OSCE High Commissioner visits Lithuania and Poland, encourages dialogue on national minority issues

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek visited Lithuania from 27 to 28 March and Poland from 29 to 30 March 2012.

The High Commissioner is working with both countries to investigate and make recommendations relating to the situation of the Polish minority in Lithuania and the Lithuanian minority in Poland. Tensions involving national minorities in the two countries have led to some bilateral issues. The High Commissioner has visited Poland and Lithuania on several occasions in the last six months, including areas populated by the respective national minorities.

Vollebaek has recommended both Governments increase their dialogue on the issue of national minorities in their bilateral relations. “I urged both Governments to address national minority issues in their own countries, while also working on improving their bilateral relations, including by reviving mechanisms such as the joint education experts’ group,” Vollebaek said.

In Vilnius, Vollebaek met Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, Minister of Culture Arūnas Gelūnas, Minister of Education and Science Gintaras Steponavičius,  Chancellor of the Prime Minister Deividas Matulionis and representatives of the Polish minority. In Warsaw, he met Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, Deputy Marshal (Speaker) of the Sejm Eugeniusz Grzeszczak, Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Education and Science Miroslaw Sielatycki and representatives of the Lithuanian minority in Poland.