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BiL With Poland, its great neighbour, Lithuania is bound by cultural, historical and economic links. This year, we commemorate the 600-year anniversary of Battle of Grunwald /Žalgiris/. What can you say about the today relations between Lithuania and Poland? Do we feel sentiments for the joint history and the spiritual kinship or the people? What joint events for commemoration of the important date are planned?

Let me start by stressing the fact that today Lithuania and Poland are the strategic partners. This strategic partnership is a good illustration of the level of cooperation between the two states. This is an extraordinary achievement if consider the painful and difficult interwar history of the bilateral relationship between Poland and Lithuania. However, both states managed to overcome historical past and establish excellent relationship.

It is not a secret that some of our common history facts were seen and evaluated differently. Due to that, we have witnessed a lot of unnecessary emotions from both sides. Nevertheless, I can present different examples in that area. Thus, the Constitution of 3rd May adopted in the year 1791 just quite recently was viewed in the negative light in Lithuania. Whereas the Lithuanian side used to stress that this Constitution was not favourable to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish side has focused the main attention to the Kingdom of Poland role in preparing the Constitution. However, according to well-known professor Alfredas Bumblauskas the Second Act of the Commonwealth of Both Nations of 20 of October of the same year which is integral part of the Constitution „taken from oblivion” has put everything in order. The rights of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania have been re-established by that document. We have to be proud that our ancestors have been authors of the first written Constitution in Europe and the second one in the world. I am very delighted that May 3rd and October 20th are proclaimed as the memorable days in the Republic of Lithuania.

This year, we will celebrate the 600 anniversary of Grunwald battle where joint Lithuanian and Polish forces achieved victory. One can name this victory as the largest demonstration of solidarity in Europe at that time. In order to commemorate that date, Lithuania and Poland have arranged a great number of events. The main celebration will take place on July 17 at Grunwald. Jointly prepared Lithuanian-Polish re-enactment of the battle will be performed on that day in Gruwald.

BiL Why, in your opinion, the volumes of import of Polish production to Lithuania exceed considerably the volumes of export of our production to Poland? According to the data from the Department of Statistics, export of production to Poland in the year 2009 amounted to almost 3 billion Litas and the imported production amounted to almost 4.5 billion Litas?

In order to compare let me say that in the year 2008 the export was 3.2 billion and import - 7.3 billion litas. Thus, the balance is better last year. However, the market of Poland is big one and this factor stimulates production and reduces the costs of productions. In order to enter the market of Poland, the serious preparations, evaluations and strategy are needed. In addition, the devaluation of national currency zloty also positively influenced the growth of export 2009. According to the market experts this fact is called “luck in the unluckiness” for the exporters. Thus, let me present the examples of the producers of the agricultural products in Poland. According to the Central Office of Statistics of Poland, the Polish producers in the year 2009 have exported one fifth more that in the year 2008. These payments were based on zloty. However, according to the payments in EURO, this export shows different picture – the fall of 2.2 percent.

Lithuania imports from Poland not only consumption goods but also the raw materials. Lithuania occupies the 20th place according the export to Poland. I am delighted that in the year 2009 the statistics comparing to the year 2008 has changed only slightly. This is a very good achievement because that year has been quite difficult for the Lithuanian exporters and producers. Such a statistics demonstrates the stability of trade relations.

BiL What Lithuanian business predominates in Poland among other kinds of business? Who are more abundant: representatives of small & medium-size business or representatives of large business? Can you specify the number of enterprises of Lithuanian capital in this neighbouring state?

Most probably I will not be mistaken by saying that the main investor is the industry of pharmacy. Up to now, the biggest investor is enterprise Jelfa which is the investment of Sanitas. However, the most popular are small and medium enterprises in the areas of food industry, timber industry, commerce. The Lithuanian enterprises have firmly established themselves in the road building area. Though, the Office of statistics does not have the exact numbers, we do believe that around 300 enterprises with the Lithuanian capital are acting in the Polish market.

BiL What niche of business, in your opinion, Lithuanian businessmen can pretend to?

The Polish market is a big one. However, at the same time it faces a lot of challenges. A big number of transport infrastructure projects are being implemented. There is a concrete goal, which is the football championship EURO2012. Poland needs to prepare highways, railways, stadiums to meet the requirements of that event. In the year 2010, the big projects related to the construction of hotels has started in Poland. Just to mention the few of these projects in that area - Marriott Renaissance in Warsaw, Poznan and Wroclaw; chain of Boutique in Krakow, Orbis will invest in Novotel at Lodz. There are plans to start construction of Sheraton hotel in Masuria region. The investment in that field is more that 800 million zloty. Another sector of great importance is energy. Poland has ambitious plans to restructure the energy sector, to become a country of nuclear energy by building nuclear power plants. In order to achieve these goals, specialists, experience are badly needed. In the year 2010, Poland plans to privatise around 300 of enterprises. Some of them will be sold in the public auction; others will be sold in the stock exchange. Thus, there are a lot of possibilities for the Lithuanian business as well.

