The First Couples of Lithuania and Estonia Visited the Lithuanian Archives Campus
On April 15, the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, and the First Lady, Diana Nausėdienė, visited the Lithuanian Archives Campus together with the President of the Republic of Estonia, Alar Karis, and the First Lady, Sirje Karis.
The Chief Archivist of Lithuania, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Inga Zakšauskienė, presented the distinguished guests with written documents and audiovisual archival materials illustrating the most significant moments in the history of bilateral relations between Lithuania and Estonia. Speaking about the cultural and historical ties between Estonia and Lithuania, the Chief Archivist of Lithuania emphasized that when the political voice of the state falls silent, the voice of culture and society resonates even more strongly. This becomes especially evident during periods of geopolitical turbulence.
Later, the DNAMIC team introduced the Lithuanian and Estonian first couples to a new technology being implemented in the Lithuanian archives — the long-term preservation of documents on DNA data storage media. This innovation attracted great interest from the guests. “It is impressive to see how funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme is opening up new opportunities for the activities of the Lithuanian archives. I believe that stable DNA storage media with high information density will, in time, not only enable the more sustainable and reliable preservation of a vast amount of Lithuania’s national memory, but will also be widely applied around the world,” said President Gitanas Nausėda, sharing his impressions.
Meanwhile, Estonian President Alar Karis stressed the importance of memory for the future of states. The 105th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Estonia and Lithuania reminds us how essential it is to preserve the past with care and relevance. “Those who do not remember the past have no future,” said President Alar Karis.
