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The commemorative event was organized at the European Parliament, during which the creative work of the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature Czesław Miłosz and his role in defining the European identity were discussed. On 9 November, the event marking the 100th birth anniversary of the poet was jointly organized by the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the European Union and the Permanent Representation of Poland to the European Union in cooperation with Member of the European Parliament Leonidas Donskis.

When opening the event, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the European Union, Ambassador Raimundas Karoblis noted that the life story of Cz.Miłosz embodied the search of an entire European identity, the continent’s strength and its tragedies.

“The multicultural and multi-religious Vilnius, the city of the poet’s youth, became the milestone for the searches of a cosmopolitan spirit. It is difficult to find a person, whom such epithets as ‘world citizen’ and ‘true European’ would fit better,” said R.Karoblis.

President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek gave a welcome speech. Several hundred participants of the event watched the documentary film ‘The Vilnius of Czesław Miłosz’ directed by Vytautas Damaševičius and Juozas Matonis four years ago.

The discussion on political, social, cultural and literary aspects of the legacy of Cz.Miłosz was moderated by the event’s host L.Donskis. Other participants of the discussion were: historian from Vytautas Magnus University Egidijus Aleksandravičius, Professor of Literature from Cracow University Andrzej Romanowski and Member of the European Parliament Bogusław Sonik.

The participants of the event were acquainted with the exhibition entitled ‘Sugrįžimas / Powrót / Return’ that run at the European Parliament. The exhibition was prepared by the Vytautas Magnus University. It tells the story of the poet’s return to Lithuania after 52 years.

This 100th birth anniversary of the Lithuanian-born poet and diplomat, who worked and created in Poland, the United States of America and France, is included into the list of anniversaries with which the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is associated in 2010-2011. Moreover, the Parliaments of Lithuania and Poland have declared 2011 as the Year of Czeslaw Milosz.