On 13 January, 2016 on the occasion of the Day of the Defenders of Freedom, Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas; Algirdas Butkevičius, Prime Minister; Members of the Seimas and ministers had a meeting with the relatives and close ones of the victims of the aggression of the 13th of January and survivors of the tragic events.
Photo of the Seimas Office (author Džoja Gunda Barysaitė)
At the meeting, organised for the first time in history, the Speaker of the Seimas thanked the participants for their active involvement in the events of the 13th of January, commended the good example they had set to the young generation, and expressed her gratitude for the mobilisation of the nation.
The Speaker of the Seimas stressed that the aim of the meeting was to offer a forum for an open debate between the victims, on the one hand, and the Seimas leadership and members of the government, on the other. The Speaker invited the participants to put forward precise questions and expressed her conviction that the authorities present at the meeting were prepared to respond.
“It is imperative that we hear your concerns first-hand and openly speak and listen to your grievances. We have come together to share and take part in an open conversation. There is no exclusion, and we can and should raise any and all grievances we may have,” said the Speaker of the Seimas.
While addressing the participants of the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the government should be open to the public and jointly solve problems in order to preserve unity and solidarity.
The meeting was also focused on the victims’ medical problems, pensions, as well as the activities, expectations and ambitions for the future of the organisations for the victims of the events of the 13th of January.
For more information on the events commemorating the Day of the Defenders of Freedom and for a detailed programme of events, please access the dedicated website.
Goda Liaugminienė, Public Relations Unit, Information and Communication Department, Office of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6875, e-mail: [email protected]
