Press release, 9 February 2015
Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas, has arrived in London for a working visit. The visit includes a meeting with Baroness D'Souza, Lord Speaker of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom; Lord Timothy Boswell, Chairman of the European Union Committee; Lord John Sewel, chairman of several committees; and John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons.
Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker and Chair of the Committee on European Affairs of the Seimas, Rasa Juknevičienėenė, Member of the Committee on National Security and Defence, Baroness D'Souza, Lord Speaker of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas and Vytautas Gapšys, Member of the Committee on Legal Affairs of the Seimas. Photo by the Seimas Office
The Speaker of the Seimas took part in a round table discussion with Mike Gapes, Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, and Dr Julian Lewis, Member of the Defence Committee. The meeting focused on defence and security issues.
As part of her visit, the Seimas’ leader has met with her countrymen residing in Great Britain. She congratulated them on the upcoming Sixteenth of February.
“The Sixteenth of February is the greatest and most joyous celebration to our hearts and testimony to spiritual strength of our nation. We celebrate it in full dignity and confidence. And no matter where we are, on 16 February we feel unity and agreement standing shoulder to shoulder under our own flag, own tricolour, as we are united by Lithuania,” said the Speaker.
The head of the Parliament welcomed the fact that the Lithuanians abroad actively communicate and are organised into a community to strengthen their national identity. In the evening, Mrs Graužinienė will join a celebration of the Day of Restoration of the State of Lithuania in London.
“Each of your contribution in fostering close relations with Lithuania is important for our country‘s success and our future. We would like to thank all those who care about Lithuania and those who take active part in public and political life contributing to the progress and prosperity,” said the Speaker of the Seimas to her compatriots.
Other members of the Seimas’ delegation include Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker and Chair of the Committee on European Affairs, Vytautas Gapšys, Member of the Committee on Legal Affairs, and Rasa Juknevičienė, Member of the Committee on National Security and Defence.
Contact person
Secretariat of the Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6002
Vilma Žemaitienė, Assistant-Secretary, tel. +370 239 6171, mob. +370 612 01 850
