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Most recently, E. Bagdon (57) served as Lithuanian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The diplomat arrived in the country a few months after the embassy in Israel, whose doctors helped him fight cancer for years.
When someone asked about E. Bagdon’s health, the ambassador, with his characteristic humor, replied that he would be completely overwhelmed because he had received a blood transfusion from an Israeli soldier, when he had blood cancer seven years ago.
And the diplomat fought. Without complaining or revealing unexpected health problems.
He tried to always look flawless, and if the ailments were betrayed by a change in appearance, he knew how to berate him diplomatically, even though another cancer had attacked him at the time.
But in February this year, when he could no longer suffer the pain, he was repatriated from the United Arab Emirates to Lithuania on a special medical plane and finished his diplomatic career in Vilnius.
Where it started
Communicated with the baker’s family
While working in Israel, E. Bagdon was able to establish almost family relationships with a large Jewish community of Lithuanian origin. And at the home of Sofia and Regimantas Kijauskas in Netanya, he was a frequent guest.
For many years, Regimantas has been the only one in Israel to bake Lithuanian branches, with which the diplomat liked to treat both the embassy and the guests at his events.
“Once before February 16, the ambassador asked to bake maybe ten branches. At that time, a close friend of Jonas Degutis came to visit us from Lithuania.
We also quickly store it in our kitchen and bake it at the same time. And that branching ritual in our house was special to John because it was in his sixties.
When we went to the celebration on February 16, I thought I should tell E. Bagdon. I saw that I had to salute both the parliament and the government, but after taking a second off, I approached him and told him that this day was extraordinary for our family friend.
The ambassador greeted John and spoke with him for a long time. It seemed to him that the common man was much more important than the welcome headlines.
Then I said to E. Bagdon: a good diplomat, like a good musician, needs to have an absolute audience. And I really had to do it, ”recalls S. Kijauskienė.
Insights – clairvoyant
The deceased was an excellent expert in diplomatic protocol. Just a virtuoso. President Adamkus was convinced of this during his first term, as E. Bagdon was the head of the Department of Diplomatic Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time.
Therefore, when V. Adamkus won the election for head of state for the second time in 2004, he chose E. Bagdon as head of the group of foreign policy advisers.
Although he was already an ambassador to Italy at the time, he responded to the president’s invitation and returned to Vilnius to work on his team.
“We worked with Edmin in the presidency for two extremely intense and creative years.
From the first days of his work, he emphasized the need to reestablish relations with Poland as soon as possible. He was well aware of the need to find common ground with the then Polish Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, because his position on national affairs was radical.
And Edmin’s ideas were almost clear at the time: the reestablishment of relations with Warsaw was very helpful, as the Orange Revolution soon began in Ukraine, during which Adamkus and Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski joined forces.
When we worked with Edmin in the Presidency, he had given everyone in his group a lot of freedom and even more confidence. I appreciate the people who worked responsibly.
Unfortunately, we have to talk about both Edmin and Walter Baliukonis, who worked with us at the same time. There is no other of our colleague Renatas Juška, ”current Lithuanian Temporary Representative of the European Union Simonas Šatūnas told Lietuvos Rytas.
Not even severe trauma was avoided
Egidijus Meilūnas, who recently joined the Deputy Foreign Minister, as well as E. Bagdon, is also one of those who joined the ranks of diplomats after the restoration of independence.
“Edmin was a capitalist. When I learned that he was gone, I remembered our joint work during the first term of President Adamkus and the statement of US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy:” One should ask, not what can the state give, but what can give you to the state. “
These words describe Edmin and all his diplomatic work one hundred percent. He felt obliged to defend the interests of Lithuania in any situation.
This is demonstrated by the history of the visit of the President of Iceland, Olaf Regnar Grimsson, to Lithuania. Iceland was the first to recognize the independence of Lithuania, so everything had to be organized at the highest level.
But it happened that on the eve of the visit, while playing basketball, Edmin suffered a serious injury and ended up in hospital.
I couldn’t believe it with my own eyes when I saw Edmin at the high guest acceptance ceremony. He asked the doctors for strong painkillers and went to work, ”recalls E. Meilūnas.
According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, E. Bagdon remained the same until the last day of his life: They avoided talking about his illness and his problems. And his energy seemed inexhaustible.
