Warming relations

VILNIUS - Relations between Lithuania and Poland are not as bad as they are presented by foreign analysts, Polish Ambassador to Lithuania Janusz Skolimowski said on Jan. 21, after meeting with the Lithuanian prime minister, reports news agency ELTA. “Today’s meeting with the prime minister showed that our bilateral relations between Lithuania and Poland are not as bad as foreign analysts are trying to portray them,” the Polish diplomat said.

He said that both countries have been trying to deal with education issues, PKN Orlen Lietuva and others for a number of years. “As for PKN Orlen Lietuva and negotiations with partners, the prime minister’s personal contribution is very important and it gives good results,” said Skolimowski.

Commenting on education problems, the diplomat said that negotiations were held with the Polish ethnic minority representatives. “Education Minister Gintaras Steponavicius has recently visited schools in Salcininkai district, and we can see that the dialogue and negotiations are going on all the time. We are concerned that the negotiations take place at the level of experts. Today we see that there is progress on this issue and that we are on the right path,” said Skolimowski.
“We should create an environment for a young person to develop,” the ambassador added.

The prime minister’s chancellor, Deividas Matulionis, voiced Kubilius’ position that the Polish minority’s expectations should be taken into account in consultations and that there should be no drastic decisions made. Education Minister Steponavicius is to meet with his counterpart from Poland on this matter in the near term. The chancellor also emphasized the need for more cooperation on education matters at the parliamentary level. “There can be no talks about any worse education conditions for the Polish minority in comparison with the Lithuanian minority in Poland,” said Matulionis.