Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania
Officer Šenavičius, who died ten years ago in an EU mission, honoured in Brussels
On 19 September, at a memorial ceremony at the European External Action Service (EEAS) headquarters in Brussels, the Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the European Union Arnoldas Pranckevičius, and the Head of the EU Civilian Operations Stefano Tomat, paid tribute to Audrius Šenavičius, who was killed in the EULEX mission in Kosovo ten years ago.
The memorial stone at the EEAS headquarters, dedicated to all fallen EU mission officials, reminds us that upholding and defending Europe's ideals can come at the greatest possible cost and sacrifice.
"Audrius Šenavičius' service in the EULEX mission in Kosovo required the ultimate sacrifice: his life. I believe that for many of us, his duty, his service and his sacrifice are also a reminder of the importance of the kind of missions the EU carries out worldwide. People like Audrius serve above themselves. They serve justice and the values that the EU stands for - democracy, the rule of law and human rights," Ambassador Pranckevičius said during the ceremony.
On 19 September 2013, EULEX (EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo) officers were attacked while on duty on Kosovo's northern border with Serbia, near Zvecan. The officers had just finished their shift and were on their way home. Šenavičius (35 years old), a Lithuanian customs officer, was fatally injured in the attack. He joined the Klaipėda Territorial Customs Service in 2000 after studying at Klaipėda University. Šenavičius had served in EULEX in Kosovo since August 2012, was married, and his sons were orphaned.
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