In the discussion on Belarus, Minister Rau thanked the European Commission for publishing the plan of economic support to democratic Belarus. The plan is a concrete offer of the EU’s support for Belarusian society once the country embarks on a democratic transition. He expressed satisfaction with the prompt application of the decision the European Council took in May in response to the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk. The chief of Polish diplomacy stressed the importance of the Council’s adoption of another package of sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for repression and abduction of Raman Pratasevich, and of the rapid progress of work on targeted sectoral economic sanctions. “The sanctions are reversible – they can be lifted upon further actions Minsk undertakes including, among others, stopping repression, releasing prisoners and entering into a dialogue with the society, which should lead to free and fair elections,” he noted.

During the meeting with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Minister Rau thanked her for her persistence and commitment to act on behalf of Belarusian society. The Polish foreign minister assured her of Poland’s commitment to enhance human rights in Belarus.

The discussion on Iraq focused on actions the government in Baghdad has taken to strengthen the country’s sovereignty and security. The foreign ministers assured that the EU’s engagement in the stabilisation and reconstruction of Iraq in its military and humanitarian dimension will continue. In the discussion with the head of Iraqi diplomacy, the ministers highlighted the importance of the parliamentary elections in that country in October. They also expressed satisfaction with the fact that the EU has been invited to observe the election process.

As regards the EU’s cooperation and relations with Latin America and Caribbean countries, the foreign ministers underscored that fighting the pandemic and expediting the supply of vaccines is a priority, adding that the EU’s actions in this field should be more visible. The EU foreign ministers noted Russia’s and China’s growing influence in the region. The diplomats stressed the importance of trade and association agreements between the EU and Latin America and Caribbean countries.

Speaking about Russia, the head of the Polish MFA thanked the High Representative and the European Commission for the release of their joint communication which aptly points to threats posed by Moscow. It is vital that the so-called five guiding principles remain the foundation of the EU’s policy towards Russia. The Polish side also expressed hope that heads of state and government will confirm the importance of the principles during the forthcoming meeting of the European Council (24-25 June 2021).

Minister Zbigniew Rau informed his interlocutors of the campaign of cyber and disinformation attacks, probably coming from Russia, that has lasted since September 2020 and targeted members of the government and the parliament, as well as some Polish journalists. He pointed out that these incidents attack key democratic values – freedom of speech and public debate – and aim at undermining trust in the North Atlantic Alliance as well as suggesting that Poland undertakes hostile actions against Belarus. The Polish top diplomat stressed that also other EU member states have fallen victim to similar attacks over the last few years.

 

MFA Press Office
 

Photo: Łucja Sucharska / MFA, Zucchi-Enzo / European Union