News

On 21 January, at a meeting with foreign ambassadors residing in Lithuania,Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas presented Ambassador Ina Marčiulionytė as a joint candidate of the three Baltic States – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia– to the post of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Director General.

“Permanent Representative of Lithuania to UNESCO, Ambassador I.Marčiulionytė has a versatile working experience in the areas of education and science, as well as in culture. The Ambassador is devotedly seeking to enhance the education situation in the world, her significant input into the protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage testifies to the fact that Ambassador I.Marčiulionytė is one of the best candidates to the post of the UNESCO’s Director General,” said V.Ušackas, while requesting for support to the candidate.

V.Ušackas was also pleased with the fact that the Baltic States presented a joint candidate, as this is an example of excellent diplomatic cooperation with neighbouring countries.

                       Head of the Lithuanian diplomacy thanked the governments of Estonia and Latvia and Ambassadors of these countries to Lithuania Hardijs Baumanis and Tiit Naber for their confidence ant support for the Lithuanian candidate.

“Cooperation among states, our culture and creative people are among the most important tools of our diplomacy,” said V.Ušackas.

Reminding that this year Lithuania was marking the millennium of its name and Vilnius was announced the European Capital of Culture, V.Ušackas emphasized that it was a symbolic and a particularly good time for Lithuania to present a candidate to one of world’s most important positions of cultural policy.

V.Ušackas invited foreign diplomats not only to visit the events of the programme of “Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009”, but also to get actively involved in organising art programmes of their own countries in Vilnius.

The Minister also presented the priorities of the new Government’s foreign policy to representatives from the diplomatic corps. V.Ušackas highlighted that Lithuania had at all times fostered foreign policy that was based on democratic values and commitments, and hoped to continue maintaining friendly, professional and constructive relations with foreign countries and their representatives in Lithuania.