The meetings at the MFA focused on Eastern policy. The agenda included also Poland’s and Germany’s actions as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, efforts to stabilize the Middle East and North Africa in the context of migratory pressure and current items concerning the European neighborhood policy.

The officials also talked about the prospects for resolving the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, specifically in light of the recent developments and the upcoming Normandy format summit. Deputy Minister Przydacz: “Poland advocates Ukraine’s full sovereignty and territorial integrity and promotes all efforts aimed at finding a solution to the conflict in Ukraine with due account of these principles.” The deputy minister went on to inform his interlocutors about the expected results of the recent visit of Ukraine’s president to Poland and about Poland’s support for Ukraine’s reforms.

Another topic was the situation in Russia in the context of the latest citizens’ protests and the necessity to sustain the EU’s position towards Russia, including five guiding principles of EU-Russia relations. The deputy minister said: “Poland actively supports Russia’s civil society and encourages the German side to continue stepping up its efforts in this respect, also by bringing European institutions on board for this cause. It is an important investment in the future.” At the same time, he highlighted the fact that the agreed parameters of the EU’s position towards the Russian Federation, including the sanctions policy, remain in force.

The German side expressed its interest in the Three Seas Initiative and emphasised its significance.

The meeting also discussed the prospects for bringing stability to the Middle East and North Africa. “Our activity focuses on countries from which migration originates and transit countries. We need to counter the causes, not the effects of migration. The instruments of development policy are an appropriate tool for this purpose,” concluded Deputy Minister Przydacz.

The undersecretary of state at the Polish MFA also emphasised the value of Polish-German cooperation at the UN Security Council during their non-permanent membership.

The talks at the German Chancellery focused on policy in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood in the East. Both sides expressed their strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and stated that there can be no return to “business as usual” policy towards Russia.

The interlocutors agreed that the Polish-German dialogue should be continued.

 

MFA Press Office

Photo German Federal Foreign Office