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Lithuanian leaders send congratulations on Polish Constitution Day

03.05.2022 19:00
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda and Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonyte have sent messages of congratulations as Poland on Tuesday marked Constitution Day, a public holiday celebrating a historic constitution adopted by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1791.
Ceremonies marking the 231st anniversary of the adoption of the 3rd May Constitution, traditionally held at Rasos Cemetery in Vilnius, Lithuanias capital city, on Tuesday.
Ceremonies marking the 231st anniversary of the adoption of the 3rd May Constitution, traditionally held at Rasos Cemetery in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital city, on Tuesday.Photo: PAP/Valdemar Doveiko

Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda noted in his Twitter post that the adoption of the May 3rd Constitution was a joint achievement of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – a bi-federation of Poland and Lithuania, established in 1569.

The legislation’s motto – "For Our Freedom and Yours  inspired generations in struggle for freedom and independence," President Nausėda wrote in his tweet on Tuesday.

In an official letter sent to Polish authorities, the Lithuanian president also invoked the famous motto, speaking about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He said: "Ukraine has been afflicted by military aggression from the side of Russia and it has been fighting not only for its own security, but also for the security of all Europeans."

In a Twitter post, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimon wrote that the Constitution of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth "was very progressive for its time."

She continued: "It is not only an important historical event – the first written Constitution in Europe and the second in the world  but also an inspiring example for our present."

Poland on Tuesday marked Constitution Day, a public holiday celebrating the milestone document.

The pioneering Polish constitution is described by historians as one of the proudest achievements in the country’s history.

The document was the first such modern set of fundamental laws in Europe and the second worldwide, after the American Constitution, which was created in 1787.

(ał)

Source: PAP