- EXHIBITION OF HISTORICAL AND DIPLOMATIC DOCUMENTS
The Princely Court National Museum Complex of Târgovişte, May 20, 2011
The Museum of History of Galaţi, September 29, 2011
Speech by H.E. Ambassador of Lithuania
Dr. Vladimir Jarmolenko
on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the
re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Romania
DOI number: 10.53604/rjbns.v3i2_9
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very pleased to welcome you today, here, in Galaţi, at the opening of the exhibition of diplomatic documents, which celebrates 20 years from the reestablishment of the diplomatic relations between Romania and Republic of Lithuania.
On this occasion I would like to thank the Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies, headed by professor Silviu Miloiu from the University Valahia, Târgovişte, the Diplomatic Archives Direction of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Archives of Lithuania, the Cetatea de Scaun Publishing House, the Princely Court National Museum Complex of Târgovişte, the Lithuanian company ARVI Agro, all Romanian and Lithuanian historians who contributed to the gathering of the diplomatic documents that we can see today exposed in this wonderful Museum of History. I am also happy for the fact that eventually all these documents will be included into a larger volume of diplomatic documents related to the relations between Romania and Lithuania in the interwar period.
I am not a historian. I am a diplomat, a former politician and scientist in the field of biophysics, but during all these six years that I have been staying in Romania, I was interested in getting to know your country, your people and your history better. This exhibition is the result of a great collaboration between people who are deeply in love with their countries. And I was lucky to meet such persons, because in our common history there are still so many historical issues to be discovered!
20 years ago the communist regime in my country fell down. Our revolution, called the “Singing Revolution” was not as bloody as the Romanian one. The years 1990-91 were not the beginning of our history, but rather its continuation after an abnormal period of absence from the international stage.
On August 26, 1991 the Foreign Minister of Romania welcomed the proclamation of Lithuania independence as it abolished the injustice than had been perpetrated through realization of the secret protocols of Molotov – Ribbentrop pact. Romania opened its Embassy in Vilnius in 1992 and in 2006 Lithuania opened her Embassy in Bucharest.
20 years have passed. Fundamental changes took place in our countries, some are good, and some are probably not as good. In the present context of EU and NATO membership, we move towards understanding better our own identity and our common European history.
I would like to wish all of us good luck in discovering our own history, because the person without past is a person without future. This exhibition is a step, and I am extremely honored that we are making this step in this old, warm and beautiful city of maritime Romania – Galaţi.
Let me express my gratitude to the people who made it possible: Dr. Silviu Miloiu, President of the Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies, Mr. Cristian Căldăraru – Director of the Museum of History of Galaţi, and to welcome here the Executive Director of the County Direction for Culture and National Heritage of Galaţi Mr. Cătălin Negoiţă, and President of Galaţi County Council Eugen Chebac, whom I would invite to tell some words.
- VOLUME OF DOCUMENTS THE ROMANIAN-LITHUANIAN RELATIONS. DIPLOMATIC DOCUMENTS (1919 – 1944) AND BOOK HISTORY OF LITHUANIA
Foreword by H.E. Ambassador of Lithuania
Dr. Vladimir Jarmolenko
of the volume of documents dedicated to
the 20th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Romania
This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Romania. Lithuania remembers with gratitude that Romania has welcomed the restored independent Republic of Lithuania on August 26, 1991. It is even more significant that the book “Istoria Lituaniei” in Romanian language was recently published. And now you keep in your hands a new book written in three languages – Romanian, Lithuanian and English: “The Romanian-Lithuanian Relations. Diplomatic Documents (1919 – 1944)”, created by a great team of both Romanian and Lithuanian historians: Silviu Miloiu (coordinator), Florin Anghel, Dalia Bukelevičiute, Alexandru Ghişa, Ramojus Kraujelis, Bogdan-Alexandru Schipor.
Today Romania and Lithuania stand side by side, united in a large European family together with other partner countries, all sharing the same fundamental values and working together for a peaceful and prosperous European future. Centuries ago, in the medieval period, our nations were also standing side by side, being neighbors. Later on, on February 16, 1918 Lithuania declared its independence and was trying and hoping to open the gates to Europe with the help of Romania, because at that time Romania was Poland’s “strategic partner”. Nevertheless, only in August 1924 diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Romania have been established. Obviously, when both nations were striving to consolidate their newly acquired favorable status on the international scene, the bilateral relations between Romania and Lithuania have witnessed periods of varying activity, often influenced also by the international context at the moment (League of Nations, etc.). Before the Second World War we were seeking each other’s support mainly in order to tackle the common external threats both nations were facing.
This collection of documents is also interesting because it reflects the situation after August 25, 1940, when the diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Romania have been violently interrupted. And what is necessary to be mentioned, is that on the historical intersections of events in Europe, Romania never de jure recognized the fact of occupation and annexation of the Republic of Lithuania by the Soviet power.
I really hope that this unique collection of diplomatic documents will find your appreciation and will contribute to the strengthening of relations between our nations.
Let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who made the dream of creating and publishing this book come true: the members of the Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Embassy in Bucharest, the National Cultural Fund Administration, the Romanian Foreign Ministry Archives, the Lithuanian National Archives, the “Cetatea de Scaun” Publishing House, the Valahia University of Târgovişte, local officials of Târgovişte, the Lithuanian company ARVI based in Iasi, diplomats and honorary consuls from Nordic and Baltic countries, who were supporting the idea of close cooperation with Romanian historians.
Vladimir Jarmolenko,
Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Romania
October, 2011
