G. Nausėda, who received A. Duda in Vilnius, on the Polish veto: “Let’s find a solution, otherwise we will all suffer”

According to Lithuanian President G. Nausėda, the Polish leader “discussed bilateral cooperation in the fight against the pandemic, the procurement of vaccines, regional security and defense issues, the implementation of strategic energy and transportation projects, transatlantic relations and the situation in the eastern neighboring countries of the EU “.

Afterwards, A. Duda will meet with Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis and Conservative candidate for this position Ingrida Šimonyte, with whom he will communicate on Wednesday morning.

A.Duda arrived at the Seimas after the press conference, where he addressed the plenary:

Human rights were also discussed

Immediately after the meeting, G. Nausėda decided to explain more sensitive things to the public not in a direct press conference, but on Facebook.

She wrote that she had raised the human rights issue during a meeting with Polish leader A. Duda and called for a dialogue with the public as protests over the abortion ban continued in the neighboring country.

“Inevitably, as good friends, we talk about difficult issues, including human rights,” G. Nausėda announced on Facebook on Tuesday after the meeting.

“My position is clear: I have always spoken and will continue to speak in favor of the promotion of human rights and freedoms and of an impartial dialogue with the public. I also follow this attitude when it comes to women’s reproductive health in Poland.” , said.

The Lithuanian leader said he hoped Poland, being “one of the oldest democracies in Europe”, would seek “a constructive dialogue with all sectors of society.”

The massive protests in Poland were sparked by the Constitutional Court’s decision that the laws currently in force in Poland, which allow abortions in cases of fetal malformations, are unconstitutional.

This ruling, issued by the Constitutional Court in October, further toughened Polish laws on abortion, which were already among the strictest in Europe.

The country’s leaders also discussed how to jointly combat the coronavirus pandemic, common tests and vaccination strategies.

G.Nausėda spoke with A.Duda, among other things, about the European Union budget and the Recovery Fund, its faster approval.

“I believe that the compromise agreement reached with the European Parliament on the link between the rule of law and the EU budget will be acceptable to all countries,” said G. Nausėda.

After the meeting, G. Nausėda also stated that he looks forward to actively cooperating with the new US White House administration and President-elect Joe Biden. He also stressed that the EU would not focus on the Eastern Partnership.

“We also talked about the situation in Belarus and that human rights violations in that country are not tolerable,” added the Lithuanian president, believing that the Community should also approve the third package of sanctions against the Minsk regime, since the first two are not working.

He welcomed the excellent strategic relations with Poland and assured that all the major political parties in Lithuania, with whom he had spoken, supported the goal of further strengthening relations with the neighboring country.

“We are establishing a presidential advisory council, which will be held once a year and where we will discuss the most relevant issues. This marks a qualitatively new stage of our cooperation, “said G. Nausėda, who finally revealed that he had accepted A. Duda’s invitation to come to Poland in May next year.

“We do not agree with any dictation”

15 minutes To the best of his knowledge and belief, the Polish President himself expressed his desire to become acquainted with the new or, officially, future government.

There is no doubt that other key representatives of the Lithuanian government will also be discussed over the veto announced by Warsaw and Budapest on Monday night on the new multi-year EU budget and the ambitious economic recovery plan.

For Vilnius alone, more than 6 billion should fall from the economic recovery plan. However, due to the stubbornness of the package, Poland and Hungary, who do not want funding to be tied to the rule of law, have lost their fate.

“There can be no evaluations that are not in the EU treaties. We do not agree with any dictates, our position is unequivocal. The criteria must be clear, everyone must be treated equally, ”said A. Duda in Vilnius.

The Polish president said he had no doubts that the Council of the EU understood Warsaw’s position well.

It is true that A. Duda did not answer the real question of whether he expects Lithuania’s support on this very issue of the rule of law, and he entered into discussions about the “hegemony” of the large EU countries and that they are preparing “traps “for the little ones.

“We believe that this not only benefits Poland, but also the interests of other European countries.” This leads to a situation that could potentially lead to hegemony among the strongest EU countries relative to the weakest, “he commented. .

