Emmanuel ZINGERIS

In April 1990 Emmanuel became the first Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs (till November 1993). In the next Parliament (1996�2000) he will become Chairman of the Committee on Human and Civil Rights. This means that as a political figure he faced several Governments, i.e. the Government of the left-winger Kazimiera Prunskiene, the right-wingers Gediminas Vagnorius and Aleksandras Abisala, the industrialist Bronislovas Lubys, the left-winger Adolfas Slezevicius, the right-winger Gediminas Vagnorius again, the right-winger Andrius Kubilius.

Member of the Parliament, 1997        Emmanuel successfully used his high-level international contacts  1) to contribute to the creation of the civil society in Lithuania, 2) to strengthen the understanding that the remembrance of the perished 200000 Jewish citizens of Lithuania is important for the creation of this society. After having formally retreated from the policy in 2000, he kept inviting to Lithuania prominent politicians to participate in events, which he succeeded to initiate. The Leadership of the Republic of Lithuania always participated in these events too.         Today Emmanuel is known in the West no less than at home.

E. Zingeris and U.S. Under-Secretary of State Stuart Eizenstat

E. Zingeris with Speaker of Knesset Shevakh Weiss

As the first Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Emmanuel contributed to forming modern diplomatic corps of the Republic of Lithuania. His influence on on the integration process is also obvious.