Lithuanian Foreign Minister: Vilnius belongs not only to Lithuanians, but Belarusians as well

It is a part of Vilnius DNA to be a multicultural city, which should be treasured and developed, said Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis.

This statement was made during the meeting of representatives of the Nordic Council of Ministers and Baltic countries’ ministers with students of the European Humanities University in Vilnius. Audronius Ažubalis noted that both Lithuanians and Belarusians have a right to consider this city their capital.

“I lived in Vilnius since childhood; I was playing and had fights with children of different nationalities: Lithuanians, Belarusians, Russians, Poles, Ukrainians, Jews. I believe Vilnius belongs not only to Lithuanians, but to all the abovementioned nations,” Ažubalis said.

After the minister a former student of the Belarusian State University, Tatsyana Shaputska appeared. She was expelled from the university, allegedly for poor academic performance, after her participation in the Eastern Partnership Forum, and later she was invited long-distance studies in the EHU. “I have chosen the EHU, as it is ours, Belarusian, and at the same time democratic, we won’t be expelled from here on political reasons,” she said.

In the conversation with journalists Shaputska, who is also a deputy chairman of the youth organisation the Young Front, stated that she would like to revive Belarusian heritage in Vilnius. However as a student of long-distance learning program, she plans to stay in Belarus 90% of time.

The discussion with students was held as a part of the visit to Vilnius of the delegation of the Nordic Council of Ministers which offers financial aim to the EHU. It was stated that countries of the North Europe, as well as Lithuania, would continue supporting the democratic values in Belarus in the future. The Council has allocated Euro 300,000 to the EHU.