Press release, 20 February 2013
Vydas Gedvilas, Speaker of the Seimas, having met with Rt. Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, UK Parliament, expressed hope that the first historical visit of the Speaker of the House of Commons to Lithuania will contribute to the development of bilateral relations and strengthening of cooperation between the two legislatures.
Leaders of the Seimas and representatives of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs and Committee on Foreign Affairs met with Rt. Hon John Bercow MP, the Speaker of the House of Commons, UK Parliament. Photo by Martynas Ambrazas
Vydas Gedvilas, the Speaker of the Seimas met with Rt. Hon John Bercow MP, the Speaker of the House of Commons, UK Parliament. Photo by Martynas Ambrazas
Welcoming John Bercow and presenting to him the key events in the history of Lithuanian statehood and parliamentarianism, the Speaker of the Seimas underlined that Lithuania cherished the freedom regained and continued to follow and foster the traditions of parliamentarianism. Gedvilas expressed gratitude to Bercow for paying a visit to Lithuania in August 1992 and for his country’s support to Lithuania. “We appreciate greatly the fact that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was among those countries which did not recognise our occupation,” the Speaker of the Seimas said.
Bercow emphasised that the United Kingdom had always supported Lithuania in its road towards democracy and independence. He was also pleased to note that our country had changed a lot over the past 20 years becoming proud and free, and the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2013 marks the recognition of its achievements.
After the meeting with Gedvilas, the Speaker of the House of Commons met with the leaders of the Lithuanian Parliament, including representatives of the Seimas Committees on European Affairs and Foreign Affairs. The Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and Lithuania’s priorities of the Presidency were presented during the meeting. The participants of the meeting also discussed bilateral relations and EU future prospects. Bercow assured the Lithuanian MPs that Lithuania can expect support from the United Kingdom.
The participants of the meeting included Vydas Gedvilas, Speaker of the Seimas, Vytautas Gapšys, First Deputy Speaker, Petras Auštrevičius, Deputy Speaker, Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker and Chair of the Committee on European Affairs, Benediktas Juodka, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Andrius Mazuronis and Emanuelis Zingeris, Deputy Chairs of the Committee on European Affairs, and Andrius Kubilius (Leader of the Opposition) and Egidijus Vareikis, Members of the Committee on European Affairs.
Rimas Rudaitis, Public Relations Unit, tel: +370 5 239 6132, e-mail: [email protected]
