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The freedom of speech in the mother tongue is an integral part of the freedom of thought and encourages respect for diverse society groups, the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis said at the opening of an exhibition “The Lithuanian Language Perception: an old language of modern communication” on 24 February in Vienna.„The freedom of speech in the mother tongue, so valued by every native Lithuanian, is the basis for freedom of thought and encourages respect for diverse linguistic groups of society,” the Minister noted. The exhibition aims to encourage a deeper look through the Lithuanian language at the roots of the Lithuanian identity, people and their main values.

The visitors of the exhibition, which was co-organized by the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute of the Lithuanian Language, have a possibility to learn about the place of the Lithuanian language in the world’s language system, its social evolution and the history of writing. Attention is also given to multilingualism in Lithuania – the preservation of the speech and writing of national minorities.

According to A.Ažubalis, the unique history of the Lithuanian language and such exceptional phenomena, as the book smuggling and underground press, show the significance of the mother tongue and freedom of speech for the Lithuanian people.

According to the Minister, this exhibition briefly presents Lithuania through the Lithuanian language, which evolved from a language spoken by ordinary people to the official language of contemporary Lithuania. The Minister said that the Lithuanian language received much attention from the world’s scientific community due to its similarity to Sanskrit.

The exhibition is on display until 17 March at Vienna’s Hofburg Palace. There are plans to show it in other countries and international organizations later.