Marcin Przydacz, a senior aide to the Polish president, outlined Duda’s plans for the trip to the Lithuanian capital in a media interview on Tuesday.
Przydacz, who is Duda’s top foreign policy aide, said: “The NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12 will be a key meeting where allies will make decisions of importance to our security. In recent weeks, Poland has focused its diplomatic efforts on creating a good atmosphere to ensure that these decisions are indeed taken at the Vilnius summit.”
The presidential adviser added that "it is no coincidence that the summit is taking place in Vilnius, on NATO’s eastern flank" and that "having good relations with the host country is hugely important."
"Today our relations with Lithuania are very good," Przydacz told Polish state broadcaster TVP.
He also said in the interview that Duda would attend events to celebrate Lithuania’s Statehood Day on July 6, “just like Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda comes to Poland to join us in celebrating Constitution Day on May 3.”
Przydacz added: “We are drawing on our shared history in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. When the countries of our region work together, we are stronger in the face of Russia’s aggressive policy. And so this is the goal of President Duda’s visit to Lithuania.”
Przydacz said the Polish president would hold talks with Lithuania's Nausėda, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and parliamentary Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen.
Plans also include a meeting with members of the Polish community in the Vilnius region, according to Przydacz.
He told TVP that Duda’s discussions with Lithuanian leaders would "touch upon Polish-Lithuanian military cooperation,” amid Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine.
“Lithuania is obviously a smaller country than Poland, but it’s an important country in the region and it has one vote in NATO, just like every other member," Przydacz said. "Moreover, it will host the NATO summit, so its vote will almost count as two."
Asked about Poland’s expectations regarding the NATO summit in Vilnius next week, Przydacz stated: “We must make a step forward when it comes to Ukraine’s integration with NATO.”
He said Poland was “determined to keep supporting Ukraine because Kyiv ensures our security from the eastern flank.”
Przydacz told TVP: “When a political window of opportunity emerges, NATO must be capable of making this political decision.”
He added that “all the needless formalities must be minimised to make the most of the opportunity” to bring Ukraine closer to NATO, the PAP news agency reported.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Wednesday is day 497 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, polskieradio24.pl