Duda says he'll encourage Nawrocki to strengthen Poland's ties with Lithuania

VILNIUS - Poland's outgoing President Andrzej Duda said in Vilnius on Monday that he will encourage President-elect Karol Nawrocki to strengthen the country's ties with Lithuania.

"I hope so," Duda, in Vilnius for a summit of the Bucharest Nine and Nordic leaders, told reporters when asked if relations between the two neighboring countries will remain good after Nawrocki's victory in Sunday's presidential run-off

"I assure you that I will talk with him about it, and I will suggest strengthening these relations," he added.

Nawrocki narrowly defeated his opponent, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, with 50.89 percent of the vote to Trzaskowski's 49.11 percent.

During the campaign, the 42-year-old conservative historian positioned himself as a defender of traditional Polish values, skeptical of the EU and aligned with US conservatives, including President Donald Trump.

He will succeed Duda when the latter's second five-year term ends on August 6.

The outgoing president and the main right-wing opposition party, Law and Justice (PiS), backed Nawrocki during the campaign.