Lithuanian prime minister Saulius Skvernelis and Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu took part in a commemoration of Holocaust victims and an awards ceremony for Righteous Gentiles at the Ponar Memorial Complex.

“This is the place where pain, endless sorrow and helplessness permeate our thoughts and feelings. This is the place of perpetual silence and a lost future. Looking in each others’ eyes, we witness the tragedy and bow our heads before the people of Lithuania who became victims of the Holocaust, victims of occupying totalitarian regimes and an aggression against humanity of unprecedented scope,” the Lithuanian prime minister said.

The Lithuanian PM said the Holocaust is among the most painful and horrible tragedies in the history of Lithuania. Here a large part of Lithuania, including its citizens, was destroyed; people were deprived of the opportunity to say their last good-bye to their close relatives. Thus, with the victims of Ponar in our minds, we commit ourselves to those who died and were martyred here. We pledge to do everything that needs to be done to avoid this ever being repeated in the future and to prevent any threat to humanity and the right to life.

Skvernelis emphasized we also honor the heroes, those citizens of Lithuania to whom human life was and will continue to be the greatest value. He referred to the Righteous among the Nations who risked their lives and the lives of their close relatives when exerting all efforts to save the lives of their neighbors, friends and strangers condemned to death. They are an example of humanity, a sense of community and of responsibility.

Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu awarded the family of Domas and Marijona Viščiai who heroically rescued the condemned the medal of the Righteous among the Nations. This was not the only story of sacrifice by the people of Lithuania.

“I believe that we have learnt the lessons of history. Our duty is to make the world aware of the pain of the victims, to prevent the hiding of the truth and to insure that we do not turn our backs on the facts of history no matter how painful they are. I firmly believe that we, Lithuanians and Jews, will do everything we can to protect the common values of humankind, preserve the heritage of Litvaks and raise a younger generation in the spirit of humanity,” Saulius Skvernelis said.

Full text here.