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On 22 March Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas discoursed on “Foreign Policy and Lithuanian Identity” at the seminar organised by the Social Anthropology Centre of the Department of Sociology at Kaunas Vytautas Didysis University.

Minister P.Vaitiekūnas invited students to discuss the role of Lithuania in the international policy and its impact on the establishment of Lithuanian identity.

“Could it be true that our generations, especially yours is to establish and consolidate modern Lithuanian identity throughout Europe and worldwide?” Minister P.Vaitiekūnas asked highlighting the fact that Lithuanian identity has to be cherished and fostered all the time.

Discoursing on Lithuanian membership in the European Union and NATO Minister P.Vaitiekūnas noticed that issues important to Lithuanian state had to be addressed:  our future role in Europe and global world, future prospects, making use of the EU and NATO’s instruments.  

The Head of Lithuanian diplomacy emphasized the significance of the European Union and transatlantic relations that guarantee Lithuanian security.

“The European Union membership provides us with unique possibilities to modernize and give a boost to the economy, implement structural reforms in various areas, pursue the European Union’s welfare standards, however, it does not guarantee this automatically,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to avoid Lithuania’s placing on the periphery of  today’s global processes we have to pay more attention to education, science and research.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs said, “The future of Lithuania will depend on the investment into education in Lithuania”.

P.Vaitiekūnas remarked that it was important to overcome passivity. According to the Minister, after accession to the European Union and NATO we have to pursue transparent and active foreign policy. Today Lithuania is undergoing the process of establishment of its identity as a modern and active state in the region, perceiving and facing the challenges and responsibility of globalisation placed on the state, as well as on the Western international community. The Minister indicated that Lithuanian foreign policy ambitions were based on the tradition of Lithuanian statehood.

“I believe that we have to be a torch of European civilization in the region and uphold the universal values of fundamental freedoms, democracy, respect to human rights and personality,” said the Head of Lithuanian Diplomacy.