The meeting organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium with the High Representative of the Union was attended by Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Didier Reynders, of Germany, Heiko Maas, of Poland, Jacek Czaputowicz, by Secretary of State to the Minister for European and Foreign Affairs of France, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, and by Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the United Nations of the United Kingdom, Tariq Ahmad. The meeting participants discussed cooperation in the UN Security Council in the context of the situation in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood, including Ukraine. “We want to keep the issue of aggression in Ukraine on the agenda of international forums. It would be worthwhile to consider a possible UN peacekeeping mission in Ukraine and the idea of appointing a UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Ukraine,” said the chief of Polish diplomacy at a joint press conference after the meeting. 

The ministers also discussed relations between the UN and regional organisations in the context of effective conflict prevention and cooperation with those African partners that are also non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. Minister Czaputowicz also shared Poland’s experiences of its first year on the UN Security Council, highlighting Polish priorities and actions taken to implement them. The MFA head underscored that the situation in the Middle East remains a continuous challenge for world peace and security. In this context, he mentioned the international conference to be organised jointly with the United States in Warsaw in February that will be dedicated to this region. Minister Czaputowicz also pointed to the need to merge the EU and US positions on issues of international peace and security. He also announced that during its presidency of the UN Security Council in August, Poland intends to focus on issues concerning the prevention of the most serious crimes under international law and on the promotion of freedom of religion and worship.

The chief of Polish diplomacy was also a guest of honour during a conference of Belgian ambassadors. The key theme of the meeting of Belgian diplomats was the activity of the UN Security Council as Belgium assumes the role of a non-permanent member of this body in 2019-2020. The participants discussed the challenges facing the Security Council this year, among other topics.

The Brussels visit was also an opportunity to hold a bilateral meeting with Minister-President of Flanders Geert Bourgeois. They talked about the involvement of the Flemish government in the preparation of an exhibition “Armoured Wings” showing the liberation of Flanders in 1944 by the First Polish Armoured Division of General Stanisław Maczek. The ministers also discussed matters relating to cooperation between Poland and Flanders, specifically in the area of economic relations.

Minister Czaputowicz also participated in the opening of the exhibition “Armoured Wings” in the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History in Brussels. “Contributing to the victory of our allies during World War Two, the Polish armed forces wrote a great chapter in military history,” the chief of Polish diplomacy said, stressing that the exhibition pays special tribute to those brave men and their great commander. “General Maczek’s and his soldiers’ dreams became a reality. Today, Poland is a free country that can pay homage to its heroes and tell their story to the world,” Minister Czaputowicz remarked. The opening of the exhibition was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence of Belgium Didier Reynders and Minister-President of Flanders Geert Bourgeois.

Photos gallery:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/polandmfa/sets/72157702888543562

 

MFA Press Office
 

Photo Gabriel Piętka / MSZ