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On 20 October at the Seimas (Parliament) of the Republic of Lithuania, Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas welcomed the participants of the international conference ‘Historical Significance and Relevance of the Pledge of Lithuania and Poland’.

‘I am glad that today we nicely continue to mark the Constitution of May 3rd by remembering a part of this historical document – the mutual pledge of both nations that strengthened a peaceful and partnership-based cohabitation of Lithuania and Poland in Europe, torn by contradictions,’ said Minister P.Vaitiekūnas.

According to the Minister, looking at the changeable history of Lithuania and Poland we can clearly see that the main idea unifying our countries and nations has always been the tradition of a commonwealth (a union). On the ground of this idea, Lithuania and Poland established the Most Serene Republic (Commonwealth) of Both Nations, a unique commonwealth of the two peoples.

‘This Commonwealth was dominated by the spirit of democracy, tolerance and peaceful cohabitation of various nations that spread outside  the boundaries of the country far, and the Constitution of May 3rd became a bright expression of a progressive thought in the then Europe,’ the Foreign Minister remarked.

Minister stressed that the Constitution of May 3rd and the mutual pledge impacted the political and legal development of European countries. These documents laid the foundation for modern Lithuania and Poland, and became a strong backbone for the re-establishment of democracy in both countries.

‘The Constitution of May 3rd along with the pledge of both nations became a second Constitution in the world, which delineated guidelines for the establishment of a modern civil democratic state. Unfortunately, the international environment of that time allowed our peoples to make use of this document only for a brief period of time, however, the basic principles of the Constitution and its spirit continue to exist to this today,’ said P.Vaitiekūnas.

Lithuania’s and Poland’s membership in the European Union consistently continued the tradition of the commonwealth of the countries. Today Lithuania and Poland are not just neighbors, but also strategic partners.  In the words of Minister P.Vaitiekūnas, remembering about our common state we also realize our joint responsibility for the future of Belarus, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries. Lithuania and Poland are among the most active and constructive makers of the EU’s policy regarding the neighbourhood in the East.

‘Europe does not restrain itself just within the Schengen boundaries. Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia are an inseparable part of the European civilisation. We have to encourage these countries in every way to draw nearer to the values that were being created for hundreds of years by the nations of our continent, including the Lithuanians and the Poles,’ indicated P.Vaitiekūnas.

The conference is organized by the Seimas (Parliament) of the Republic of Lithuania, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chancellery Office of the President. Members of the Seimas, historians, and descendents of the members of the Great Seimas (also known as the Four-Year Seimas) from Poland and Belgium, foreign diplomats residing in Lithuania, media representatives and others are taking part in the conference.