Gedvilas awards Pusić, says Croatia star in the region

"I am very happy that Lithuania opened the office in Zagreb, as it will bring Lithuania and Croatia closer together," Speaker of Lithuania's Seimas Vydas Gedvilas said on the occasion of the opening the office of the Lithuanian Embassy in Zagreb

"I am very happy that Lithuania opened the office in Zagreb, as it will bring Lithuania and Croatia closer together," Speaker of Lithuania's Seimas Vydas Gedvilas said on the occasion of the opening the office of the Lithuanian Embassy in Zagreb.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić said she was glad Lithuania decided to open this office in Zagreb, within the premises of the Finnish Embassy, expressing hope that other countries in the region would have relations similar to those between these two Baltic countries.

Finnish Ambassador Juha Ottman said his country was not limited to the Baltics, but is willing to cooperate with all EU partners. Wishing Croatia a warm welcome to the EU, he announced Lithuania’s taking over of the EU presidency on 1 July, which he said would be full of challenges.

Gedvilas decorated Pusić with the Lithuanian Diplomatic Star for her personal contribution to the development of the relations between Lithuania and Croatia, underscoring that "Croatia is a star in the region of the Western Balkans, showing the way for the other countries."

“It is a great privilege to become a member of the EU at the start of the Lithuanian presidency – that gives it a special charm,” Pusić said, adding that the first day of Lithuania’s presidency was “the first day of the rest of our lives”. She said a large group of people had worked on the reforms that led Croatia to the EU, introducing Dunja Sičaja as the Croatian diplomat that would head the Croatian Office in Vilnius.

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