MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES IN VILNIUS HONOURS DIPLOMATS WHO ACTIVELY PROMOTED DEMOCRACY
On July 1 at the sixth Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies in Vilnius, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Audronius Ažubalis conferred the Mark Palmer Prize on seven diplomats from different countries, including Lithuania, for promoting democracy and human rights.The Foreign Minister awarded former Czech and U.S. Ambassadors to Zimbabwe Jaroslaw Olsz and James McGee for their efforts to organize free elections in this country, diplomats of Peru and the Netherlands Ernesto Pinto-Bazurco Rittler and Caecilia Wijgers, who gave full support to the local civil society while working in Cuba, and Canadian diplomat Ben Rowswell, who contributed to the consolidation of democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Foreign Minister also expressed gratitude to Lithuanian Ambassador Žygimantas Pavilionis for his outstanding role in renewing the activities of the Community of Democracies.
At Lithuania's initiative, Polish diplomat Mariusz Handzlik, an active supporter of democratic reforms in Central and Eastern Europe who contributed much to the strengthening of the Lithuanian-Polish strategic partnership and advocated the accession of the Baltic States into NATO, was posthumously awarded the Mark Palmer Prize. M.Handzlik was one of the principal advocates of establishing the coalition of Lithuania, Poland and other countries that called for the EU and NATO enlargement eastward.
The diplomat also contributed to the creation of the EU common energy policy and essential agreements on joint Lithuanian-Polish energy projects.
M.Handzlik was killed in the tragic crash of Polish President Lech Kaczyński's plane near Smolensk in 2010.
M.Palmer is the main author of the historic speech by the then U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1980. This speech announced an uncompromising struggle against Communism and direct support to democratic forces, fighting against Communist and other tyrannical regimes around the world. To this end, an infrastructure for the development of democracy and support for freedom fighters was created.
The Mark Palmer Prize was awarded for the first time, and it coincided with the end of Lithuania's biennial Presidency of the Community of Democracies. The Palmer Prize is awarded by the Council for a Community of Democracies. It is made possible by the Sándor Demján Foundation.
The video and photos of the prize giving ceremony during the Ministerial Conference in Vilnius is available online at http://www.vilnius2011.mfa.lt/ (Information for Media/Multimedia).
