Vilnius - Polish President Lech Kaczynski made the short trip across the border to neighbouring Lithuania on Monday to join celebrations of the Baltic state's independence day.

Kaczynski was the guest of his Lithuanian counterpart, Valdas Adamkus, as the two leaders marked their countries' close cultural and historical ties.

The presidents took part in a flag-raising ceremony in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, before celebrating mass together in Vilnius Cathedral, followed by a working lunch.

Earlier, Adamkus handed out a variety of state decorations to individuals who had been of service to the state.

"Today we celebrate a very important date in our history that defines and signifies Lithuanian statehood and love of freedom. The Declaration of Independence of 1918 is a vibrant expression of our freedom, ideals and their importance to the future generations of Lithuania," Adamkus said at the awards ceremony.

The national holiday is a triple celebration in 2009. As well as marking the 91st year since Lithuanian independence was declared, Vilnius currently enjoys the status of one of Europe's two annual Capitals of Culture - along with the Austrian city of Linz.

Despite the affects of a severe economic downturn and worries over financing in the face of government spending cuts, the Capital of Culture events have got off to a good start, according to Elona Bajoriniene, the director of the festival.

"The first events ... revealed the diverse taste of Vilnius public - both contemporary art projects and classical projects of various forms attracted huge crowds of spectators," she said.

"We hope that with the express of concerts, exhibitions, performances and other projects gaining momentum we will have more visitors from Lithuania as well as abroad," Bajoriniene added.

In addition, the largest of the three Baltic states is celebrating 1,000 years since its name was first recorded in the history books.

In the year 1009, a German Latin text called the "Annales Quedlinburgenses" noted that an archbishop by the name of Bonifacius was killed "along with 18 of his brethren on the Russian-Lithuanian border."

The text survives in a 16th century copy of the lost 11th century original, kept in Dresden, Germany. (dpa)