There will be no Polish-Lithuanian mediations…

According to :Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ażubalis OSCE High Commissioner on Minorities Knut Vollebaek cannot act as a mediator in Polish-Lithuanian relations, since his sole function is organising the meetings between Poles and Lithuanians. Ażubalis stressed that Lithuania fulfils those of Vollebaek’s recommendations which are not against  Lithuanian law. ‘We think very highly of our cooperation with Vollebaek,’ says the minister.

OSCE High Commissioner on Minorities Knut Vollebaek has visited Poland and Lithuania numerous times and met with members of the government and minority organizations in both countries. However, according to Ażubalis, he cannot be called mediator since he merely assists in organizing the meetings between the representatives of Poland and Lithuania.

The fact that Vollebaek presented recommendations to the governments of Poland and Lithuania was also brought up by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radosław Sikorski. ‘Poland was ready to follow the recommendations. We hope that Lithuania, as befits an European country, will show it is determined to treat its population humanely,’ said Sikorski.