German chancellor's office contacted over 1918 independence act - Lithuanian president

VILNIUS - Lithuanian officials have contacted German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office over an original copy of Lithuania's Act of Independence of 1918 that has been found in Berlin and are looking at how and when the document could be returned to Lithuania, President Dalia Grybauskaite said on Thursday.

"We have already contacted Merkel's office and have started exploring possibilities as to how and when this document could be returned to Lithuania," she told reporters.

Lithuanian diplomats on Thursday are trying to find out what legal status an original copy of Lithuania's Act of Independence of 1918 found in Germany's archives has and are looking at possibilities for asking Berlin to return the document.

Lithuania's ambassador to Berlin, Deividas Matulionis, is visiting the German Foreign Ministry's archives.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said on Thursday that he saw no reasons why the document could not be returned to Lithuania.

"Steps are now being made via diplomatic channels. Certainly, we will watch the situation and when an action or a decision from the government is needed, it will be taken," he told reporters.

Liudas Mazylis, a professor at Vytautas Magnus University, found the document, whose whereabouts had been long unknown, on Wednesday.