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The residents and guests of Vilnius gathered at the festival of American tastes, colours, and music “Washington Square: Together We Believe in Freedom”, held in commemoration of the Welles Declaration issued by the US State Department on 23 July 1940 which condemned the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states.  

“It is not only an important political document that marked the beginning of the US policy of non-recognition of the Baltic States’ occupation, it is also a symbol of a firm United States value-based stance,” Foreign Minister Linkevičius noted.

The Square that is located between the White Bridge and Lukiškės Square got the name of Washington Square in 1996 on the occasion of US State Secretary Madeleine Albright’s visit to Lithuania. Having slumbered for almost a decade, Washington Square regained its vitality on the initiative of Emanuelis Zingeris, Member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Lithuanian Foreign Minister in July 2015 when the 75th anniversary of the Welles Declaration on non-recognition of the occupation of the Baltic States was marked.

“I firmly believe that from today on the flags of the USA and the Baltic States will fly in Washington Square in Vilnius symbolising togetherness of our two countries as they used to in the US State Department during the long years of Soviet occupation,” Mr Minister said.

The Municipality of Vilnius City supports the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr Zingeris and hopes that the Square will soon be a growing place for typical North American plants and a meeting place for people.

“Washington Square can become livelier and more attractive to Vilnius inhabitants and guests. This symbolic place and the annually commemorated Welles Declaration is a token of gratitude to the United States of America, a devoted friend of our freedom,” Mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Šimašius said.

In her greeting, US Ambassador Deborah A. McCarthy, whose term of office is coming to an end, expressed her delight at seeing new vitality in Washington Square, which is a symbol of strategic partnership between Lithuania and the US.

The event was also attended by Vytautas Landsbergis, President of the Supreme Council- Reconstituent Seimas; Emanuelis Zingeris, Member of the Seimas; Lithuanian and US military; Lithuanian and foreign ambassadors; Vilnius residents and guests; and the delegation of US congressmen. 

On Saturday, 23 July 2016, Lithuanian diplomats together with representatives of Latvian and Estonian embassies and Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian American communities commemorated the anniversary of the Declaration in Washington. Tribute was paid to acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles, who initiated the Declaration, in Rock Creek Cemetery.

See the pictures on MFA’s Flickr account.