"Since the 14th century, cultural valuables were stolen and taken away from Lithuania and today they are part of exhibitions of the world's most expensive museums. The government should follow suit of other countries and try to recover valuables," the MP said in a statement on Thursday.
In his words, Germany returned seven painting taken from the Soviet Union in 2002. Estonia returned a fragment of an altarpiece by Albrecht Dürer, thought to be lost during the war, to Germany in 2004. And Russia returned 134 books from a reformist college to Hungary in 2006.
"Who's going to return valuables to Lithuania if we even do not ask them to be returned?" Masiulis demanded.
Lithuania's government adopted a resolution in 2003, stating that attempts would be made to collect information about Lithuania's cultural valuables abroad and attempts would be made to recover them.
But Masiulis says the government and the Ministry of Culture pay no attention to this issue and take no actions.
