Baltic News Service reported April 14, 2015, that members of the delegation from a European Jewish cemeteries committee said they have no complaints over Lithuanian Government plans to refurbish the former Palace of Sports building complex located upon an old Jewish cemetery.

After the meeting Rabbi Hershel Gluck said: “This is an important day for the Lithuanian Jewish Community and for relations with Lithuanian state representatives and the Lithuanian people.”

He told reporters further that “this shows we can work together in a way beneficial to all sides. This is a new chapter in cooperation between the Jewish community and the Lithuanian Government. I want to express gratitude for these very positive steps.” 

The rabbi said the committee he represents has no great demands but merely aspires to protect gravesites.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius noted the atmosphere of good will after the meeting, BNS reported. “I really expected more complicated discussions, but there was an unusually good and constructive discussion, the good will was obvious over the need to put that location in order,” he said.

The Lithuanian PM said negotiations to acquire the site would begin the next week.

Lithuanian Jewish Community chair Faina Kukliansky, a participant in the discussions, said: “The Government’s plans satisfy our expectations as residents of Vilnius and as the Jewish community.” She added the Community and the Government were talking about a memorial to the Jews buried in the former cemetery there as well.

“We would be very grateful if that location, which is used for strolling, featured a memorial to commemorate the people buried there, especially since this was where the famous Gaon, whose successors you see here, was buried,” Kukliansky noted.