On Wednesday, 13 January, a videoconference of the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Poland and the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania was held. It was a commemorative discussion to mark the 30th anniversary of the tragic events at the Lithuanian TV tower.

A few months after Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union in March 1990, the Soviets tried to seize power by force. In the early morning hours of January 13, 1991, 14 people were killed and more than 700 wounded.

By the way, European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen also referred to these tragic events in a video message. "Our [European] Union would look different if not for the courage of Lithuanian freedom fighters (...) The events of January 1991 played a decisive role in overcoming the division of our continent."

The discussion between the representatives of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Poland and the Seimas of Lithuania focused mainly on the Eastern policy. The topics discussed included the process of democratic transformation in Belarus, security challenges and the strategy of protection against aggressive actions of Russia in the region.

SM