State awards of the Republic of Poland were presented to members of the Vilnius University community

May 7 In the courtyard of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Vilnius, on the occasion of May 3rd Constitution Day, a solemn reception was held, during which persons were honored with state awards for their merits in fostering Polish-Lithuanian cooperation and for their activities for the benefit of the Polish community in Lithuania. Awards of the Republic of Poland were also presented to two members of the Vilnius University (VU) community – partnership vice-rector dr. Artūras Vasiliauskas and Associate Professor of the Faculty of Law Dr. Ilona Mikhailovich.

VU partnership vice-rector dr. A. Vasiliauskas was awarded the Silver Cross of the Order “For Merit to the Republic of Poland”, and VU Faculty of Law researcher Assoc. I. Michailovič – Bronze Cross of the Order “For Services to the Republic of Poland”. Both members of the VU community were awarded for their merits in developing Polish and Lithuanian science and university cooperation.

Assoc. Ilona Mihailovič and dr. Konstanty Radziwiłł. Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Vilnius / photo by W. Dowejko.

The state awards given by the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda were presented to Lithuanian citizens by the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Lithuania Dr. Konstanty Radziwiłł. “On the occasion of this holiday, I would like to celebrate the state of relations between Poland and Lithuania. Thirty years have passed since the signing of the Treaty of Friendly Relations and Good Neighborly Cooperation, our countries are closely cooperating in all essential areas: politics, security, infrastructure, economy, science, culture and even sports. We are important and reliable partners in all formats of multilateral and bilateral cooperation,” the ambassador said at the award ceremony.

Dr. Artūras Vasiliauskas. Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Vilnius / photo by W. Dowejko.

“Your Excellency the Ambassador, receiving the Polish state award from you has a special meaning. As a historian, I have read hundreds of letters written by the Radwills in the 17th century, but I never imagined that I would receive an award from a member of the Radwill family. I think it is very symbolic to receive an award from you, a person who continues to build connections between our two countries, following in the footsteps of his own generations through the centuries. We thank you for your efforts and thank the Republic of Poland for the appreciation of our sincere contribution to building trust and understanding between the two countries”, said VU vice-rector dr. A. Vasiliauskas.