On Thursday, August 1, 2019, we mark the 75th anniversary of the Warsaw Rising. Every year, at 5 p.m. on this day, alarm sirens are heard on the streets of Warsaw. The city comes to a halt. In holding a minute of silence, Warsaw residents pay tribute to the fallen insurgents and those who survived.

On 1-2 August, Minister Czaputowicz will visit New York, where he will take part in a UN Security Council open debate on children and armed conflict.

“Today we bow our heads together in memory of the Warsaw Insurgents, the heroes of those days from 75 years ago. We owe them a debt of gratitude for freedom — a great gift that we can enjoy today,” Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said during a meeting with young people at the Warsaw Rising Museum. It was also attended by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

“The minister’s visit continues the tradition of key German politicians participating in the commemoration of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising. It is also a proof of Germany’s and Poland’s close relations and the importance both sides attach to an honest and intensive dialogue,” said Minister Jacek Czaputowicz during a press conference summarising the first day of the visit of German Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas to Poland.

“Protection of civilians during military conflicts is a priority area strictly related to international humanitarian law. We focus primarily on the groups most affected by military operations and discrimination, that is women, children, people with disabilities and religious minorities,” said Minister Jacek Czaputowicz during a meeting with the diplomatic corps on the occasion of Poland taking over the UN Security Council presidency in August.

“During your stay here, you are learning the Polish language, Polish culture, history and customs, but you also get to know Poles who have been living in Poland since their birth. You get to know the country where your forefathers lived, your close or more distant family. You are learning your roots,” Deputy Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk said to the young participants of the “Polska jest w Tobie” (Poland is in You) programme.

“Poland supports any and all initiatives to resolve the crisis in Venezuela by peaceful means,” Minister Jacek Czaputowicz has assured ambassadors of the Lima Group during their meeting today. They talked about international efforts to address the situation in Venezuela.

The Polish-Lithuanian consultations, which were held on Tuesday in Vilnius, focused on the new term of the European Commission, negotiations on a new long-term budget and climate neutrality.

Poland welcomes the peaceful conduct of the snap parliamentary elections in Ukraine of July 21 which in principle respected international electoral standards. At the same time we note preliminary conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR mission.