-50% metinei prenumeratai. Velykų dovana!
Prenumeruoti
2012 02 26

Kwasniewski and Adamkus urge Lithuania and Poland to stop speaking in monologues

Lithuania and Poland can discuss historic issues, but should both try to understand each other and start a dialogue instead of speaking in monologues, Poland's former president Aleksander Kwasniewski has said.
Aleksandras Kvasnevskis ir Valdas Adamkus
Aleksander Kwasniewski and Valdas Adamkus / Irmanto Gelūno / BNS nuotr.

"No more monologues, more dialogue (...) and more deep mutual understanding," Kwasniewki said at the Vilnius Book Fair on Saturday.

In his opinion, the fact that both neighboring states hold different opinions on historic matters is not a problem as long as the two nations make efforts to better understand each other's perspective.

"We are both in the EU and NATO now. We are states that can debate everything, including history. Of course, it's okay, it's not a problem. (…...) The problem is what kind of language we use - will it be the language of hatred or the language of understanding, if it's the situation of dialogue or monologues," Kwasniewski said.

In his words, Poland should understand Lithuania's "sensitivity."

"We need debate, we need respect for our sensitivity, to understand sensitive points on both sides, and understanding from the Polish side, because we are a little bigger, we should be more flexible," the former Polish president said.

His opinion was seconded by Lithuania's former president Valdas Adamkus. In Adamkus' words, Lithuania should also make more efforts to seek mutual understanding.

"The dialogue is underway, of course, now it is probably slightly weaker than what we had developed over a decade ago and, possibly, more efforts should be made on our side to seek a consensus on shared matters," Adamkus told journalists after the two president's discussion at Vilnius Book Fair.

He said he consciously avoided touching questions Polish national minority education in his discussion with Kwasniewski, as these issues have been lately causing disputes between Lithuanian and Polish politicians. Adamkus said the issue should be left to specialists, not "concerned political groups."

"These are very small local groups of politicians, taking positions that cause tension. (…) Teachers and the young people themselves do not reject the proposals and do not see any problems with them," the ex-president noted. Lithuanian-Polish relations have lately been marred educational reforms in Lithuania's Polish schools, seeking to increase the number of classes taught in Lithuanian.

Former Polish leader and Lithuania's ex-president met in Litexpo exhibition centre Saturday afternoon, to discuss the presidential profession and share their experiences after leaving the office.

Report mistake

Successfully sent

Thank you

Economy

Lithuanian producers of EPS on the way to circular economy
Gilužio Rivjera by the real estate company Homa – hundreds of apartments and millions in investment
Capitalica fund successfully issued bonds amounting to EUR 5 million to finance the Verde project in Riga

Feature

State Progress Strategy 'Lithuania 2050': will Lithuania become the 'Silicon Valley' of social enterprise?
Citus Experts: Planning to Furbish or Brush Up your Home Interior? Get Ready for a Brutal Run
How do the country's most desirable employers nurture IT talents?

Opinion

Ramūnas Vilpišauskas. The president’s achievements in Brussels were modest
Laurynas Jonavičius. Will the new German government’s foreign policy coincide with Lithuanian interests?
Eastern Partnership ‘beyond westlessness’: a new momentum for the European integration

Politics

Taiwanese Minister Ming-hsin Kung – about Lithuania’s strengths and the two countries’ looming plans
The double standards of “values-based policy”: Lithuania did not join the condemnation of Turkey
Behind the scenes of ambassadorial appointments: Seimas looking for clarification on continuing questioning at the Presidential Palace
Užsisakykite 15min naujienlaiškius