He never showed fatigue, although he often fell asleep through the night. “
He was a developer, not a wrecker.
The former head of the State Food and Veterinary Service Jonas Milius and E. Bagdon were neighbors for about fifteen years; they communicated closely.
“More than once, for the benefit of Lithuanian food producers, we have established useful contacts together while working as ambassadors to Belarus and Israel.
His ability to communicate with foreign governments, fellow diplomats could be an example to many. What I liked the most was its specificity and efficiency.
He solved the problems immediately, without long deliberations, without saying much.
During Edmin’s work as ambassador to Israel, the export of Lithuanian products to this country intensified significantly, although its market is quite closed, “said Milius.
If only he were in Lithuania, E. Bagdon always enthusiastically participated in his neighbors’ meetings in Turniškės, he was the lifeblood of the company.
“He worked very hard at home, constantly turning in the kitchen, planting various plants near the cabin. Edmin was a creator, not a demolition.
In my head, the most beautiful and important job of his life is family. He took extraordinary care of his wife, daughter, son and two grandchildren ”, recalled J. Milius.
I didn’t have time to spend the night
Rytis Muraška, a long-time official in the Department of State Security, is related not only to the joint work in President Adamkus’ team during the second term, but also to the neighborhood.
“Once upon a time, Edmin suddenly appeared at the door with a bottle of good wine and said, ‘I came smelling a scent.’ He loved the barbecues he baked.
The last time I spoke to him was a week and a half ago. Then he admitted that he wanted to get closer to the guests, smell the traditional smell of shashliks, collect onion leaves that grow under the windows, smoke, drink a glass of good wine.
I promised him that as soon as he got home, I would bake barbecues right away. But we will no longer have dinner.
Edmin loved life very much. It was as if he had taken it with both handfuls, but had not given it to the others.
This has been demonstrated both by our joint work in the Presidency and in your diplomatic service. He didn’t jump straight into any job. He worked especially hard and with enthusiasm in Israel.
I am now reading your donated book, A Biography of Jerusalem. He has told me that if I want to understand Israel, I must read this book, ”Muraška shared with his memories.
The dream was unfulfilled
As close friends of E. Bagdon recall, he had a secret dream, which he could not achieve in a hurry. The diplomat kept saying that he wanted to buy a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
When he celebrated his 50th birthday, his friends were willing to throw money away and give that gift, but his wife, Julia, resisted: “Motorcyclists don’t live long.”
Communicated as with friends
There is an unwritten rule that journalists cannot have friends among officials, politicians or officials. However, E. Bagdon had broken this rule.
The journalists interacted with him as if he were a good friend.
“E. Bagdon was a friend and an exemplary statesman.
I met him for the first time after the events of January 13, 1991. We were expelled by Soviet soldiers from the LRT. He had to constantly prepare information for the radio about the work of the Seimas.
I got an impromptu job at the Parliamentary Inter-Parliamentary Relations Office, which hosted me, where Edmin also worked.
They were overcrowded there, there was a lot of work and phone lines, typewriters and faxes were missing, but Edmin shared all of this with me and other journalists, ”said Audrius Matonis, a longtime former journalist.
Rita Grumadaitė, another experienced journalist who had worked in the field of public relations for many years, recalled that E. Bagdon, who was gifted with a great sense of humor, knew how to electrify heated situations: “He is one of those people who lived with a smile, not just in photos.
He also spoke with a smile about his illness when he returned to Vilnius for work last fall. It is as if it were a small problem but it is solved. “
In Vilnius, E. Bagdon spent three months in a clinic, whose staff managed to alleviate his pain.
By the middle of last week, she had recovered for a couple of days, chatting with her loved ones, but slipped into a coma over the weekend and woke up.
It feels like a lost relative
“We have lost a very creative, noble and honest person.
We don’t really have many such experienced Lithuanian diplomats and patriots.
I am surviving very deeply due to the loss of Edmin. He worked with me during his first and second terms as president.
I considered him not only one of my best advisers, but also a close friend.
At the same time, we have traveled almost all over the world and have done a lot of useful work for our homeland.
I sincerely sympathize with Edmin’s wife Julia, their daughter Rūta and their son Martynas, “said President Adamkus, admitting that E. Bagdon’s death was the loss of a family member.
