On 26 September, The Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania adopted a Resolution On commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the Vilna Ghetto
The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the Vilna Ghetto, appreciating the centuries-long contribution of Lithuanian Jews to the creation of the State of Lithuania, participation in joint uprisings against the tsarist occupation, and the contribution of Lithuanian Jewish volunteer servicemen to the restoration of Lithuania’s statehood in 1918-1920, stresses that Lithuanian Jews were one of the essential links in the restoration of the State of Israel. The Resolution also emphasizes the unique determination to resist the Nazis by force of arms demonstrated in the joint underground of the Vilna Ghetto partisan organization. The Parliament condemns statements by politicians containing racist or anti-Semitic elements and proposes that Lithuania’s law enforcement institutions be guided by the definition of anti-Semitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
In the Resolution, the Parliament of Lithuania recognizes and welcomes the activities of the International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes Committed in Lithuania Under the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes and the implementation for two decades, through its efforts, of an educational programme on the Holocaust and Jewish History, which, in cooperation with Yad Vashem and other international institutions, involves the improvement of teachers’ qualifications, a meaningful commemoration of memorial days being inclusive for youth and the activities of the Network of Tolerance Education Centres with a positive impact on society’s maturity, as well as urges national and local authorities to promote and support these activities. The Resolution invites the responsible institutions authorized by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania to step up the development of joint educational, cultural, research and defense projects with the State of Israel, with particular focus on conveying the heritage of Lithuanian Jews living abroad in the Lithuanian language.