On January 7, 1997, Sejm Marshal Józef Zych met with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Algirdas Saudargas. Zych emphasised that Lithuania was very close to Poles and voiced his satisfaction with the general state of Polish-Lithuanian relations, including parliamentary cooperation. Zych said in this connection that Vytautas Landsbergis, the new chairman of the Lithuanian parliament, will be paying a visit to Poland shortly. Saudargas said that relations between Lithuania and Poland have been developing successfully.
The sides also discussed problems connected with the situation of the Polish minority in Lithuania. Zych told the press that according to the Council of Europe, Poland is implementing international standards with regard to the Lithuanian minority in Poland. He added that he expected the same from Lithuania.
On the same day, the Lithuanian minister met with Senate Marshal Adam Struzik, with whom he discussed problems related to Polish-Lithuanian cooperation and problems of minorities in both countries.
Minister Saudargas also met with deputy Bronisław Geremek, chairman of the Sejm Foreign Affairs Committee.
On January 9, Sejm Marshal Józef Zych received Syamyon Sharetski, chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus. It was agreed that Zych will present the situation in Belarus as seen by Sharetski during meetings with representatives of the EU and NATO parliaments.
Sharetski thanked Poland, its president and Sejm Marshal for "the support we have been receiving in the recent period."
Zych and Sharetski continued their talks also on the following day.
On the first day of the visit, Sharetski also met with deputies from the Polish-Belarusian Parliamentary Group. That meeting was attended by Elżbieta Smułkowa, Poland's ambassador to Belarus.
Sharetski presented his assessment of the socio-political and economic situation in Belarus. He said that some 70 deputies, who refused to endorse President Lukashenko's moves, continue to work on bills. There are plans to set up a new party, called Democratic Belarus, by transforming the Committee for the Defence of Democracy, headed by Sharetski.
The Belarusian visitor also met with Sejm Deputy Marshal Olga Krzyżanowska and deputies from the Freedom Union (UW) caucus and with Deputy Tadeusz Iwiński, chairman of the Polish Parliamentary Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
On January 14, Sejm Marshal Józef Zych met with Rumania's President Emil Constantinescu, who was paying an official visit to Poland.
Zych assessed the state of Polish-Rumanian relations as good. The two statesmen exchanged experience in adjusting national legislation to European Union standards.
The Sejm Marshal noted with satisfaction the member of the Polish ethnic minority could take part in Rumanian political life.
Zych was invited to pay a visit to Rumania.
On the same day, also Senate Marshal Adam Struzik met with the Rumanian president. They talked about problems connected with the Polish minority in Rumania as well as problems involved in the process of integration of the two countries with the EU and NATO.
President Constantinescu also met with members of the Sejm Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Affairs and International Economic Relations Committee. He emphasised the close Polish-Rumanian relations in the past and the traditional sympathy between the people of the two countries. He drew attention to the fact that Poland and Rumania were cooperating with one another, rather than competing, in their efforts to obtain EU and NATO membership. He also referred to problems of the Polish minority in Rumania.
On January 8, Sejm Deputy Marshal Aleksander Małachowski received the newly appointed ambassador of the Myanmar Union (former Burma) to Poland, U Khin Nyunt. The Ambassador also met with Senate Deputy Marshal Grzegorz Kurczuk.
On January 14, Lithuanian Ambassador Anatas Valionis called on Sejm Marshal Józef Zych.
On the same day, Zych received Leonid Vadimovich Drachevski, the new ambassador of the Russian Federation to Poland.
Marshal Zych also received a call from Jan Górecki, the newly appointed Polish ambassador to Denmark.