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Lithuania’s historic development is closely connected to the Catholic Church and relations with the Holy See, which played a crucial role in the history of Lithuanian diplomacy in the 20th century. That is what Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis stated at the International Conference “Lithuania and the Holy See: Past, Present and Future” launched on 3 March in Vilnius University in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Lithuania’s diplomatic relations with the Holy See and the 75th anniversary of the 1st concordat between Vilnius and Vatican. In 1922 the Holy See recognised the Republic of Lithuania de jure, and in 1927 Lithuania concluded a concordat with the Holy See. "It was a significant political counterbalance for Lithuania placed in the then complicated geopolitical situation", Minister Valionis noted in his welcoming speech. According to the minister, in 1940 the Holy See’s stance of non-recognition of Lithuania’s annexation was especially important to the Lithuanian statehood. "During the whole 50 years the Lithuanian Embassy to the Holy See operating together with Lithuanian missions in Washington and London had been voicing to the world the will and the strive for freedom of the forcefully silenced Lithuanian nation ", the minister said. He also mentioned that after restoration of Lithuania’s independence, bilateral relations with the Holy See acquired a new quality. Also, three intergovernmental treaties between Lithuania and the Holy See came into effect in autumn 2000. "The enlargement of the European Union is the underlying goal, which is to be courageously and speedily pursued, because of the expectations of millions of people belonging to Europe by their culture and tradition and therefore entitled to be part of the European Union consolidated by the ties of unity and solidarity. In light of this important and complex European process the Church cannot remain indifferent to values which particular institutional decisions are based upon ", - the minister quoted Pope John Paul II.