical situation, the new threats to national security, and the unpredictable behaviour of the neighbouring countries involving the use of force, it is time to revisit the ideas expressed in the Communiqué and consolidate the efforts of all Lithuanians worldwide so that the independence of the State of Lithuania is preserved.”
The event was attended by four signatories to the Gotland Communiqué: Antanas Buračas, Kazimieras Motieka, Antanas Terleckas, and Justas Paleckis. Three deceased signatories – Kazys Bobelis, Irena Lukoševičienė, and Česlovas Kudaba – were commemorated by a minute of silence. The Gotland Communiqué was signed on 6 August 1989 by eight people representing the Lithuanian political powers in Lithuania and abroad.
Kazimieras Motieka, Signatory to the Act of Independence of Lithuania and one of the signatories to the Communiqué, pointed out that the objectives of the Gotland Communiqué were two-fold: first of all, the Communiqué was intended to express strong determination to restore the independence of Lithuania so that this desire would be heard not only in Moscow, but in the world as well; and secondly, it was a great opportunity to bring people of different views together and to direct their work and intentions towards the restoration of the independent state of Lithuania.
Justas Vincas Paleckis, Signatory to the Act of Independence of Lithuania, a former MEP and a diplomat, recalled the words of Česlovas Kudaba who had also signed the Communiqué, “Why search for the significance of signing the Gotland Communiqué? This is just a confirmation that we are following our most important pursuit: an independent and free future for our nation. This is perhaps the first statement of this sort, but by no means the last one.”
The signatories shared their memories of the trip to Gotland, the process of signing the Communiqué, and even the printing of the document by using a Swedish typewriter, which necessitated the creativity of the authors as the typewriter did not have some letters of the Lithuanian alphabet. The event was also attended by the sailors who had taken the signatories to the island, and the actors of the Lithuanian State Youth Theatre, who also went to Gotland by yachts.
The Gotland Communiqué was signed on 6 August 1989 in (Sweden) by Lithuanians residing in Lithuania and in exile. The document proclaimed that the vital objective of Lithuanians worldwide was the restoration of an independent Lithuanian state. The Gotland Communiqué laid the foundation for the declaration of independence of Lithuanian on 11 March 1990.
Justė Radzevičiūtė-Laugalienė, Public Relations Unit, Communications Department, Office of the Seimas, tel. + 370 5 239 6210, e-mail: [email protected]
