“Poland and Finland share a view on a number of current challenges in foreign policy. But above all, we share responsibility for a peaceful and prosperous future of our region and our citizens,” Minister Radosław Sikorski said in a panel discussion with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, a guest of honour at this year’s conference. “We are delighted to host Mr President here because only with closest and most robust partners and allies—like Finland—can we make a difference in the complex world we happen to live in,” Sikorski added in his address. Today’s speeches were a highlight of the current conference of Poland’s incumbent and candidate ambassadors and consuls general, held in Warsaw from 9 to 19 September.

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb attended the event, taking the floor during a panel discussion titled “The Baltic Sea Region Chessboard: Security in an Age of Castling”. In his address, the president said: “Finland and Poland have a lot in common. We are both members of the EU and allies, and we both border the Baltic Sea. The current security situation has brought us even closer together.” “Wars are fought on the battlefield but really won at home,” the president added. Finding it crucial to prevent the conflict from spreading, Stubb recognised the particular importance of the Baltic geopolitics and the engagement of Poland and Germany in the process. President Alexander Stubb also noted that Sweden’s and Finland’s membership of NATO is an outcome of the Russian aggression and a major step towards greater security not only in the Baltic Sea region but also for the Alliance at large. He also underlined the importance of the Arctic in the geopolitical game.

Minister Sikorski stressed that Poland and Finland share not only a similar position on many international challenges but also the responsibility for maintaining peace and undisturbed development in the region. The Baltic Sea region is pivotal in attaining this goal and, again, it has become the battleground of a geopolitical struggle as we have found ourselves in a critical moment in history. We are jointly facing a number of hybrid threats, he added. The head of Polish diplomacy noted that nobody understands the situation in our region better than we do and nobody has better solutions to the challenges we face.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who recalled that “following the constitutional order, the government is responsible for the Polish foreign policy.” “The partners with whom we cooperate understand it,” he added. During his address, Prime Minister Tusk referred to the forthcoming Polish Presidency of the EU Council. “The Presidency will follow the regime laid down in a new act on competences to the detriment of Poland,” he commented. Tusk also announced his intention to consult with all neighbours of Germany regarding German Ministry of the Interior’s decision on border checks.

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This year’s Conference mainly covers topics of the Polish foreign policy agenda and preparations for Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Meetings with representatives of the government and of the MFA, as well as with foreign guests have also been planned. The participants will have the opportunity to attend specialist trainings suited to the nature of their work in different parts of the world.

 

Photo: Konrad Laskowski/MFA