On 5 September 2013, an exhibition of historical documents and photographs, entitled Lithuania’s Return to the World Community of Free Countries,  was opened in the Exhibition Gallery of the Seimas. By adopting the Act on the Re-establishment of the State of Lithuania on 11 March 1990, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania declared that it restored the latter’s statehood, interrupted by the 1940 occupation. For over a year before the failed putsch in Moscow in August 1991, Lithuania persistently and consistently sought international recognition for the restored independence of the Republic of Lithuania. Negotiations, interaction with governments and Parliaments worldwide, and personal contacts with the world’s most renowned politicians were crowned by its global recognition. Lithuania became a fully-fledged member of the United Nations, NATO and the European Union, and an active member of other multilateral inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations, as well as an initiator and leader of international projects.

“It is a special day today in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. In commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the signing of the treaty on the accession to the European Union and in the framework of its Presidency of the Council, Lithuania recalls with gratitude the countries that supported and recognised its restored independence and contributed to our return to the international community and our state’s entrenchment among world democracies. At that time Lithuania needed a huge support from the world. Today, the Seimas is hosting an inter-parliamentary conference, organised by the Committee on National Security and Defence and the Committee on Foreign Affairs, to discuss current developments of global security. We have a unique opportunity to present the key documents of our state to the guests from the EU Member States attending the conference,” said Vydas Gedvilas, Speaker of the Seimas, in his opening address.  

The exhibited documents were presented to the guests by Algirdas Sysas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas. “I am truly glad that the original document of the Act on the Re-establishment of the State of Lithuania, adopted by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania on 11 March 1990, a historic and unique constitutional document of the Republic of Lithuania, with all the signatures of the Members of the Supreme Council, is made available to the guests visiting Lithuania and to the Lithuanian public again. This document, stored in the Lithuanian State Modern Archives, was included in the Lithuanian Register of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme on 30 March 2006. The exhibition offers an opportunity to learn about a part of historical, cultural and diplomatic heritage of 39 countries and persons who have contributed so much to Lithuania’s return to the world community of free countries. We highly appreciate the work done for the sake of Lithuania by the first foreign ambassadors,” Mr Sysas said.

The exhibition has been arranged by the Archive Unit of the Document Department of the Office of the Seimas in cooperation with the Archives of the Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian State Modern Archives, Lithuanian Central State Archives, National Museum of Lithuania and ELTA Lithuanian news agency.

Lina Žilytė, Public Relations Unit, tel. +370 5 239 6875, e-mail: [email protected]