Lithuanian PM hopes ties with Poland will remain strong under new president

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Tuesday that he hopes that Vilnius and Warsaw will maintain their strategic partnership following Poland's recent presidential election.

"The close bilateral relations and ties between Lithuania and Poland bring tangible benefits to the people of both countries - both economically and in terms of security. I am convinced that the strategic partnership between our two nations is strong - and will remain so," the Lithuanian government quoted the prime minister as saying during a meeting with outgoing Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Paluckas and Duda discussed bilateral relations, energy security, regional infrastructure projects, defense cooperation and other key issues, according to the press release.

The two leaders underlined the need to ensure the implementation of the Harmony Link onshore interconnector and the protection of critical infrastructure, and underlined the importance of the Rail Baltica and Via Baltica projects for both economic growth and military mobility.

The prime minister noted that Poland plays a crucial role in ensuring regional security and supporting Ukraine, and serves as a model for all allies in the field of defense investment.

The leaders also emphasized the need to maintain transatlantic unity and ensure a continued US military presence in Europe during the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague.

Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian who positioned himself as a Eurosceptic, narrowly won Sunday's presidential runoff against liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski.

Duda, whose second term ends on August 6, and the main right-wing opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) backed Nawrocki during the campaign.