"We are inseparably united by a common heritage". Joint interview of the Speaker of the Sejm and the President of the Seimas on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the Lublin Union

July 1, 2019
10:56 am

Sejm Speaker Marek Kuchcinski and Seimas Chairman Victoras Pranckietis appeared together on the program "Guest of the News" (June 30). The occasion was Sunday's celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Polish-Lithuanian union in Lublin. - The wisdom of our rulers consisted in the fact that, being ahead of the times, they led to the fact that two states united together, while at the same time maintaining their separateness. This is still true after 450 years," Marek Kuchcinski stressed during the interview. The Sejm Speaker recalled that both then and today good Polish-Lithuanian relations are based on common security. - This was a fundamental issue. The problem of seeking alliances with regard to both our eastern neighbor - the Duchy of Moscow, but also the western neighbor - the Teutonic Order. Today we are together in the North Atlantic Alliance, and this gives us a guarantee that we will be able to provide security for our citizens, as well as for the whole of Central Europe. This is a not inconsiderable matter and the most important at the moment," he pointed out.

According to Marshal Kuchciński, "so far we have looked at Lithuania as a separate state, with which we have so much in common. It is necessary - while preserving separateness and sovereignty - to remember about the community". - Poland and Lithuania are drawing the right conclusions from the past. We created the Union of Lublin according to the principle of equal with equal, free with free, and we can say that we expect the same from the EU," he stressed.

The words of the Speaker of the Seimas were concurred with by Viktoras Pranckietis, the Chairman of Seimas of Lithuania. - The Union of Lublin has never ended. It was and still is. It had its beginning, but it continues. We are elements of that continuity and we should remember that our nations will coexist well. Our countries have always been next to each other, we could not have a better neighbor - said the Lithuanian politician, remarking that we should wish ourselves even better cooperation in the future.

Like Marek Kuchcinski, he also stressed that a key aspect that has united the two countries for centuries is concern for security.
- Poland and Lithuania, preparing for common defense, signed a treaty. We have always had a very serious enemy in the East. If we evaluate it now, looking into the past, we can confirm that the Polish-Lithuanian union was very necessary. It worked for over 200 years to make us feel more secure. What would have been our fate if there had not been this agreement? We do not know. Then, 450 years ago we chose the right way.

- We must recall the words of Saint John Paul II: "from the Union of Lublin to the European Union", which meant that he looked perspicaciously into the future. Poland and Lithuania are better heard in Europe also because we profess the same values and come from the same cultural circle," said the head of the Lithuanian Parliament.

In the News Visitor, the Speaker of the Seimas and the Chairman of the Seimas also recalled that in connection with the 450th anniversary of the signing of the Act of the Union of Lublin, the parliaments of Poland and Lithuania passed unanimous resolutions emphasizing that the Polish-Lithuanian union enabled the birth of a unique system of statehood and was one of the most important events of the century on the continent.