VILNIUS, Lithuania -- NATO troops deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve visited the Seimas Palace, June 3, 2016, where they met with former members of the parliament and toured Lithuania's parliament halls and the Barricades Memorial, a symbol of the country's fight for independence.
Soldiers from Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, Lithuania and the U.S. attended the event, which celebrated the nation's independence from the Soviet Union and memorial to the lives of the 14 unarmed demonstrators killed by Russian troops on January 13, 1991.
Gediminas Kirkilas, former Prime Minister of Lithuania, told the Soldiers that their presence in Lithuania strengthened their democracy.
"You are here, you are together with us, and we are working and strengthening our people," he said. "Thank you and welcome to Lithuania."
Hosting the event was Andrius Mazuronis, a Committee on National Security and Defense member, who started the discussion by telling the troops the importance of them being in Lithuania.
"When you help us, you help us take care of our security," he said. "Trust me, I reassure you it is not just important for us as politicians, but for our society and our people who live in Lithuania."
During the visit, a number of former parliament members spoke to the NATO Soldiers, thanking them for their presence while explaining the history of Lithuania's struggle for independence from the Soviet Union.
Rasa Juknevi�ien�, a former Minister of Defense, recounted to when she began her duties in parliament as a member of the Council of the Lithuanian Reform Movement, and how she considered the room they were in to be a place she held dearly.
"I had the opportunity to vote for Lithuanian independence in 1990. It was a day which changed our lives," she said. "That's why these walls look like a second birth place to me because it changed the lives of many, many people of my generation."
Juknevi�ien� went on to describe her family's experience during the time when Lithuania was still occupied by the Soviet Union.
"I was born in occupied Lithuania to a family that had many deportations,"Juknevi�ien� said. "My mother was deported to Serbia in 1941 when she was nine years old, so imagine how important the restoration of independence was for my family and families like [mine]."
For the visiting Soldiers, the visit was an opportunity to learn more about the history of Lithuania and meet some of their NATO allies.
"We didn't know what to expect when we got here as we just thought we were going to come and work with Lithuanian Soldiers," said Cpt. Sean McCune, commander of Ghost Troop, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment. "But as you can see, there are other NATO friends here too."
McCune went on to say that he and his troops have received a warm welcome from citizens throughout Lithuania.
After the discussion, the NATO allies were given a tour of the Seimas Palace to include the memorial for the 14 protesters who died during the Soviet attack of January 13, 1991. The memorial was erected using the barricades that surrounded Lithuania's Parliament from 1991-1992.
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