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Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis congratulated Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radosław Sikorski on the occasion of the 220th anniversary of the establishment of the first Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The famous Constitution of the 3rd of May was adopted in the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that impressed the then intellectuals from all over the world with its progressive ideas.

On the occasion of this anniversary, the discussion “The Diplomatic Tradition of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Context of Modern Diplomacy” will be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 16 June. The discussion will be attended by historians, political scientists, diplomats and public figures from Lithuania, Poland, Belarus and Ukraine.

A.Ažubalis’s letter to R.Sikorski reads: “On June 19, 1791 the first Foreign Ministry of the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth was established on the basis of the May 3rd Constitution. Today we remember Joachim Litawor Chreptowicz – the first Foreign Minister and the last Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, whose first task was to follow European reactions to the events after the publication of the Constitution”.

According to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, the diplomatic service that was formally created 220 years ago with some reservations could be called the first modern Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the history of Lithuania and Poland, and there was a very complex agenda ahead of it.

Although the end of the 18th century was tragic for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, however, according to A.Ažubalis, it was an invaluable historical experience and even today it remains a valuable political lesson for foreign policy.

In the letter to R.Sikorski, head of the Lithuanian diplomacy writes that he believes that such bright moments of our history, as this anniversary, will continue to be an inexhaustible source for the future cooperation between Lithuania and Poland.

“Being proud of Lithuanian – Polish historical experience, we have to be proud of our shared historical links,” A.Ažubalis says.

This year, Lithuania and Poland also commemorated the 220th anniversary of the Constitution of May 3rd that was adopted on 3 May 1791 and was the first one in Europe.