Lithuania cannot be imagined without Jewish contribution – foreign minister

“Creation and consolidation of the Lithuanian state 100 years ago cannot be imagined without the contribution of Jews. We respect Jewish traditions and foster the Jewish heritage,” the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry cited him as saying at the Vilnius meeting.

The meeting, which was also attended by Faina Kukliansky, the leader of the Jewish Community in Lithuania, addressed trans-Atlantic relations, the European Union‘s policies in the Middle East, Lithuania-Israel relations and the planned celebrations of the 100-anniversary of Lithuania’s restored statehood with national communities worldwide. Linkevičius also emphasized Lithuania’s appreciation of the activities of the American Jewish Committee and its support to Lithuania’s democratic development.

According to the press release, the American Jewish Committee actively supports democratic changes in Central and Eastern Europe. It is the first Jewish organization that supported recognition of Lithuania’s independence and NATO expansion. In an effort to intensify the relations with governments of the Baltic and Visegrad countries and national Jewish communities, the committee established its Eastern European headquarters in Warsaw in 2017.