News

On 3 October, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis and his Polish Counterpart Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz discussed the topical bilateral and international issues. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Chair of the US Center for Strategic and International Studies, who participated at the International Conference in Warsaw, and Jan Nowak–Jezioranski, a famous figure of Polish exile, granted with the Lithuanian citizenship, active supporter of Lithuania’s striving to become a NATO member, joined the ministers during the official breakfast. The participants of the conversation discussed preparation for the EU Intergovernmental Conference on the draft EU Constitutional Treaty and underlined the necessity to adjust the countries’ positions in order to achieve the best results. The officials also exchanged opinions about the possible input of the newly acceding states, namely Lithuania and Poland, into the present transatlantic cooperation. Minister Valionis was also received by Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski. They exchanged opinions on the topical issues, which would be discussed at the Intergovernmental Conference, and the future cooperation in ensuring representation of the common interests in the EU institutions. President Kwasniewski and the Lithuanian Foreign Minister also discussed the upcoming tenth anniversary of the Lithuanian-Polish Treaty on Friendly Relations and Good Neighbourly Cooperation to be marked in April 2004. During the conversation, the officials discussed political and cultural events that might mark this significant period of bilateral relations. The Polish President expressed his determination to come on an official visit to Lithuania on the occasion. “This date is a good opportunity to acquaint the other EU member states with the rich cultural heritage of Lithuania and Poland, which reflects the common European values,” Minister Valionis underlined. During the discussions on the topical bilateral issues, the officials underscored that it was necessary to assimilate as quickly and efficiently as possible the EU support to the infrastructure projects and finally solve the old issue of queues at the Lithuanian-Polish border. The same day, at the invitation of President Kwasniewski, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister participated in the ratification ceremony of the NATO protocols and the International Conference Strategic Issues in the New Central and Eastern Europe.