News

Excellencies,

Honourable Rector Benediktas Juodka,

Honorable Chairman of Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs Audrius Ažubalis,

colleagues, honourable guests,

For more than four centuries, Vilnius University has been a beacon of learning, culture, and tolerance- matters vital in upholding the dignity of the human being and the spirit of the nation.  

I remember myself, twenty years ago, poring over the draft of The Declaration of Independence, An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom as well as numerous letters by Thomas Jefferson in the library two floors above as I was preparing my graduation thesis.  

I was inspired then as I am today, by his thoughts on democratic government and the system of checks and balances, on the rights and freedoms of people, and more specifically, his ideas on the nature of inherent and inalienable rights that include “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.

As an alumnus of this University, I am therefore especially pleased to welcome you here today and I thank Rector Benediktas Juodka for his hospitality. Allow me at this point to recognise the presence of Adviser to the President  Valteris Baliukonis, Secretary of the Ministry of Culture Diana Paknytė, Ambassador to the United Nations Dalius Čekuolis.

Excellencies, colleagues,

I want to assure you that I am looking forward to working with each and every one of you to advance bilateral relations at all levels- political, economic, social, cultural, and others. I also hope that we shall be able to develop our professional and personal relations in the spirit of  genuine dialogue, confidence and trust.   

Ladies and gentlemen,

Faith in the freedom of Lithuania against all odds, determination, dedication, and perseverance of the past nineteen years since independence have given remarkable dividends to my country.

Lithuania has become a proud member of the United Nations, World Trade Organisation, European Union, NATO, OSCE and other major international bodies. Over those nineteen years, we have created a vibrant democracy, ensured respect for human rights and the rule of law, and established friendly relations with our neighbours. Our free market economy is firmly anchored in global economy. 

We have sought to be an open, reliable and engaged partner to all. As we tackle issues of major significance to the prosperity and security of our nation- such as energy security, revitalisation of our economy and promotion of investment and trade, as well as making full use of the opportunities provided by membership in major international bodies-  we shall continue to work in a transparent and constructive manner, proceeding from the core values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, as well as our interest in further promoting and strengthening good neighbourly relations.    

As a nation with a strong regional role and global outlook, we are cognisant of the complexities and appreciate the value of multilateralism.

In our increasingly “hot, flat and crowded” world, the body complex of the United Nations stands out in terms of the promise of multilateralism and its potential to respond to the global demands for a more democratic and more prosperous world.

Within that body complex, UNESCO has a unique role to play by contributing to a more peaceful and secure world through, to quote the Constitution of UNESCO, "education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations”’.

I hereby have a great pleasure to present to you the  candidature of Ambassador Ina Marčiulionytė as the joint candidate of the three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – for the post of Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at the elections to be held in 2009.

I would like to thank the Governments of Estonia and Latvia as well as Ambassador Hardijs BAUMANIS of Latvia  and  Ambassador Tiit NABER of Estonia for their trust in and support for our candidate.  

Ambassador Marčiulionytė has comprehensive professional experience in the fields of education, science and culture, thanks to the various high profile posts she has held during her career. 

Her dedication to the improvement of education worldwide and her notable contribution to the protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, substantiate her eligibility for consideration as a prominent candidate for the position of UNESCO’s Director-General. For her achievements as a diplomat, she has been awarded Cross of Commander of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas by the President of the Republic of Lithuania.

Let me quote the economist and philanthropist George Soros, since Ambassador Marčiulionytė had spent a part of her career working for the Soros Open Society Fund: “I am proud to endorse Ina’s candidacy to become Director – General of UNESCO and I am confident that her tenure would enhance the role of civil society for this crucial UN organization”.

The Government of Lithuania is confident that her wide range of talents, professional experience and expertise, her excellent managerial, diplomatic and political skills, her personal integrity lend Ambassador  Marčiulionytė full credibility to lead a forward-looking and effective UNESCO.

I am confident that if ambassador Marčiulionytė is elected, she will dedicate herself fully and selflessly- with a truly open heart and mind-  to promoting the noble goals of progress in education, sciences, culture and communication as pursued by your nations at UNESCO- and through them, the underlying goal of “building peace in the minds of men”.

Therefore I am asking you to support the common candidate of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the elections of the Director-General of UNESCO.  Thank you, and  now I give the floor to Ambassador Ina Marčiulionytė.