
Mayor of Vilnius, Mr Remigijus Šimašius, and the Director of the House of Tibet, Mr Vytis Vidūnas, at the unveiling the Tibet Square plaque
Vilnius, Lithuania: June 21, 2017
Tibet Square located in the centre of Vilnius city in Lithuania got its own plaque on June 20, 2017, thereby formally establishing its place in the city landscape. It was opened seven years ago by the then Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Northern Europe and Baltic States, Mr Thubten Samdup.
The Mayor of Vilnius Mr Remigijus Šimašius formally unveiled the plaque in the presence of Mr Vytis Vidūnas, the Director of the Vilnius based NGO House of Tibet.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by the Lithuanian MP Mr Andrius Navickas and other Tibet supporters.
In his short speech the Mayor noted that this plaque, together with the other such plaque of its kind, points to Vilnius as a city which is open to people of different nationalities, languages and religions. He further noted that despite an absence of a Tibetan community in Vilnius, the plaque unveiling was organised by the local Friends of Tibet community.
Vytis Vidūnas in his speech recalled that His Holiness the Dalai Lama was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Lithuania after its declaration of independence in 1990. Mr Vidūnas further remarked that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has visited Lithuania thrice since then: in 1991, 2001 and especially in 2013 when His Holiness visited Tibet Square in Vilnius and consecrated the “Mandala” sculpture there.
The plaque unveiling received wide media coverage in Lithuania.
– Report filed by Office of Tibet, London –

The Tibet Square plaque with the Tibetan national flag