President wishes Lithuanians all best
Lithuania-visiting Polish President Bronisław Komorowski Thursday wished Lithuanians all the best and a life in safety. Komorowski is in Lithuania for ceremonies marking the country's Independence Day.
"On this day of national resurrection I wish all citizens of independent Lithuania that this sky, so beautiful today, remains for ever safe and friendly, for everyone under it, including Poles who are citizens of free Lithuania, to feel secure and well", Komorowski said in front of the Presidential Palace in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
Referring to both countries' historical ties Komorowski reminded that Lithuania and Poland first regained independence in 1918 but discord over borders resulted in "differences which painfully conflicted our peoples". He also noted that World War Two and the ensuing years under communism "put an end to that independence".
President Komorowski stressed, however, that Lithuania and Poland regained their freedom again in 1990 and 1989, and this time "together and not against each other". In this context Komorowski especially mentioned both countries' membership in NATO and the EU.
"Today I look with pride upon the sky over Vilnius, a sky guarded under a military mission which also includes Polish pilots and aircraft", Komorowski declared.
After the ceremony Komorowski attended a holy mass in the Vilnius cathedral.
"Good relations with Lithuania and cooperation improving climate around Poles living in that country are conducive to the improvement of the situation of Polish minority", President Bronislaw Komorowski said later on that day.
After meeting his Lithuanian counterpart Dalia Grybauskaite the Polish president said he was convinced there are several important areas in Polish-Lithuanian relations which are worth to be invested in, like, for instance the security policy. As an example the Polish president cited the participation of Polish air forces in NATO Air Policing operation.
"Another field worth investing in the political sense of the word is energy security", the president added. He announced the establishment of gas connections between Poland and Lithuania and more effective electricity connections.(PAP)