‘It is symbolic that the first Prime Minister level visit to Lithuania this year is paid by the Prime Minister of Poland, and it is taking place on the eve of the 230th anniversary of the Constitution of 3 May 1791’, the Prime Minister has stressed.
Prime Minister Šimonytė has thanked Prime Minister Morawiecki and the members of his Cabinet for their contribution to the dynamic strategic partnership of the two countries, which is strengthened by economic and infrastructure projects that provide concrete added value to the people of both countries. It has been agreed to hold a joint meeting of the Lithuanian and Polish Governments in Warsaw in the autumn and to set out guidelines for further cooperation.
The Heads of both Governments have agreed that the current geopolitical challenges require the closest possible cooperation between Lithuania and Poland in the field of security and defence.
The meeting has devoted particular attention to the pandemic, which remains a major challenge for the countries. It has been agreed on the need to accelerate vaccination and coordinate inter-state actions in the field of pandemic management to ensure a possibility for the residents of both countries to travel safely to Poland and Lithuania.
The issue of the unsafe Astravets Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has been discussed. It has been underlined that we are at a critical stage in the development of the Astravets NPP, so we must focus our efforts on preventing the electricity it produces from entering the markets of the EU Member States. The Prime Minister has thanked Poland for its strong support in this regard.
The Prime Ministers of Lithuania and Poland have also discussed the use of the EU Recovery Facility and relations with Ukraine and Belarus. Like Poland, Lithuania has consistently condemned Lukashenko regime’s repressions against the peaceful population and the Polish national minority. The importance of the principled and clear common voice of Lithuania and Poland in maintaining the support of the international community for the people of Belarus has been noted.
‘We must maintain unity because we are defending not only our own freedom and independence, but also the right of our neighbours, who are paying a high price for their struggle, to decide their own destiny,’ said the Prime Minister.
On economic cooperation, it has been noted that more and more small and medium-sized Lithuanian and Polish companies are discovering the markets of both countries. It has been emphasised that Polish business and investments are welcome in Lithuania.
The Prime Ministers have stressed the importance of ethnic communities living in Lithuania and Poland while seeking that they feel at home and are able to maintain their cultural identity.
