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Polish president to discuss Belarus border crisis on visit to Lithuania

19.10.2021 09:00
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda begins a two-day visit to Lithuania on Tuesday to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, including a migrant crisis on the European Union's external border with Belarus, officials have said.
Polands President Andrzej Duda and First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda arrive in Vilnius on Monday evening ahead of a two-day visit to Lithuania.
Poland's President Andrzej Duda and First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda arrive in Vilnius on Monday evening ahead of a two-day visit to Lithuania.PAP/Radek Pietruszka

Accompanied by First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda, the Polish president is due to meet with his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nausėda and take part in a discussion between the two countries' presidential councils, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

In addition, Duda is scheduled to talk with Lithuania's Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and parliamentary Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen.

He will also attend a special session of the Lithuanian parliament to celebrate the historic legacy of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which existed from 1569 to 1795

The Polish president’s security policy aide, Paweł Soloch, told reporters that Duda's talks in Vilnius would also focus on military cooperation—"hence the presence of Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak in the presidential delegation."

Soloch said Poland was in "constant communication" with Lithuania over the migrant crisis.   

“This is mainly about coordinating how our border guards and authorities ... work together, but also about developing a shared message for our partners in the European Union and our allies in NATO," he said.

During the visit, the Polish presidential delegation is also expected to discuss plans for new business undertakings with Lithuania and cultural-exchange projects, the PAP news agency reported.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP