Lithuanian-Polish Parliamentary Assembly to meet in October

“Regardless of various odd decisions of the State Commission for the Lithuanian Language, which were difficult to explain, we agreed to hold the assembly in October. It is now Poland‘s turn to host it, so it will take place in Warsaw,” Kirkilas, currently on a visit in Poland, told BNS.

Earlier this month, the language commission expressed support to the original spelling of first and last names of Lithuanian citizens married to foreigners, however, not of members of the Polish community in Lithuania.

Polish politicians in Lithuania and their supporters in Warsaw have been long asking to allow Polish characters in the spelling of names of Polish nationals in Lithuania, an issue that is constantly coming up in the bilateral Lithuanian-Polish relations.

In Kirkilas’ words, implementation of the treaty on bilateral relations will be the focus of the Parliamentary Assembly, along with the cooperation with Ukraine. Speaking about the bilateral ties between Lithuania and Poland, Kirkilas noted that “some issues should be settled” before the assembly.

After the conclusion of the language commission, Kirkilas said the issue will be again taken to the commission. In his words, the parliament failed to formulate a clear question in its earlier inquiry about the possibility to allow members of national minorities to have their last names spelled with non-Lithuanian letters.

The Lithuanian-Polish Parliamentary Assembly was initially planned in spring, an agenda of the meeting was finalized in January, however, a date was never set.