In his welcome address, the President underlined that the presence of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, one of the world’s biggest and most respected news organizations, in Vilnius was a recognition of Lithuania’s efforts to provide shelter and support to members of the Belarusian civil society.
“It is highly symbolic because Vilnius – the city of Pranciškus Skorina and Konstantinas Kalinauskas – has always played a major role as a meeting place for the brightest, freedom-loving people from Belarus,” the President said.
Gitanas Nausėda emphasized that since the start of the Cold War, Radio Liberty had been shedding light on the numerous crimes committed by the Soviet regime here in Lithuania, bringing hope to the victims.
“Back in those dark days, many Lithuanians listened to the free word from the West. This is how Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty contributed to the struggle for Lithuanian independence – a voice of truth bringing down the thick walls of lies and deception and also an inspiration for the new generation of independent journalists. Today, it is our duty to support other nations on their path to freedom. It is my deepest wish, therefore, that this new office should play the same role in the history of free and independent Belarus,” the President said.
Gitanas Nausėda thanked Jamie Fly, President of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and the Vilnius team, including head of the office Gintarė Žukaitė-Zelenkienė, for carrying on fearless journalistic work.
The Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Vilnius office will be staffed by journalists from Belarus forced to flee their country after the rigged 2020 presidential elections and also a team from the Current Time TV network.
