Okińczyc: Linkevičius behaved like a genuine Lithuanian patriot

Czeslaw Okinczyc, a signatory to an Act of Independence of Lithuania, approved of Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Linas Linkevičius, for having apologized to Poland for rescinding the law, by the Sejm in 2010, which would allow for an original spelling of names.

According to the signatory’s opinion, it was an important step. “I think that the minister behaved very gentlemanly. He behaved like a real statesman,” Okinczyc told to DELFI.

Okinczyc believes that the rescission of the bill during the President Lech Kaczynski’s visit was something very improper.

“I suppose that this gesture was very telling. It shows that Lithuania still perceives Poland as its strategic partner and is preparing for an intensive cooperation. It concerns the whole region, the Eastern Partnership and Europe. I think that such move could be done by anyone who perceives himself as a great politician and a great Lithuanian patriot. An objective of our foreign policy is to have the good relations with our neighbours. That was a wonderful gesture that was very well received in Poland but also in the whole European Union. I had an opportunity to speak to Lithuanian diplomats and they unanimously acknowledged this as a positive gesture,” said Czeslaw Okinczyc.

Source: http://pl.delfi.lt/aktualia/litwa/okinczyc-linkevicius-zachowal-sie-jak-prawdziwy-litewski-patriota.d?id=60627365

Tłumaczenie Patrycja Olszówka w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Patrycja Olszówka the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.