The Lithuania pavilion marked the northern European country's national day at Expo 2020 Dubai. All photos Khushnum Bhandari / The National
The Lithuania pavilion marked the northern European country's national day at Expo 2020 Dubai. All photos Khushnum Bhandari / The National
The pavilion celebrates the country's modern achievements together with its traditions and natural landscapes.
The pavilion celebrates the country's modern achievements together with its traditions and natural landscapes.
Among traditional fare on display is Lithuania's "liquid gold" – its raw honey.
Among traditional fare on display is Lithuania's "liquid gold" – its raw honey.
Austeja Brasiunaite, head of events and communications at the pavilion, wants visitors 'to have a good time and come away wanting to know a little bit more about Lithuania'.
Austeja Brasiunaite, head of events and communications at the pavilion, wants visitors 'to have a good time and come away wanting to know a little bit more about Lithuania'.
The Baltic country's natural landscapes feature prominently in the pavilion, leading to it being nicknamed an 'openairium'.
The Baltic country's natural landscapes feature prominently in the pavilion, leading to it being nicknamed an 'openairium'.
For national day, the pavilion aimed to provide a home-from-home party atmosphere for the estimated 1,000-strong Lithuanian community in the UAE.
For national day, the pavilion aimed to provide a home-from-home party atmosphere for the estimated 1,000-strong Lithuanian community in the UAE.
The Lithuanian pavilion aims to illustrate how the country blends modern technologies with natural resources.
The Lithuanian pavilion aims to illustrate how the country blends modern technologies with natural resources.

Expo 2020

Expo 2020 is a sea of yellow, green and red on Lithuania's national day

Live concerts bookend day of celebration for northern European nation

Patrick Ryan
Patrick Ryan

October 22, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

There was a Lithuanian flavour to Expo 2020 Dubai on Friday as the country celebrated its national day.

Visitors to the world fair on Friday were handed the northern European country's yellow, green and red flags, while Lithuanian musicians performed at the Al Wasl stage.

To provide a home-from-home atmosphere for the estimated 1,000-strong Lithuanian community in the UAE, the country’s pavilion was in party mode.

The evening was scheduled to be wrapped up with the acclaimed Vilnius City Opera band playing on the Jubilee Stage.

It’s designed to show how Lithuania merges traditions with modern values
Austeja Brasiunaite,
Lithuania pavilion

“We wanted everybody to feel the vibe of Lithuania today,” said Austeja Brasiunaite, head of events and communication at the Baltic country’s pavilion.

“That’s why we were giving out flags to everyone around the Expo site.

“We’re celebrating and we want everyone to celebrate with us.”

She said the performances and flags also served an important role in making visitors to the world’s fair interested in her country.

“We want people to have a good time and come away wanting to know a little bit more about Lithuania,” she said.

“The hope is that by the end of Expo more people will be aware of what we have to offer and come to visit our country or invest.”

The country’s pavilion – which has been nicknamed an “openairium” due to its greenery – is designed to allow visitors to discover “unseen Lithuania”, with an emphasis on the country's natural landscapes and rivers.

“It’s designed to show how Lithuania merges traditions with modern values,” Ms Brasiunaite said.

“It also symbolises how our country has a huge commitment to sustainability – when you come inside the pavilion you will be greeted by images of the greenery.

“The pavilion is built with completely sustainable materials and the displays show how we blend modern technologies with our natural resources.”

She said this dichotomy in the pavilion showed that while it was important to be at the forefront of technological advances, it was equally crucial to have a work-life balance.

“We are a really creative country that has a lot to offer but it’s also vital to have that greenery on show as there’s a need for us all to get away from the big cities and spend time in the natural world,” Ms Brasiunaite said.

“We hope that more and more companies will come to invest in Lithuania and that our companies find more connections here.”

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Updated: October 22, 2021, 1:27 PM`
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