The President highlighted particularly good and close bilateral relations between Lithuania and the Holy See and continued support of the Holy See for Lithuania on its way towards independence and consolidation of democracy. The Holy See always actively defends countries fighting for freedom and emphasizes the importance of international law, therefore Lithuania and the Holy See are united by aid to countries such as Ukraine and Georgia, which are forced to fight aggression and its consequences.
The President and Petar Rajič also discussed shared values of the European Union and the Holy See: peace, democracy, human rights and dignity. According to the President, Lithuania values the policy of the Holy See to help the most suffering, the poor, and refugees as well as promote human rights, inclusion of women, and fight against propaganda and lies.
The President and the Nuncio discussed Pope’s visit to Lithuania which was a gift to Lithuania on the centennial of restoration of its statehood. According to the President, Lithuanian people saw this visit as one of the most important events last year. The meeting with the Holy Father strengthened the faith of the Lithuanian people and gave a boost of inner power.
Petar Rajič is of Croatian descent and was born in Canada in 1959. He has already worked in the nunciature in Lithuania back in 1996–1998. In 2009, he was appointed as titular archbishop and nuncio to Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, one year later to Yemen and the United Arab Emirates. In 2015, he was appointed as Nuncio to Angola, as well as to São Tomé and Príncipe, where he is coming from to Lithuania. Petar Rajič speaks Croatian, Italian, English, French and Portuguese.
