Poland in Lebanon

Horizontal priorities of the Polish Presidency in relation to the Middle East and North Africa include global security as one of the main priorities. We will focus on the issues pertinent to the overall security situation in the Middle East. We understand security not only in a military context, but also economic, energy, cyber, information, health and food.  That’s why Poland has been and will continue to be engaged in building resilience when it comes to the EU cooperation.

In this context we identify the following areas as most relevant and important from the EU and its partners perspective:

-     Exploring possibilities of finding immediate and long lasting solutions concerning current conflict in Gaza and mitigating the humanitarian crisis. 

-     Maintaining the cohesion of the European Union for a two-state solution as the target outcome of ending the Middle East conflict. Promoting a narrative strongly emphasizing the primacy of international law in regulating relations between states as well as conduct of war, especially the protection of civilians.

-     Engaging with all stakeholders to improve the functioning of the Palestinian Authority in all aspects.  The cessation of construction of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank is one of the main objectives.

-     Encouraging Israeli and Lebanese authorities to engage with international partners in order to finalize lasting peace and border agreement leading to normalization of relations between both countries. The European Union and member states should consider getting more involved in strengthening of the Lebanese Armed Forces and state institutions’ capacities.

-     Closely monitoring situation in Syria after the fall of B. Al-Assad regime also in the context of Israel’s security concerns.

--   Exploring the  possibilities of reaching practical ways forward in partnership discussions with Israel.

-     Recent events in Syria confirm that the EU must be able to respond quickly and effectively.

-     We should strive to deepen existing cooperation and strengthen positive trends through programs related to strengthening government institutions and fighting extremism.

Throughout Polish presidency, we are committed to fostering close cooperation with the Team Europe to enhance our strategic communication and improve our image. A crucial task in our collaborative efforts will be to effectively identify and counter disinformation while investing in robust communication channels. We will highlight the European Union's impartial role in addressing humanitarian and political crises in the Middle East, actively fighting against unfounded accusations of double standards.

Moreover, Poland prioritizes uniting our regional partners to align with our approach regarding Russia's aggression towards Ukraine. As a direct neighbour of both Ukraine and Russia, Poland is uniquely positioned to disseminate accurate information about the ongoing situation and to advocate for a unified response.