During his meeting with Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, Minister Rau underlined that Poland who is to take over the Chair of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) expects to collaborate closely with Ukraine. „We should examine together how we can effectively take advantage of the opportunity Poland’s chairmanship offers in the context of the settlement process and providing assistance to civilians affected by conflicts,” added Minister Rau. The talks also covered the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline (NS2). The top diplomats stressed that Poland and Ukraine perceive this project not only from the energy security perspective but also from the angle of national security. „We agree that if completed, the NS2 will weaken Ukraine and make it possible for Kremlin to put a number of European countries under political pressure,” said Polish foreign minister.

Speaking with the Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, Minister Rau assured him that Poland attaches great importance to strategic partnership with Romania in all dimensions. „Romania is a reliable NATO’s ally and Poland’s valued partner in the EU. We hope that despite the pandemic we will continue our intensive political dialogue,” said Minister Rau. The head of Polish MFA added that he sees potential in further intensification of Poland’s cooperation with Romania in European and regional matters as well as in the area of security and defence, sustainable development, agriculture, regional development and infrastructure. The talks also focused on NATO’s Strategic Concept which will provide guidelines for the Alliance’s works in the years to come. „It is very essential that this strategic document precisely defines how to prioritize various threats on the basis of their impact on our security,” said Minister Rau.

The head of Polish MFA started his meeting with his Turkish counterpart - Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu with thanking the host for an invitation to participate in the forum. Minister Rau expressed satisfaction  with the excellent state of Polish-Turkish bilateral relations. He thanked Turkey for its increased commitment in NATO’s Eastern flank, also through supporting NATO Baltic Air Policing mission. “We expect to continue our cooperation with Turkey, also in the context of the forthcoming debate on NATO’s new Strategic Concept,” said Minister Rau. He also assured his interlocutor about Poland’s consistent support for Turkey’s European aspirations. „The EU and Turkey need each other as trustworthy and stable partners, particularly in the field of security, fight against terrorism, trade and migration. Poland is an advocate of ambitious and strategic EU-Turkey relations in the future,” affirmed Minister Rau.

During talks with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister Rau highlighted that both Poland and Iran are interested in stabilizing the situation in the Middle East and preventing further proliferation of nuclear weapons. It is of key importance to Europe’s security due to its neighbourhood with the Middle East. “We are convinced that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action which is a nuclear agreement with Iran, can have a positive impact on developments in the Middle East. It is a core element of the global non-proliferation architecture and a point of reference in a debate on this issue,” said Minister Rau. He added that Poland supports all peaceful efforts that aim at counteracting direct threats to the maritime and aviation security, freedom of navigation and global energy supplies.  

MFA Press Office

Photo: Gabriel Piętka / MFA