President Gitanas Nausėda met with Grand Hospitaller Dominique Prince de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel of the Order of Malta at the Presidential Palace on September 17. The focus of the meeting was the 30th anniversary of the Order of Malta’s activities and long-standing support to Lithuanian people.

The President expressed his gratitude to the Grand Hospitaller for the uninterrupted continuation of activities of the Order of Malta in Lithuania since the reestablishment of independence.  President Nausėda noted that the aid to Lithuania and its people was of particular importance 30 years ago.

The Grand Hospitaller and the President agreed that Malta and Lithuania shared common human values while volunteering contributed significantly to the outreach of social services in Lithuania.

“The support of the Relief service the Order of Malta still carries its significance. The organization’s contribution to the governmental and municipal efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the migration crisis is substantial. I am immensely pleased with assistance provided to people with disabilities, as this is one of the priorities of my term in office,” the President said.

President Nausėda celebrated impressive achievements of the Order of Malta in Lithuania: over 1500 Malteser volunteers who help single elderly people, children from families in difficulty, people with disabilities, refugees, and all others facing social exclusion. According to the President, assistance is paramount, both in terms of material resources and emotional support.

“I very much support your efforts and believe in them. By providing relief to the vulnerable groups in our society, you make an important contribution to Lithuania’s vision of welfare state. In cooperation, we can not only alleviate inequalities, but also raise civic power of the population,” the President of Lithuania stated at the meeting.

The President noted that his spouse, Diana Nausėdiene, was also involved in Malteser initiatives. One of the most recent projects joined by the First Lady was the opening of the Children Day Centre in Raseiniai and the initiative of young Malteser volunteers “Bridging Generations”, which aimed at providing emotional support to lone elderly people.

Speaking with the President Gitanas Nausėda, Grand Hospitaller Dominique Prince de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel also welcomed high professionalism and responsibility of Lithuanian volunteers.

Ambassador Manfred Leo Mautner Markhof of the Order of Malta, Bronius Einars, President, and Dalia Kedavičienė, Secretary-General of the Lithuanian Relief Service (Malteser Lithuania), also attended the meeting.

[[gallery_post]]/gallery_post]]