Lietuva in brief - 2010-07-07

A new culture minister, Arunas Gelunas, was sworn in by the Seimas on June 25, reports ELTA. He was proposed for the post in the wake of the resignation of Culture Minister Remigijus Vilkaitis. Gelunas graduated from Vytautas Magnus University with a Ph.D. degree. In 1995-1997, he studied arts at the Tokyo University of the Arts, before that he was awarded a diploma of a graphic artist at Vilnius Academy of Arts. Since 2004, Gelunas has worked as a vice rector for academics at Vilnius Academy of Arts. He is also a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association, and board chairman of the National Association of Creative and Cultural Industries.

During the workshop on the preparation for representatives of the coordinators network on July 1 in Vilnius for Lithuania’s EU Presidency, Head of Cabinet of the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union Marek Mora positively evaluated Lithuania’s extremely early start of the preparation process, reports ELTA. Mora also presented to the participants of the event various aspects of the preparation for the EU presidency: drafting and implementing the program of the presidency, preparation to chair the sessions of the Council of the European Union, cooperation with EU institutions. Lithuania will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half-year in 2013.