President Duda visits Rasos cemetery, highlights Baltic energy independence

Polish President Andrzej Duda visited the Rasos cemetery in Vilnius on Sunday, where he paid respects at the Tomb of Marshal Piłsudski's Heart and a chapel dedicated to the January Uprising.

Polish President Andrzej Duda speaking to the media at the Rasos cemetery in Vilnius, Lithuania, on February 9. As part of his visit, President Duda is set to participate in a ceremony marking Lithuania's integration into the European energy grid.

Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara

This visit was part of Duda's ongoing trip to Lithuania, where he was set to participate in a significant ceremony marking the synchronization of the Baltic States' electricity grids with the European Union.

Duda took the opportunity to remind those gathered that just days earlier, the anniversary of the January Uprising was commemorated.

This joint revolt of 1863, carried out by "Poles, Lithuanians, Belarusians and Ukrainians," was a fight against "the Russian occupation," the Polish president said, emphasizing the shared efforts of these nations in their struggle for freedom.

Speaking at the cemetery, Duda underscored the symbolic nature of his visit, linking it to the ongoing achievement of energy independence for the Baltic states.

#Wilno | Złożenie wieńca przez Prezydenta RP @AndrzejDuda przy Mauzoleum Matki i Serca Syna. pic.twitter.com/pHf02HIvWR

— Kancelaria Prezydenta (@prezydentpl) February 9, 2025

"Today marks a day when the Baltic nations, including Lithuania, have finally achieved their sovereignty in the energy sector, also with Poland's help," he said.

The official ceremony marking the synchronization is set to take place at the Litexpo Exhibition Center in Vilnius, where Presidents Duda, along with those from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, will give their speeches. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also address the gathering.

(ał)

Source: IAR, PAP