News

At the meeting on March 30, the Government of Lithuania adopted a program that invites Lithuanians living abroad to get involved into Lithuania’s life and to use the knowledge and experience to contribute to the prosperity of Lithuania. The creation of Global Lithuania for 2011-2019 invites Lithuanians living abroad to get involved into the state’s life and aims at making qualitative changes in the relations between Lithuania and its diaspora in the long run, at bridging the divide between those who left and those who stayed in Lithuania, at promoting and strengthening the ties between Lithuanians living abroad and the state of Lithuania.

The idea of Global Lithuania is based on the understanding that the people of Lithuania are a viable community, which is united by a common Lithuanian identity and historical memory, whose members, regardless of their place of residence, foster the Lithuanian identity, maintain political, economic, civic and cultural ties with the Lithuanian state and engage into the state-building process.

 

Together with Lithuanians living abroad, the legislation that restricts opportunities for engagement will be monitored, amendments to such laws will be initiated, relevant information will be provided to the diaspora and they will be encouraged to foster their national identity abroad, their possibilities to receive Lithuanian education abroad will be enhanced, rights of the Lithuanian minority abroad will be protected, the Lithuanian diaspora will also be invited to act as ‘goodwill ambassadors’ of Lithuania abroad.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating the implementation of this program. In the nearest future, an inter-institutional action plan will be drafted and it will include specific means for the creation of the Global Lithuania program for the next three years. The means will be implemented by various ministries and other institutions in the areas of their competence.

The implementation of the Global Lithuania program will be based on sociability and the principles of voluntary activity. The World Lithuanian Community and other non-governmental organizations are expected to get actively involved in this process. Municipalities will also be invited to contribute to the Global Lithuania program.