News

On 21 September, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius made a statement at the High-level Meeting to Commemorate the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the United Nations.  

Mr. President,

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

75 years ago with reaffirmed faith in equal rights of large and small countries the United Nations were formed. This Organization created confidence that togetherness could deliver more peace and security than one country alone. During this time the United Nations brought 193 countries together to prove that collectively we can achieve ambitious goals – peace, disarmament, non-proliferation, stability, equality and prosperity.

This occasion has two sides. On one side, we want to celebrate the great achievements made throughout these 75 years, on the other – we realize the gap between the future we want and the reality. There is still a lots of work left in SDGs implementation, protracted conflicts in Europe and around the world are not resolved yet, human rights need protection more than ever, we also encounter new challenges of public health. Yet despite these flaws, there is little doubt that the multilateral system has decisively helped promote and protect peace, prosperity and security around the world over the past 75 years.

Mr. President,

By celebrating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, we anew our dedication to its Charter, reflect on its significance to the international peace and security, and reaffirm its fundamental importance to multilateralism.

Lithuania was one of the very few countries, full-fledged members of the League of Nations that disappeared from the World map after WWII and were not be able to become a signatory to the United Nations Charter and founding member of the United Nations. Instead, we experienced lawlessness, disregard of international law and aggression. Our history obliges us to counter attempts to distort historical facts and whitewash crimes by the totalitarian regimes. Doubting the real facts leads to return to the methods of division into spheres of influence, justifying incitement to hatred, rise of nationalism and aggression against neighboring countries. 

Mr. President,

Next year, Lithuania will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its membership at the United Nations. Our past has made the preservation of liberty, freedom and democracy the main national priority, which should not be taken for granted. We have to work together to defend and adhere to the founding principles of the United Nations, to overcome challenges and have the future we want with modern, values based and effective United Nations.