Speaker of the Seimas: “Lithuanian-Polish relations hold great potential for growth”

Press release, 3 May 2017

Photos of the Office of the Seimas (author Plga Posaškova)

On 3 May 2017, the Seimas held a discussion as to how important for Europe was the 1791 Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Two Nations, the joint state of Lithuania and Poland. Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas, took part in the discussion and expressed the view that the relations between Lithuania and Poland held great potential for growth.  

The Speaker of the Seimas said that it was essential to promote unity and solidarity of the region in the face of emerging threats and challenges for the EU.  

“Lithuania’s and Poland’s engagement in closer cooperation over the recent months in addressing EU challenges illustrates how good bilateral relations can strengthen and complement national positions on shared objectives, such as regional and nuclear security,” Mr Pranckietis said. The Speaker of the Seimas took note that the meetings held with the Polish leadership in the recent days also bear witness to this: Poland supports Lithuania in addressing the issue of the Astravyets nuclear power plant and joins Lithuania’s Plan on Ukraine.

“Lithuania and Poland share a common understanding of emerging threats and challenges and the same vision of unity,” the Speaker of the Seimas stressed.   

The discussion titled May the 3rd: Importance of the Historic Affinity between Lithuania and Poland for Europe, which was devoted to mark the day of adoption of the first written constitution in Europe in 1791, was organised by the Seimas Provisional Group for 3 May and the Polish Discussion Club. On the occasion of this day, the Speaker of the Seimas paid a visit to Joachim Lelevel Engineering School in Vilnius.

As many as 226 years ago on 3 May 1791, the Seimas of the Commonwealth of the Two Nations, acting by majority, adopted a document which corresponds to a Constitution both in terms of form and content. Shortly after its adoption, the document, the genuine title of which reads Government Act, was named by contemporaries as the Constitution of 3 May after the date of its adoption. It was the first written constitution in Europe and the second in the world, after the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution of 3 May marked new efforts by the joint state of Lithuania and Poland to pursue reform and protect itself against destructive foreign threats.

Dalia Vencevičienė, Senior Adviser to the Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6016, mob. +370 698 42 071, e-mail: [email protected]