Antonio TAJANI, EP President and Linas LINKEVICIUS, Lithuanian Foreign Minister participate to the handover ceremony of “February 16th Act of Lithuanian Independence". Arrivals, ambiance shots and extracts from the ceremony

Brussels

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

EU - Lithuania (T)

ceremony

LINKEVIČIUS, Linas Antanas (LT)

Handover ceremony of “February 16th Act of Lithuanian Independence" with the participation of Antonio TAJANI, EP President and Linas LINKEVICIUS, Lithuanian foreign minister: arrivals, ambiance shots and extracts from the ceremony

House of the European History, Brussels, Parc Leopold, Belgium (2 shots)

Exterior, Arrival at the House of European History, of Linas LIKEVICIUS, Lithuanian foreign minister, welcome by Antonio TAJANI, EP President (1 shot)

Interior, Family Photo, (1 shot) at the entrance, 2nd at the exhibition hall

SOUNDBITE (English), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, We just celebrate the 100 years anniversary of Lithuanian state in the European Parliament and I&rsquo;m proud that the call of the independence act of 1918 will be on display in the house of the European history.

SOUNDBITE (English), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Today we have moved on thanks to the European Union, working together, we have enjoyed the longest period of freedom, peace and prosperity in our history. All this thanks to the courage of citizens who supported our values of democracy, liberty, rule of law and solidarity. These values give Lithuania the determination to free itself from Soviet oppression.

SOUNDBITE (English), Linas Antanas LINKEVI&#268;IUS, Minister of Foreign Affairs, It is very big responsibility, whatever artefacts will be displaced here, it is really an honour and it is very important mark. You said that we know the importance of independence, I really would like to add that our people will still know the price of independence and these values, we were fighting some time ago. Freedom and independence is not just a given, it is something that should be defended as we speak.

SOUNDBITE (English), Linas Antanas LINKEVI&#268;IUS, Minister of Foreign Affairs, It was a big discovery, you know, we didn&rsquo;t have the original text of our independence declaration as we say, nobody knew where it is, is it in German, Russia somewhere else. We didn&rsquo;t have it, but our scientistsLiudas Mazylis, from Kauna&rsquo;s Vytautas Magnus University, found this document, manuscript, the original version in the diplomatic archives of Germany and therefore since then we negotiated and I&rsquo;m very grateful, and here is the German Deputy Ambassador as well. Thank you Ambassador and thank you to Germany for the courtesy to be able to place this Act now in the place where it was signed.

Handover ceremony of the Act, Mr Tajani and Mr Linkevicius open the act, (3 shots), in the presence of EU Commissioner Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS, for health and food safety, and the presence of , Dr Peter R&ouml;sgen, Ambassador Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany