Lithuania's liberal parliament speaker has pledged to raise the issue of women's reproductive rights during her meeting with Polish president on Tuesday, adding that Vilnius cannot turn a blind eye to the issue.
“Through the Liberal Movement's efforts, reproductive health issues have been included into the ruling coalition agreement and are among the pressing issues. So, this topic is very important to us,” Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen told reporters.
Read more: Women's rights activists to protest in Vilnius during Polish president's visit
“As partners, as friends, we cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening in the neighbouring country [Poland],” she said.
Polish President Andrzej Duda is starting a two-day visit in Lithuania on Tuesday.
“Our planned meeting is rather short. Apparently, we will talk about joint plans and joint projects, and may touch on other topics, too,” Čmilytė-Nielsen said, including reproductive health.
A recent ruling by Poland's Constitutional Court has triggered massive protests over the country's restrictive laws on reproductive health, including abortion ban.
“I think that this topic will arise in one way or another,” according to the Lithuanian parliament speaker said.
“Poland is a very important and close strategic partner for us. First of all, we regard them as partners and a friendly country. This visit is very important for us,” she noted.
Poland's abortion laws are already among the strictest in Europe, but the Constitutional Court's ruling will mean an almost total ban. Once it comes into effect, terminations will only be allowed in cases of rape or incest, or if the mother's life is at risk.
Read more: Lithuanian president thanks Poland ‘for defence of democratic values’ in Eastern Europe
Lithuania's cornerstone partner
Conservative leader Gabrielius Landsbergis said that while Lithuania considered Poland as its strategic partner, it would not pretend not to see human rights problems in the neighbouring country.
“One of the cornerstones in our relations cannot be moved: Poland is, has been and will be a strategic partner for Lithuania,” Landsbergis, the leader of the conservative Homeland Union (TS-LKD), told reporters on Tuesday.
“This is a stone on which we are building the security of our country and our energy independence, and this stone has not been moved by any government before and I hope that no future government will do so.”
“But it is impossible to ignore the challenges that the state, which is probably the closest one to us, it facing,” he added. “That's what friends are for – to draw attention if something is wrong,” he added.
The conservative leader said he had no doubt that the issue of human rights restrictions in the neighbouring country will be raised during President Duda's visit.
“I believe that [it will be made clear] during today's conversations that Lithuania will not pretend that it is blind to problems in the field of human rights,” Landsbergis said.
However, he said he did not believe this might harm relations between Lithuania and Poland.
A group of women's rights activists held a rally in central Vilnius earlier on Tuesday to express their solidarity with Polish women protesting against human rights violations and abortion bans.
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