“The principles must be the same for everyone. They cannot be formulated in such a way as to lead to actions that violate the sovereignty or honor of another country,” added the Polish leader.

G.Nausėda: I invite you to come back to the negotiating table and find a solution so that you don’t have to go to the veto.

At the time, G. Nausėda stated that during the July negotiations, “an attempt was made to sneak through a keyhole”:

The European Parliament has a fundamental role to play and is therefore consulted the status quo it has changed slightly, also in terms of the rule of law. This principle is not directed against Poland or Hungary, it applies to all. “

“It just came to our attention then. I ask you to come back to the negotiating table and find a solution not to go to the veto. Otherwise, we will all suffer, because this document (EU budget and economic aid package, ed. ) It is beneficial for everyone, ”added G. Nausėda.

“Dialogue can be achieved more than breaking hands. We are in a unique abnormal situation and we have to seek consensus,” said the President of Lithuania.

“Friends need to speak openly”

On Tuesday evening, A. Duda will also address the Seimas and meet with the new speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, the representative of the Liberal Movement Viktorija Čmilyte-Nielsen.

The guest may not necessarily like what he is going to hear, at least from V. Čmilytė-Nielsen. After all, he stated on Tuesday that it is not possible to turn a blind eye to reproductive health problems in Poland, and he intends to discuss them with A. Duda as well.

“Through our efforts, the Liberal Movement, reproductive health issues were included in the ruling coalition agreement as one of those to be addressed, this issue is very important to us,” V. Čmilytė-Nielsen told the journalists at the Seimas on Tuesday.

“As partners, as friends, as friends, we cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening in the neighborhood,” he said.

The massive protests in Poland were sparked by the Constitutional Court’s decision that the laws currently in force in Poland, which allow abortions in cases of fetal malformations, are unconstitutional.

Gabrielius Landsbergis, chairman of the ruling Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party-National Union (TS-LKD), also spoke in a similar way. He assured that Poland was a strategic partner of Lithuania, but added that Lithuania did not intend to pretend to be blind to the human rights problems in the neighboring country.

G. Landsbergis: I am very hopeful that friendship will be based on mutual trust, courage, and the ability to tell the truth.

“I think today’s talks will draw attention to the fact that Lithuania will not blindly pretend that there are certain problems in the field of human rights.

“A state that places high demands on its neighbors, I mean Belarus, about the serious human rights violations that take place there, should apply the same to itself,” Landsberg said.

According to him, raising this issue should not harm relations between Poland and Lithuania.

“I am very hopeful that friendship will be based on mutual trust, courage and the ability to tell the truth,” said the director of TS-LKD.

According to the Constitution, the president decides on the main issues of the country’s foreign policy. Therefore, G. Nausėda may not like the comments of V. Čmilytė-Nielsen and G. Landsbergis: relations with Poland can certainly be considered one of the main foreign policy issues.

It is true that G. Nausėda, as mentioned, said that he spoke about human rights with a guest from Poland, but added that they are regulated differently in different countries.

Mr. Duda emphasized that human rights were being decided in Poland, adding that the decision had been made by the Constitutional Court and not by the authorities. It goes without saying, of course, that the Polish rulers carried out a judicial reform that, according to experts, violated their independence.

“It was not a consequence of the adoption of the right to legislate, it was not a consequence of my decision, it was a decision of the Constitutional Court, the third power,” he said.

The president says that after the court’s interpretation, he has taken into account that protests may arise over the strict position of the Constitutional Court and listened to the arguments of critics.

“Hearing those voices, I drafted an amendment to the law that makes an exception to the abortion ban when there is a situation where a fetus is affected by fatal injuries that will result in its death, creating a situation in which its life outside the mother’s body it is not possible, “he said. the.

Before A. Duda’s visit, G. Nausėda communicated with the new president of Seimas and discussed guidelines for future talks with the president of Poland.

Defenders of women’s rights have already welcomed A. Duda’s visit with protests over the abortion ban in Poland. On Tuesday a small march took place from the Adam Mickiewicz monument to the Polish Embassy.

During the march, the activists brought the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other documents of international law, which enshrine universal human and women’s rights and democratic values, whose violations are criticized in Poland.