Lithuania’s Gitanas Nausėda and Poland’s Andrzej Duda took part in a ceremony at the site of the historic battle in northern Poland.
Fought on July 15, 1410, the Battle of Grunwald resulted in allied Polish and Lithuanian forces crushing the Knights of the Teutonic Order. It is considered to be one of the most significant military victories in Polish history.
The mighty war machine of the Teutonic Knights was defeated by Polish King Władysław Jagiełło and an army of allied forces.
Wednesday’s ceremonies were also attended by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and his Lithuanian counterpart Saulius Skvernelis.
Duda and Nausėda were also scheduled to turn their attention to more contemporary matters, with talks planned on relations between their neighbouring countries, the coronavirus crisis and regional cooperation.
Lithuania’s Nausėda is the first foreign head of state to visit Poland since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic – underlining that “the Polish-Lithuanian alliance is holding strong,” Krzysztof Szczerski, the Polish president’s chief of staff, said ahead of the ceremonies.
Duda on Tuesday handed Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis one of Poland’s highest state decorations – the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland – for his contribution to strengthening dialogue between the two countries.
This year’s re-enactment of the Battle of Grunwald was cancelled by organisers amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
(pk)