Poland in the EU

Minister Zbigniew Rau thanked for the support that Poland, together with Lithuania and Latvia, received from European partners in connection with Belarus' actions on the EU's eastern border. He stressed that the hybrid attack organised by Belarus is an unprecedented situation and the risk of escalation of the conflict is very real. He stressed the need to intensify the dialogue of the EU and Member States with the countries of origin and transit of migrants from North Africa and the Middle East, in order to block their influx into Belarus. He also recalled the situation in Belarus itself, where there are currently more than 800 political prisoners, including Angelika Borys and Andrzej Poczobut. As a result of the discussion, ministers agreed that the fifth package of sanctions against Belarus should be adopted as soon as possible.

With regard to the situation in the Western Balkans, the head of Polish diplomacy stressed that in order to build the EU's global position, its ability to positively influence the situation in our immediate neighbourhood is essential. He expressed support for stronger engagement in political dialogue and the inclusion of the countries of the region in EU programmes and policies that would bring tangible benefits to their citizens. He called for reinvigorating accession negotiations with Serbia and Montenegro and unblocking the start of negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.

Referring to the situation in the Sahel, Minister Rau highlighted the need to maintain the EU's support for the countries of the region, while stressing their own responsibility in the fight against terrorism. He expressed concern about the potential presence of the Wagner Group in Mali, whose activities in other parts of Africa and the Middle East had led to a deterioration in security, and expressed support for the EU to counter this.

During the discussion on the Strategic Compass, the head of Polish diplomacy appealed for full transparency and taking into account the voice of the Member States in the work on the Compass. He stressed that Poland considered the objectives of the Common Security and Defence Policy set out in the draft document to be adequate. At the same time, he pointed out that the EU must consider other obligations of the Member States in order to avoid problems with the implementation of ambitious goals. He stressed the importance of strengthening the EU's partnerships, in particular with NATO. He welcomed the consideration of the threats posed by disinformation campaigns against the EU and the declaration of further work on mechanisms for countering hybrid attacks.

The meeting of EU and Eastern Partnership foreign ministers focused on discussing the most important issues in cooperation between the European Union and the countries of the region before the next Eastern Partnership summit, scheduled for 15 December. During the discussion, ministers stressed the importance of EU assistance in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and the socio-economic consequences of the crisis.

Minister Rau stressed that it is in Poland's interest to integrate the EaP countries with the EU as closely as possible. He expressed the expectation that, at the December Summit, the EU should send a strong political signal on efforts to bring the partner countries further into the EU. - We should support the European aspirations of the more engaged partner countries and their gradual approximation to the EU Common Market, while emphasising the unity of the Eastern Partnership. Poland welcomed the initiative for closer cooperation between Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine," said Minister Rau.

The head of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of sectoral cooperation, the results of which would be visible to ordinary citizens and support for young people. He also pointed to the importance of strengthening the partners' resilience to external and internal threats, in view of the events taking place in the region. - A key issue in the coming years will be strengthening the security dimension within the Eastern Partnership, Minister Rau stressed.

Referring to the decision of the Belarusian authorities to suspend the participation of Belarus in the work of the Eastern Partnership, the Minister emphasised the need to maintain contacts and cooperation with the Belarusian society.

Source: own / Ministry of Foreign Affairs