News

On 24-25 February, Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou was on a working visit to Lithuania. During the visit he met with Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas, Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis, Deputy Chairman of the Seimas and Chairman of Seimas European Affairs Committee Vytenis Andriukaitis and Chairman of Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee Gediminas Kirkilas. George Papandreou also met with Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz who was on a private visit to Lithuania. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis signed an Olympic truce declaration, initiated by Foreign Minister Papandreou. The declaration revives an old Greek tradition, according to which all conflicts should be stopped during the Olympic games. 18 foreign ministers of European countries have already signed the declaration. Antanas Valionis presented to the Greek Foreign Minister the coat of arms of his ancestors, the Mineikai family, and documents on a nobleman Zigmantas Mineika (Mineyko) discovered at the Lithuanian State History Archive. Boyar Zigmantas Gozdava Mineika (1840-1925), a great-grandfather of the Greek Minister, was born in Vilnius region. He took part in the uprising of 1863, after which he was deported to the Siberia for twelve years, from where he succeeded to escape and fled abroad.