Wednesday July 15 was the National Day of Lithuania in Expo Milano 2015. The official delegations included Lithuania’s President and its Ministers of Agriculture and the Environment Virginija Baltraitienė and Kęstutis Trečiokas, and Bruno Antonio Pasquino, Commissioner General of Expo Milano 2015 and Italy’s Vice-Minister of the Interior, Filippo Bubbico.

 

The greetings of Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of Lithuania

 

“Expo Milano 2015 is an ideal place for any country to show what it has achieved in agriculture and to encourage everyone to make further progress and spread prosperity all over the world.” With these words, Dalia Grybauskaitė, the President of Lithuania, officially launched the National Day of the young Baltic Republic. The official ceremony at the Expo Center stood out for the live renditions of the national anthems: the Italian anthem was played by the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra from Vilnius and the Lithuanian anthem was sung by the Bel Canto Choir, wearing traditional costumes.

 

Italy’s greeting to the Lithuanian delegation was delivered by the Vice-Minister of the Interior, Filippo Bubbico, who explained that “Since the 1960s, all Universal Expositions have tried to create a unifying theme covering the various different national traditions. Here we have created a mosaic of countries showing their contributions to the challenge of feeding the planet for future generations. The Lithuanian Pavilion is a perfect example, displaying the country’s ability to unite agricultural traditions with innovation, sustainability and equilibrium.

 

For her part, President Grybauskaitė underlined the fact that “Lithuania has extremely fertile soils and an agricultural tradition that is part of our identity and culture.”

 

A Musical afternoon in the Lithuanian Pavilion

 

The Expo Center ceremony concluded with a fine musical performance by the Bel Canto Choir, including a choreographic contribution in modern costume. The official delegations then proceeded to luncheon at Palazzo Italia, while the Lithuanian celebrations continued throughout the afternoon, with Music and folkloric performances in the Lithuanian Pavilion.