Lithuania supports of the Estonian government in its decision to remove the Soviet Bronze Soldier monument from the center of Tallinn, President Valdas Adamkus said. The president's press service reported that Adamkus believes that the movement of the remains of World War II soldiers was conducted according to international legal standards and with due respect.
Adamkus on April 28 visited the Vatican, where he met Pope Benedict XVI. This was Adamkus' first meeting with the pontiff since taking office. After the meeting the president's office said that Adamkus and the Pope discussed Lithuania's relations with Russia and the future EU Constitution. Benedict XVI also promised his assistance in the attempts to preserve the Lithuanian Gate of Dawn church in New York.
Japan's Emperor Akihito, along with his with wife Michiko, will visit Lithuania for the first time, marking a new chapter in Lithuanian-Japanese relations. The emperor's visit is scheduled for May 26 - 27, the office of the Lithuanian president said. Emperor Akihito and his wife are to meet President Adamkus, they will visit a monument to Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara and will attend an international folk music festival.
Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament Viktoras Muntianas is to officially request that President Valdas Adamkus give a posthumous award to Boris Yeltsin, Russia's first president, who died on April 23. Muntianas in his statement stressed that Yeltsin played a significant role in strengthening Lithuanian-Russian ties and addressing the complicated issues of withdrawal of Russian troops from Lithuania and fixing the borders between the two countries.
