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Chairman of the United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad will Visit Lithuania October 13 – 16

October 11, 2002

October 13-16, 2002 -- Vilnius, Lithuania. Mr. Warren Miller, the Chairman of the United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad will visit Lithuania from October 13 – 16.

On Tuesday, October 15th, Mr. Miller will sign an agreement with Minister of Culture Roma Dovydeniene. The agreement addresses Lithuania and the United States’ mutual need to protect and preserve their mutual cultural heritage. In particular, the agreement concentrates on the preservation of Jewish, Roma, and Old Believer cemeteries, places of worship, monuments, and documentary materials. Under this agreement, the U.S. and Lithuania will cooperate to identify vulnerable cultural sites and will work to endeavor to protect these sites.

To facilitate this, a Joint Cultural Heritage Commission, which will oversee these efforts and resolve any issues that may arise, will be created.

Also on his visit, Mr. Miller will meet with President Adamkus, the Director of the International Commission for the Evaluation of Crimes of Nazi and Soviet Occupational Regimes, Mr. Ronaldas Racinskas, and representatives from Vilnius University and the Ministry of Culture.