Visits

Visit by President Dalia Grybauskaitė to Poland, 14-15 July 2010

President Dalia Grybauskaitė visited Poland to attend the celebration of the 600th Anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald (Žalgiris).

On the first day of her visit, President Dalia Grybauskaitė, together with Polish President-elect Bronisław Komorowski and prominent Polish state and public figures, took part in the opening of the official events to mark the 600th Anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald.

"It is here at this very impressive Monument to the Battle of Žalgiris that, on behalf of the Lithuanian people, I send my greetings and congratulations to our sister nation of Poland on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of our joint historic victory," President Grybauskaitė said in her Polish address to the audience of the celebration.

The President underlined that the victory in Grunwald carried great meaning for the Lithuanian and Polish nations. Their unity 600 years ago brought together other nations of Central and Eastern Europe and shaped the historical pathway of not only our countries, but also of the whole of Europe.

"For ages our nations have been bound by similar historical destiny, shared ideals, aspirations, and even by such prominent people like Jogaila and Vytautas, Jadvyga and Barbora, Adam Mickiewicz and Czesław Miłosz, and many others. We now have excellent conditions for our people to work, aspire and win together. There is only one eternal and universal prerequisite - and that is unity. Only united will we stand and prevail," the President said.

Dalia Grybauskaitė expressed her firm belief that the 21st century and even the several coming years would pave the way for Lithuanian and Polish nations towards no less important victories - this time on a peaceful battlefield for tomorrow.

After the wreath-laying ceremony at the Grunwald Monument and the opening of a special exhibition at the Wawel Royal Castle in Kraków, President Dalia Grybauskaitė and President-elect Bronisław Komorowski had a working dinner together.

Among the issues discussed was cooperation between Lithuania and Poland in the fields of energy and security, common objectives and interests, and their realization in the EU and NATO.

"The shared historical memory of Lithuania and Poland, which has been so meaningfully imprinted in the Wawel Royal Castle, continues to link our two nations and inspire them for joint work and action. I am convinced that our contacts with the newly elected Polish President Komorowski will be mutually beneficial and will further strengthen the relationship between two strategic partners - Lithuania and Poland," the President said after the working dinner.

On the second day of her visit to Poland, President Grybauskaitė, together with President-elect Bronisław Komorowski and other Heads of State of Central and Eastern European countries, attended the anniversary celebrations at the historic battlefield of Grunwald, where she addressed the participants in Lithuanian and Polish. Later on, Dalia Grybauskaitė and other prominent guests watched the Lithuanian and Polish Guard of Honor Parade and the Tournament of Knights.

"Victory in the Battle of Grunwald stands as a symbol signifying the hope of the Lithuanian people to seek freedom and independence," President Dalia Grybauskaitė underlined.

"Today is a very special day. Today, on this historic battlefield, we celebrate one of the greatest victories in our history - a victory that ended more than one hundred year long aggression against the region. It reminds us all how much we can achieve when we are together. I am speaking not only about Lithuanians and Poles. I have in mind here all of us who 600 years ago participated in the Battle of Grunwald and made victory possible," the President said.

Dalia Grybauskaitė expressed her sincere gratitude to the Polish hosts for organizing such spectacular celebrations.

She also thanked Eastern and Central European leaders for honoring the Grunwald anniversary that carries a meaning of great symbolic importance to Lithuanians and Poles.

"May this celebration inspire us all to seek brave, ambitious and important goals for our nations and for the whole of Europe," the President said.

Later on in the day President Grybauskaitė visited a recreated Lithuanian military camp and the command post of Vytautas the Great.

The President viewed the recreated articles of clothing, footwear, weapons and utensils on display at the Lithuanian camp. She was introduced to the military logistics and the art of warfare of those times.

"The authentic atmosphere of the Battle of Grunwald, which you have so successfully created, and the enthusiasm displayed by the participants of this military camp serve an excellent example of cherishing and learning from our history as we continue to pursue the ideals of freedom, equality and cooperation in modern times," the President said.

Dalia Grybauskaitė bade a symbolic farewell to Lithuanian runners carrying a pinch of earth from the Battlefield of Grunwald to Vilnius. She also met with scouts from Lithuania and other countries.

After the Grunwald celebrations, President Grybauskaitė and other heads of state attended a festive dinner at the Castle of Malbork.