On his visit to Geneva, the Speaker of the Seimas addressed nuclear safety, Ukraine’s issues and Lithuania’s engagement in the activities of CERN

Press release, 26 April 2017

On 24–27 April 2017, Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas, was on a working visit to Geneva. The meetings were also attended by Eugenijus Gentvilas, Member of the Seimas, who was part of the Speaker’s delegation.

On 25 April 2017, the delegation under the leadership of the Speaker of the Seimas had a meeting with Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The Speaker congratulated Mr Chungong on his re-election to the office of IPU’s Secretary-General for the 2018–2022 mandate. The decision was taken at the Assembly of the IPU, which took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in April 2017. During the meeting, the Speaker of the Seimas underlined that, in close cooperation with the United Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union contributes to the resolution of international issues, protection of human rights and promotion of parliamentary democracy. Last year, Lithuania marked the 25th anniversary of the re-establishment of its membership of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

On 26 April 2017, the Speaker had a meeting with Michael Møller, Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva. The Speaker expressed his gratitude to Mr Møller for attending last year’s conference in Lithuania dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Lithuania’s membership of the United Nations. The meeting addressed the situation in Syria and Ukraine and resolution of those issues, as well as nuclear safety and other matters pertaining to the Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant, Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, and Lithuania’s candidacy for UN Human Rights Council for the 2022–2024 mandate.

On 26 April 2017, the delegation under the leadership of the Speaker of the Seimas visited the European Organization for Nuclear Research known as CERN where they met with Prof. Fabiola Gianotti, Director-General of CERN, and learnt about the activities of CERN. Lithuania has been preparing for the associate membership of CERN. In the near future, when the agreement on associate membership is signed, it will be submitted to the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania for ratification. The delegation held a meeting with the Lithuanians residing in Western Switzerland in the Globe of Science and Innovation at CERN and discussed the matters relevant to the Lithuanians abroad, namely, multiple citizenship, prospects of associate membership of CERN, ways to ensure a healthy society in Lithuania, and need for objective and balanced coverage of events in Lithuania in the national media. The Speaker called on his fellow citizens to be pro-active in elections and referenda organised in Lithuania, maintain their personal relationship with the homeland and always carry their homeland in their hearts.

Andrius Krivas, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Lithuania to the UN Office and other International Organisations in Geneva