Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia Hold Constitution Day Warsaw Talks

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – The presidents of Ukraine, the Baltic nations and Poland are meeting in Warsaw Monday to mark the 230th anniversary of Poland´s constitution, Europe´s first such democratic document.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to hold talks with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, at a time of intensified conflict with Russia and tensions in eastern Ukraine.

Also attending the Constitution Day ceremonies are the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, countries on the European Union´s border with Russia and Belarus. They are scheduled to hold a televised debate.

Fighting the pandemic is also among the topics to be discussed.

The celebrations began with Duda and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda addressing a remote session of the parliaments of Poland and Lithuania, neighboring nations that were one state at the time of the 18th-century constitution.

Poland´s 1791 Constitution was intended to strengthen its political system and rule of law and protect it against aggression from neighboring powers, including Russia.