News

The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) welcomes the activities of the group of Polish and Lithuanian education experts, which was established at the decision of the Polish and Lithuanian Prime Ministers on 4 September, and which held its last meeting on 25 November in Trakai.

MFA believes that the five meetings of Polish and Lithuanian education experts, which were held over the past three months, showed that it was a correct decision to establish such a bilateral working group. After a four-year break, experts are exchanging information and jointly discussing the current situation, existing and potential problems.

The activity of this working group highlighted the fact that the issues of minority education were not an interstate problem of bilateral relations, but an issue of a qualitative dialogue with our own citizens in each country.

The work of Lithuanian and Polish education experts revealed an existing problem concerning the financing of Lithuanian schools in Poland. Accordingly, wishing to keep these schools working in 2012, the Government of Lithuania allocated the necessary financing, although it might seem that this should be a concern of the Government of Poland.

MFA believes that the working group of education experts has shown the necessity of a more intensive and better dialogue with Lithuanian citizens of Polish background on the implementation of the Law on Education. This task will be consistently implemented in Lithuania. Therefore, MFA welcomes the establishment in the near future of a ​​permanent working group, consisting of representatives from the Lithuanian Ministry of Education and Science. The working group and representatives from ethnic minorities will discuss important issues raised by ethnic minorities.

Support to Lithuanian organizations and educational institutions abroad, including Lithuanian educational institutions in Poland, is regulated by the Decree of the Government of Lithuania of 4 July 1997 “Regarding the programme of provision of support to cultural and educational activities of Lithuanian communities abroad in 1998-2003”. The programme continued to be carried out also after 2003, when the financial support was significantly increased.