Feb. 23rd, 2017, the President of the Council of Europe's Venice Commission Prof. Gianni Buquicchio was awarded an honorary Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) degree. MRU Senate Chairman Prof. Gintaras Aleknonis presided over the ceremony along with MRU Rector Assoc. Prof. Algirdas Monkevičius. Prof. Buquicchio was introduced by MRU Law Faculty Prof. Gediminas Mesonis calling him a diplomat "of the highest caliber." The MRU Senate voted to award an honorary degree to Prof. Buquicchio recognising him for his merits fostering constitutional values, for his significant contribution to the development of the Rule of Law in the European Union and other continents, and for his efforts to develop international university cooperation. The MRU String Quartet performed during the ceremony. Buquicchio joined the Council of Europe in 1971. During his career (1971-2009), he was responsible for a number of intergovernmental committees dealing with administrative law, international law, free movement of persons and data protection. He contributed to the harmonisation of European law by preparing a large number of international treaties and recommendations. In addition, he was also responsible for the Conferences of European Ministers of Justice and for the Legal Advisor and Treaty Office of the Council of Europe. Prof. Buquicchio contributed to the successful establishment (1990) and the development of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) by ensuring the conception and follow-up of projects concerning constitutional reforms and the setting up of democratic institutions within Europe and beyond. At the end of 2009, he retired from the Council of Europe and was elected President of the Venice Commission. He was re-elected President in 2011, 2013 and 2015. He was awarded a Doctor of Law cum laude at Bari University in 1968. He lectured at this University in international public law until 1971.