At a meeting later in the day, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė and Polish President Komorowski discussed the results of the EU budget negotiations, priorities of the forthcoming Lithuanian EU Presidency, preparation for the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius in November as well as the importance of fiscal discipline for economic stability and the current situation in Europe, the Presidential Office said.
"It's also worth remembering that by pursuing our own national goals and taking into account our national interests and affairs, we are moving in the same direction as today we are part of the same democratic world and belong to the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union," Komorowski said.
In his speech during the flag hoisting ceremony in Simonas Daukantas Square in Vilnius, the Polish president spoke about Lithuania and Poland's joint fights for independence.
"Today we mark the 95th anniversary of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania. But today, both Lithuania and Poland also mark another very important anniversary, namely the anniversary of fight against the Russian rule in 1863," Komorowski said.
In his words, the memory of the January 1863 Uprising was very important "to understand paths that brought us to two independent states in 1918."
"It's really worth remembering and honoring those paths from the time when we together sang one rebel sang in Lithuania and Poland. (...) It is also worth remembering and honoring the path the Lithuanians took to restore their independence and their nation, which was very important for later revival processes. It is also worth remembering the fact that both these states – Poland and Lithuania – later found themselves in danger and again in 1989 in Poland and 1991 in Lithuania had to restore their independence," the Polish president said.
According to Komorowski, it is very important that "the Poles and Lithuanians highlight the restoration of independence by their neighbors in a way that presidents of both states attend the commemoration of the anniversary of the restoration of independence in 1918."
A bilateral meeting of the Lithuanian and Polish presidents followed solemn hoisting of the three Baltic flags in Simonas Daukantas Square in Vilnius.
As Lithuania and Poland mark the 150th anniversary of the January 1863 Uprising, the Lithuanian president presented a jubilee coin issued by the Bank of Lithuania for the occasion.
The Seimas of Lithuanian has declared 2013 the Year of the 1863 Uprising.
Later on the same day, Komorowski met with the Polish community of Lithuania. He noted that the election success of the Electoral Action of Poles, Lithuania's Polish party, ensure the opportunity for state-level changes in bilateral relations.
"I am sure we can give a lot to each other. At the same times we can try to make neighborhood with Poland pleasant, important and opening perspective of a European future. As Polish people's success here in Lithuania, political success, election success, success in remaining and creating their own niche in the life of the society and culture is part of Poland's success. It's success of a democratic, free and independent Poland, a normal Poland which is also spreading its example and showing how to make up its life and how to make the world around us better-organized," the Polish president said.
At the meeting at the Polish Embassy in Vilnius, Komorowski thanked for the EAPL's election success.
"I would like to honestly thank from the bottom of my Vilnian heart for your success, for the fact that you managed to lead Poles into election success and participation in Lithuania's ruling coalition. It opens up totally new perspectives, totally new opportunities in both the Lithuanian and Polish public, national and state context. It is worth talking about that today as we mark the 95th anniversary of the earlier Lithuania of 1918 as well as of Poland, the independence which divided us, among other things, on the important Vilnius issue," the Polish president said on Saturday in Vilnius.
"Today, we can look with pride and optimism into the future life of independent Lithuania and Poland. But we have to try to ensure that even at the very lowest level it doesn't mean restriction of opportunities for Lithuanian Poles as well as Polish Lithuanians and all other ethnic minorities to function," Komorowski underlined.
"You have achieved success not only for yourself. You have also achieved the opportunity to create good Lithuanian-Polish relations at the state level. I therefore would like to thank and ensure that the Polish State will continue support strong representation of the Polish minority in both the parliament and government but in a wise way of supporting the functioning of the Polish minority in Lithuania with the hope that it's the best and most effective way to create the best neighborly relations," the Polish president said.
The president cited the word of one Polish professor he knows who said that "Paris is big, London is interesting, Florence is wonderful, but you have to admit that Vilnius is the most beautiful city and not Paris." Komorowski reminisced of pleasant impressions during his first visit to the Lithuanian capital still under the Communist rule.
"I therefore congratulate you and wish you to draw satisfaction and joy as well as fortitude to preserve Polish identity. I wish you fortitude and wisdom as we now need both of them. And understanding, taking into account of how Lithuanians see Vilnius and Poland. We need that to be able to look for what is good and what can unite us despite all disagreements and difficult history, on the basis of a new and modern world," the Polish president said.