I would like to encourage the Lithuanian enterprises acting in the areas of food processing and services to consider investment in Poland. Poland needs not only the certain Lithuanian products. Poland needs to be reminded about these products.

BiL At present, Lithuania and Poland have no regular communication by passenger trains with Latvia, Estonia and Finland. This gap could be filled by „Rail Baltica“ connecting Poland with Finland via three Baltic States. How this European project is assessed in Poland? Are there any obstacles for its implementation? What can you say about the run of implementation of the other international project – „Via Baltica“?

The Polish Ministry of infrastructure and transport has informed about the projects related to the railways development. According to the Government’s Plan of year 2008, Poland has to become a High-speed railways lines country. The working group deals with that issue. The main targets for building are the following: railway connections Warsaw-Lodz-Poznan-Wroclaw where the train speed is 350 km/h., and Warsaw-Katowice-Krakow where the speed is 200 km/h. Such a distribution of the high-speed railway junctions would ensure the internal and external connections. The beginning of works is foreseen for year 2014 and the end of the project is foreseen at years 2019-2020. Starting from year 2030, there will be further developments of the project for the connections with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany. Currently, the preparations works are being carried out. In the nearest future, there are plans to improve the railway speed up to 100 km/h in the number of areas of the Polish regions. However, the investments for the Rail Baltica until the year 2013 are not confirmed yet. This will depend from the EU financing and support of the projects.

The works related to the „Via Baltica“ in Poland will start in 2012 m. First of all, they will be conducted for the building road next to the city Augustow. As you know, due to the number of reasons earlier project via the Rospuda valley has been suspended by the non-governmental organizations. The new road will be built in another place. The Polish directorate of Roads is of opinion that until the year 2018 up to the Lithuanian border the new two ways each direction road will be built.

Both projects are of great importance to Lithuania. I believe that the EU in the context of the Baltic Sea region development will support these projects.

BiL How the Government of Poland assesses a possibility of cooperation with Lithuania in construction of a new nuclear power plant? Is a perspective of joint electric links real yet?

I can assure you that experts are exchanging the information on the regular basis. Lithuania as a host country for the building the new nuclear power plant faces a lot of issues in order to achieve the stage implementation. Up to now all states that have expressed the support for the new building of the new nuclear power plant are keeping that position. All heads of the institutions of Poland involved in the field of energy – be it the Office of the President, Commission of the Economy of the Parliament, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Economy – have confirmed that the participation of Poland in the building of the new nuclear power plant in Lithuania is a priority.  At the same time, this is an opportunity to acquire practical knowledge in implementing the nuclear energy programme.

The electric power bridge project between Poland and Lithuania or in the concrete terms between the Lithuanian city Alytus and the Polish city Elk is in the stage of implementation. The common enterprise of Lietuvos Energija and Polish PSE Operator called LITPOLink is currently conducting the works. Both states – Poland and Lithuania – have confirmed that the bridge should be operational in the year 2015. There plenty of work to do in order to implement that goal – study of impact to the environment, the choice of the line, and preparations for the infrastructure in both states.

BiL Lithuanians are relatively well informed about Poland; however, the knowledge of the Poles about our state is modest. How mass media of Poland describes events in Lithuania and are tourist cognitive trips to Lithuania popular in Poland (and how they are popularized)?

I fully agree with you that societies of Poland and Lithuania still do not know about each other. There are many reasons for that. However, the most important is that Poland and Lithuania have been in isolation from each other during the communist times. I am particularly glad that this is changing. Lithuania is getting more and more well-known in Poland. During the holidays, you can see a lot of tourists in Lithuania, especially in Vilnius, Druskininkai and the Lithuanian seaside.

The Polish mass media is giving a lot of objective coverage about Lithuania. However, occasionally, we are witnessing biased articles especially related to the issues of national minorities. As a result, the Embassy has to refer these cases to the editors in order to correct information about Lithuania. It seems to me that such a situation is related to the fact that currently the Polish mass media does not have its own correspondents in Lithuania. Though, there were 10 correspondents in Lithuania just 15 years ago. By the way, the same situation is in other side – there are no permanently based Lithuanian correspondents in Poland. One can assume that this is due to the fact that both Poland and Lithuania have joined EU and NATO. Thus, jokingly, of course, in terms of journalistic point of view countries have become less interesting to each other.

Overall the trend is very positive. Whereas 15 years ago around 50 articles per year used to appear in the Polish mass media about Lithuania; these days there are around 1000 of them each year. The point of view of the Polish society is also changing. Whereas in year 1993 only 21 percent of Poles viewed Lithuanians positively, and 42 percent – negatively, today according to the polls 45 percent of the Polish society have positive attitude towards Lithuanians and only 15 percent – negatively.

Please click here for the illustrated version of the interview with Lithuania's Ambassador to Poland Egidijus Meilūnas.