Baltic identity should be expanded to Baltic Sea Region level
On 23 September at the European Union House in Riga, the Baltic Unity Day was marked by a round table discussion "Latvia, Lithuania: The mission, perspectives and challenges of a nation-state" which took place as part of the 4th Congress of the Latvia–Lithuania Forum.
The moderator of the discussion, associated professor of the Latvian and Baltic Studies at the University of Latvia, Valdis Muktupāvels, accentuated that the Baltic identity had a great development potential and that the concept of the Balts did not refer exclusively to Latvians and Lithuanians thus separating them from the other countries in the Baltic Sea region. The participants of the discussion confirmed that the idea of the Baltic unity was not an archaism; quite on the contrary, it is directed towards future, being an excellent platform for further development of culture, education, economy and science. Today's task is to expand this idea and to saturate it with a new common vision. The event saw the presentation of a unique publication of authentic folklore titled "Pa vējame es dziedāju, Sventājas dziesmas" (I sang to the wind. Songs from Sventāja). Taking part in the discussion were Chairman of the Senate of the Academy of Sciences of Latvia Jānis Stradiņš, and professors of the University of Latvia Janīna Kursīte and Maija Kūle. Lithuania was represented at the event by a Lithuanian literature and folklore expert Darius Kolis, a representative from the Culture, Philosophy and Art Institute Rita Repšienė, and Dean of the Faculty of History at Vilnius University, Zenonas Butkus. On the second day of the Congress, on 24 September, a conference "Cooperation Perspectives for Neighbouring Countries" was held in Dobele Culture Centre. The event was designed to evaluate the co-operation and experience sharing between Latvia and Lithuania. The 4th Congress of Latvia–Lithuania Forum is organized by the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, the Ministry of Regional Development and Local Government of Latvia, the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania, the Joint Technical Secretariat of the Latvia–Lithuania Programme in cooperation with the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Latvia and Lithuania Forum Association. The Latvia – Lithuania Forum is a discussion platform, where the academic staff of both countries and representatives of culture, art, media and various other fields are invited to take part in a discussion on the co-operation between the two countries to date, and to seek new solutions to challenges brought up by the 21st century. Further information on the events held as part of the 4th Congress of the Latvia – Lithuania Forum is accessible on the websites of the Foreign Ministry, the Latvia–Lithuania Forum Association, and the Joint Technical Secretariat of the Latvia–Lithuania Programme.
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