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On 12 May, Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis congratulated the Moscow Helsinki Group on the occasion of the 35th anniversary and underlined its invaluable contribution that inspired democratic changes in Eastern and Central Europe.

“I strongly believe that the moral principles and profound respect for universal values and liberties implanted by the movement of Helsinki groups world-wide have eventually led European people and peoples towards a secure and free Europe,” Minister A.Ažubalis says.

He stressed that the creation of the Moscow Helsinki Group in 1976 inspired the launch of similar groups in Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia. 

“I have always admired the courage and devotion of each and every member of the Moscow Helsinki Group to the ideals of democracy, human rights and for the service of truth and liberty,” Minister A.Ažubalis said.

The Minister was proud that, even though modestly, he was still able to contribute to the activity of the Helsinki Group in the 1970s.

In the congratulatory letter, the Minister underlined that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, has contributed greatly to the development of democratic institutions and the establishment of non-governmental organizations.

 On 12 May at a conference dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the founding of the Moscow Helsinki Group, representative of Lithuania’s OSCE presidency, Ambassador Alfonsas Eidintas delivered a speech “The most relevant human rights issues during Lithuania’s OSCE Chairmanship.

The idea to establish Helsinki Groups occurred to famous Russian dissident Andrei Sakharov. The groups had a goal to monitor the implementation of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act and to inform the world society, also Governments of the Signatory states about the breaches. The Helsinki Final Act was signed by Heads of State or Government from 35 countries on 1 August 1975 at the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe in Helsinki.

Established on 12 May 1976, the Moscow Helsinki Group was chaired by Professor of Physics Yury Orlov. Since 1996, the group has been chaired by Lyudmila Alexeyeva. She is awarded the Cross of the Knight of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.

The Lithuanian Helsinki Group was established on 25 November 1976. Its founding members are: priest Karolis Garuckas, Eitanas Finkelšteinas (Ph.D. in Physics), poet, educator and former political prisoner Ona Lukauskaitė-Poškienė, former political prisoner Viktoras Petkus, poet and translator Tomas Venclova.