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The sequence of events to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuanian statehood is continued this year. On the 21st of August in the manor house of Katthamragarden, which is located in the Katthammarsvik on the island of Gotland (Sweden), the 26th anniversary of the historic meeting which encouraged signing the Act of March 11, 1990 was honored.

The ceremony was attended by the Chairwoman of the Lithuania Parliament Loreta Graužinienė, the Chairman of the Swedish Riksdag Urban Ahlin, the Governor of Gotland Cecilia Schelin Seidegård, participants of the historical events on the island of Gotland - the founder of the Lithuanian Reform Movement, the Chairman of the Lithuanian Supreme Council-Restoration Parliament, signatory of the Lithuanian Independence Act, former EP member Vytautas Landsbergis and signatory of the Lithuanian Independence Act, former EP member, diplomat Justas Vincas Paleckis. All participants were greeted by the organizers of the event – the ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania Eitvydas Bajarūnas, the owner of the manor house of Katthamragarden Jakob Gustafsson and the Honorary Consul of Lithuania in Gotland Dalia Andersson.

The event was also attended by the sailors from Lithuania who came for this even from Lithuania, stuff of the Lithuanian Embassy, the representatives of the diplomatic and political community as well as society.

On August 6, 1989, on Gotland Island (Sweden) representatives of Lithuania and Lithuanian diaspora signed the Gotland Communiqué, which states “that the vital aim of all the Lithuanians around the globe is reestablishment of the independent state of Lithuania”. For the first time representatives of different political forces in Lithuania and Lithuanian diaspora expressed their support towards the restoration of an independent Lithuanian state. The Gotland Communiqué was signed by the Chairman of Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania Kazys Bobelis, member of the Seimas Council of the Lithuanian Reform Movement “Sąjūdis” and the Chairman of the Lithuanian Science History and Philosophy Association Antanas Buračas, member of the Seimas Council of the Lithuanian Reform Movement “Sąjūdis” and the chairman of the Lithuanian Cultural Foundation Česlovas Kudaba, the Chairman of the Seimas Council of the Lithuanian Reform Movement “Sąjūdis” Vytautas Landsbergis, the Vice President of the Lithuanian World Community Irena Lukoševičienė, member of the Seimas Council of the Lithuanian Reform Movement  “Sąjūdis” and the Vice President of the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania Kazimieras Motieka, Head of the Culture and Ideology Departments of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Lithuania Justas Paleckis, and the Chairman of Lithuanian Freedom League Antanas Terleckas.

The 36th Lithuanian study week took place in 1989 July 30–August 6 in 1989, in the Katthammarsvik on the island of Gotland, which ended up within the Gotland Communiqué. Numerous Lithuanians and Lithuanian diaspora politicians, public figures, actors of the Jaunimo (Youth) theatre, representatives of Lithuanian culture attended this Lithuanian study week. Many of them came from Lithuania by sailing boats. The European Lithuanian study week was attended by over a hundred participants and guests. A quarter of them came from Lithuania. A few of the most important organizers of this study week were Lithuanian of Sweden: a famous activist of the emigration and resistance world Jonas Pajaujis, who lived on the island of Gotland at that time, painter Eugenijus Budrys, medic Edvardas Varnauskas, Gintautas Būga and the others.

According to the Chairwoman of the Lithuania Parliament L.Graužinienė, the significance of the Gotland Communiqué has been noticed. “It confirmed to Europe and the whole world that our most important aim is an independent future for our nation. Therefore it has been claimed that the Gotland Communiqué served as a solid foundation for the Declaration of Independence of Lithuania, to be signed on 11 March 1990 by the Lithuanian Parliament”- according to L.Graužinienė.

As stated by prof. V.Landsbergis, the Gotland Communique has become a major event in the whole chain of events which took place in 1989 such as the collapse of Berlin Wall and the democratic election in Poland and the entering of Independent Self-governing Trade Union "Solidarity” into the government and others. Shortly after the Lithuanian week study in Gotland, where for the first time representatives of occupied Lithuania attended this event, the historical “Baltic Chain” event took place on 1989 August 23 which stated to the world that the Baltic nations want to live freely and independently.

J.V. Paleckis noticed that the successful Lithuanian event in 1989 on the island of Gotland attracted a strong interest of Swedish politicians, press and public.

According to the participants, it is quite symbolic that the Lithuanian study week in 1989 took place precisely in Gotland – the Swedish island in the Baltic Sea, which was the closest one to the world of freedom for the occupied Lithuanian at that time. As stated by the Ambassador E. Bajarūnas, undoubtedly the inauguration of the commemorative plaque of the Gotland Communiqué will be an important attempt to strengthen friendly relations of Sweden and Lithuania based on cooperation and mutual understanding.