Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis has been presented with a prestigious Man of the Year award at the 27th Krynica Economic Forum in Poland. Prime Minister Skvernelis has won the Man of the Year award for upholding political ties between Lithuania and Poland, encouraging economic relations between the two countries and promoting deeper regional integration, especially in the fields of transport and energy.

While accepting the award, the Prime Minister said that he received it as a symbol of shared efforts and success, a sign of trust in the government he lead, and, at the same time, as acknowledgement of the government’s efforts. The Prime Minister underlined bilateral efforts in relation to challenges to regional security and intense work full of goodwill while dealing with matters of citizens’ education.

‘I believe in our region, I believe in its prosperous future and I believe that the road to it runs through ever closer and deeper bilateral cooperation and more attentive listening to each other. Lithuania cherishes good relations with all its neighbouring countries; yet today I am in Poland, in this enchanting southern part of Poland; therefore I want to stress that good relations with Poland have been and will be special to Lithuania and the Government I lead’, said Skvernelis.

According to the Prime Minister, while talking about the ties between Lithuania and Poland we often remember the centennial history that we share. As we turn over its pages, we discover ever new things, yet one remains unaltered: when countries unite their efforts and act jointly, they always make a success.

Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis has been handed the award by Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki.

The Man of the Year award has been presented since 1999 to persons of special importance to the Central and Eastern Europe. Earlier on, the award has been presented to personalities like Pope John Paul II, Jarosław Kaczyński, Beata Szydło, Lech Wałęsa, Donald Tusk and Václav Havel.

The annual Krynica Economic Forum, sometimes referred to as the ‘Eastern Davos’, presents awards to distinguished personalities, companies and institutions in the following categories: Man of the Year, Company of the Year, New Culture of New Europe and NGO of the Year.

The awards are voted by a committee of 30 representatives of the political and economic life in Poland.