Lietuvos ir Lenkijos strateginė partnerystė ES kaimynystės politikos kontekste
Strategic partnership of Poland and Lithuania in the context of the EU neighbourhood policy

Summary/Abstract: In this article it is sought to evaluate the need and the matter of the strategic partnership of Poland and Lithuania in showing the importance of this partnership for the implementation of the EU Eastern neighborhood policy. Officially the strategic approach of Poland and Lithuania has been developing for more than decade (from 1997) and today this collaboration of the relationship is noticed in several spheres: political, security, economical. Also, Lithuania and Poland are the most active new members of the EU in developing the EU Eastern policy. Today these common activities fulfill the matter of the strategic partnership as well. On the other hand, foreign policy goals of these two countries involve the democratization of CIS area in such countries like Ukraine and Georgia. Consequently such a kind of policy seeks to restrict Russian power in the Eastern European countries, and has a very negative attitude from the Russian side. The strategic partnership of Poland and Lithuania started because of foreign and security policy’s interest and goals. For Lithuania Poland was very important in her way to the Western structures – the EU and NATO. Poland was first to join NATO and she had better relationship and experience in communicating with the big European powers. For Poland the partnership with Lithuania was useful because of her Eastern policy which became a very visible part of strategic partnership from 2004. The strategic duet of Poland and Lithuania mostly coordinates the activities in developing the democratization processes in Eastern Europe region. This active performance of the strategic partnership was noticed on the wider international stage – not just between the EU members, but also in Russia. The latter’s interests contradict with the ideas of Polish Eastern dimension and because of this the strategic partnership creates the confrontation with Russia. Vladimir Putin aims to neutralize Poland because of her ambitions in the Eastern Europe region and also declaratively demonstrates his cold attitude with Lithuania’s President Valdas Adamkus. Despite that Lithuanian politicians and the President still always encourage Poland and the Eastern European countries in the way of their democratic processes. Lithuania declared the direction in her policy to the East in 2004 when the entrance to NATO and the EU goals were achieved. Despite that the developing of the Eastern dimension is much more connected with the interest of Poland or even the United States, which declared the Eastern policy goals in its political conceptions. Furthermore, the strategic partnership of Poland and Lithuania was commenced much earlier than Lithuanian decision to join the Eastern dimension, and because of that it could be said that Lithuania is not enough self-dependent or has a big impact in choosing the directions of the foreign policy. Regardless this reasoning, the strategic partnership is useful for Lithuania till today, because it makes Lithuania more

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