Lithuanian-Polish government meeting. “Coordination towards Russia is absolutely necessary”

Coordination between Poland and Lithuania, bilaterally and in broader formats, especially when it comes to current and possible future provocations from Russia, is absolutely necessary – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday after a meeting with the head of the Lithuanian government, Inga Ruginiene.

Tusk and Ruginiene met on Tuesday in Warsaw; The topics of their talks included security and defense cooperation in the region, as well as aid for Ukraine and migration policy. The situation of the Polish minority in Lithuania was also discussed.

At the beginning, Tusk said that he had received an invitation from the Lithuanian Prime Minister to the Poland-Lithuania match, which will be held in Kaunas on Sunday. He added that he also talked to Ruginiene about her son's promising football career. Tusk added that he told the Lithuanian Prime Minister that if he were as talented as her son, he would choose a career as a footballer, not a politician.

“We are the countries that are most vulnerable.”

Then, moving on to the relations between the two countries, the head of government emphasized that the Polish-Lithuanian friendship does not require any justification. – This is common history, these are common geopolitical interests, this is very good bilateral cooperation – said the head of the Polish government.

Tusk noted that when it comes to the issue of the war in Ukraine, he and the Prime Minister of Lithuania have common views, actions and initiatives. – Coordination between Poland and Lithuania, especially when it comes to current and possible future provocations from Russia, our coordination within NATO, bilaterally and in broader formats, is absolutely necessary. We are the countries that are most exposed to direct provocations from Russia, he said.

The Prime Minister emphasized that there is full mutual understanding on the issue of migration between Poland and Lithuania. He emphasized that he also appreciated cooperation with Lithuania in the field of border defense.

– We both understand very well that the task of Poland and Lithuania is to effectively counteract illegal migration organized by (Alyaksandr) Lukashenko and (Vladimir) Putin. We are aware of how serious this problem is and we are ready to cooperate on all measures, we will act in every possible direction to eliminate the threat of illegal migration, Tusk emphasized.

He assured that Poland and Lithuania had the same opinion on the war in Ukraine; he also drew attention to joint strategic projects implemented by Warsaw and Vilnius, such as Rail Baltica. Tusk argued that such investments will not only make traveling easier for Polish and Lithuanian citizens, but also are very important from the point of view of security.

He added that he also talked to Ruginiene about the issue of the Polish minority in Lithuania. – I know that the Prime Minister has a lot of understanding for these matters, we care very much about symmetrical, equal treatment of our minorities. And I think we can continue to talk calmly and without any emotions about solving these problems, said the Polish Prime Minister.

Lithuanian Prime Minister: I proposed to the Polish Prime Minister that our governments could hold joint meetings

Prime Minister Ruginiene announced that she proposed to Prime Minister Tusk that the governments of Poland and Lithuania hold joint meetings to “exchange opinions and news” in the context of the geopolitical situation. Ruginiene emphasized that the geopolitical situation dictates “joint planning” by both governments.

– I proposed to the Prime Minister that we could implement a new idea, that our governments could meet again, that we could have our joint meetings, so that we could exchange opinions and news on various issues and deal with current issues, said Ruginiene.

The head of the Lithuanian government also emphasized that the strategic partnership between Poland and Lithuania is not just words, but concrete actions. She mentioned, among others: permanent participation of the Polish Air Force in NATO missions or joint implementation of economic projects.

– I want to say that I see Poland as our strategic partner with whom we can solve everything together – said Ruginiene.

The issue of Ukraine was also a topic of talks between Tusk and Ruginiene. According to the Lithuanian Prime Minister, both governments will do everything to ensure that Ukraine wins on its own terms. (PAP)

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