Capital of Culture meeting canceled

VILNIUS - The meeting of representatives of cities that were European Capitals of Culture in past years has been canceled. The meeting was scheduled to take place in Vilnius later in March, organizers of the ECC program in the Austrian city Linz said.

Linz is the European Capital of Culture together with Lithuania's Vilnius in 2009.

According to the press release, the informal meeting was called off due to the Lithuanian administration's decision to remove the head of Vilnius's European Capital of Culture 2009, Elona Bajoriniene.

"On behalf of European Capitals of Culture, we regret the decision of the Lithuanian administration to cut the VECC budget by 40 percent and remove Elona Bajoriniene from the position of VECC director," said the press release.

Authors of the press release said they could understand the enormity of the situation caused by the global financial crisis, at the same time expressing certitude that the Lithuanian government's moves would affect the image of Vilnius and Lithuania in Europe, as well as the concept of ECC.

Among signatories of the press release are representatives of former and future ECC.

Bajoriniene was discharged from the ECC post at a meeting of ECC partners - the Culture Ministry and the Vilnius municipality - on Feb. 21.

VECC budget for 2009 was slashed from 40 million litas (EUR 11.6 mln) to 25 million litas.

A letter of regret was also received from the European Commission in early January.

Vilnius is the first capital in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states to receive the prestigious status of the European Capital of Culture.