Speaker of the Seimas: “Lithuanian-Polish strategic partnership goes beyond bilateral relations”

Press release, 26 April 2024

According to Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, the Lithuanian-Polish Treaty on Friendly Relations and Good Neighbourly Cooperation, signed 30 years ago, is not only a symbol of firm ties between both countries but also a tribute to our common heritage. In addition, the Treaty serves as a guidance towards mutual harmony and strategic partnership in the future for the benefit of Lithuania, Poland, and the whole region.

‘Our strategic partnership goes beyond bilateral relations. We are the ones who bear the major responsibility of building a wider regional alliance, especially, in the light of the upcoming Polish EU Presidency next year and the Lithuanian Presidency in 2027,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

The Speaker of the Seimas is certain that the current strategic partnership between Lithuania and Poland would not be possible if it had not been for the Treaty signed in Vilnius on 26 April 1994, which marked a turning point for both nations. 
‘The path towards the Treaty was long and difficult. However, the efforts of our negotiators resulted in a phenomenon which is sometimes compared to the post-war Franco-German reconciliation,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

According to the Speaker of the Seimas, the Treaty de facto put an end to the period of historical disagreements and also opened the way for friendly relations and strategic cooperation. ‘I am convinced that the Treaty was our first step towards the Euro-Atlantic structures. In fact, this year marks the 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s membership in NATO, with Poland as our closest ally and partner, just as it was centuries ago,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

In the Speaker’s view, the current Lithuanian Parliament and the coalition Government have made a significant progress in implementing the provisions of the Treaty over the period of less than four years.

‘We adopted a law regulating the spelling of personal names and surnames as well as a law recognising the funding for the national minority media as a state priority. A few weeks ago, we opened a public consultation on the draft Law on National Minorities, which we worked hard and long on. This certainly does not mean that our relations are problem-free, but we are on the right track to addressing them,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

Ilona Petrovė, Spokesperson for Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370  5 209 6030, mob. +370 698 42071, e-mail: [email protected]