Former prime minister of Lithuania, long-time politician Gediminas Kirkilas, who passed away last week, is being laid to rest in Vilnius on Wednesday.
The news about the unexpected passing of Kirkilas, who headed the government in 2006–2008, came on Saturday. The social democratic politician died at home, he was 72.
On Tuesday, relatives, comrades, and heads of state gathered at the Ritualas funeral home in Vilnius to pay their final respects to Kirkilas. On Wednesday, the deceased will be laid to rest in Vilnius Antakalnis cemetery.
“He was an outstanding Lithuanian politician because, in his actions, he put greater value on the state, the person, and not some private organisation to which he himself belonged. With his deeds, he was very clearly part of the process of restoring our state,” former president Valdas Adamkus said at the funeral ceremony.
“We can be happy about his contribution and example for future generations,” he added.
Parliament Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, who also came to pay her respects to Kirkilas, said that she would remember the former prime minister as a very wise, benevolent, calm person, as a very insightful politician.
“A politician with whom it was always good to discuss and talk and who sincerely cared about state affairs and the future of the state. In fact, he will be greatly missed, he was one of the few people you could count on regardless of whether you were his colleague or opponent,” she said.
The urn with Kirkilas’ remains was escorted from the funeral home to the cemetery at around noon.
Further reading
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
