• Created：2011-10-05
• Data Source：Bureau Of Consular Affairs
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No. 314 
October 4, 2011

At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), former President of the Republic of Lithuania Mr. Valdas Adamkus is scheduled to visit from October 4 to October 11, 2011, to attend the ROC centennial celebrations. 

Mr. Adamkus will have an audience with President Ma Ying-jeou and will call on President of the Legislative Yuan Wang Jin-Pyng, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy C.T. Yang, Minister of the Government Information Office Philip Y.M. Yang, Minister of the Environmental Protection Administration Shen Shu-hung, Director General of the Bureau of Energy Jerry J.R. Ou and Chairman of Taipower Edward K.M. Chen. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lyushun Shen will host a dinner in his honor. 

Besides giving a speech at the National Taipei University of Technology on environmental protection and democracy, Mr. Adamkus will also visit the National Palace Museum, the Industrial Technology Research Institute, the Taiwan Handicraft Promotion Centre, Taroko National Park and the east coast.

Mr. Adamkus was born in Lithuania in 1926. He fled with his family to the United States in 1944 to escape communist rule. In 1971, he joined the United States Environment Protection Agency （EPA）and served as administrator of EPA region five, from 1981 to 1997. In 1985, US President Ronald Reagan presented him with the President’s Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service for his contributions to the EPA. In 2003, Mr. Adamkus was named Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for his commitment to building knowledge-based societies and promoting cultural diversity.

Mr. Adamkus served as President of the Republic of Lithuania for 10 years, having been elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2004. He is a very influential figure in the Baltic region and international society as a whole, and is highly popular in Lithuania. 

Being in Taiwan will provide him with the opportunity to better understand recent developments in Taiwan in terms of politics, the economy, environmental protection and energy.（E）