Warsaw Security Forum on October the 5th and 6th this year is the eighth international conference with the participation of several dozen ministers, several hundred diplomats, leaders and experts of international politics and representatives of the defence industry.

“Good starting point for defining any defence concept and proprieties is always an appropriate and honest threat assessment. This is even more important nowadays, when the security environment in Europe and in many other regions, has become more volatile and less predictable than even a few years ago. The “end of the history”, predicted few decades ago, has not come – just the opposite, the history has accelerated. We don’t know exactly how the events will develop ,but precisely because of that we have to be prepared for different scenarios, even those harsh and unwanted” - Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said during the opening of the conference.

In his speech, the head of the Ministry of National Defence drew attention to the deteriorating security landscape in Europe, resulting from Russia's foreign and defence policy. As an example of this policy, the minister cited the recently completed Zapad-21 strategic exercise near NATO's borders, an example of a clear demonstration of Russia's ever-expanding military strength. On the example of the events in Georgia in 2008 and in Ukraine in 2014, the head of the Ministry of National Defence emphasized the complexity of modern warfare measures, including the harmful potential of hybrid tools. He also referred to the example of successive security threats.

"Today’s situation on borders of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia with Belarus exemplifies the possibilities for malevolent actors trying to weaken and undermine our security. Combined with military activities, like large-scale exercises or dislocation of offensive systems in vicinity of NATO borders, these means can significantly contribute to escalation, and thus weaken NATO’s and the EU’s security” - Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said.

“From the beginning of our membership in the North Atlantic Alliance, NATO has been the main pillar of Poland’s security and defence. This principle remains unchanged. However not all security threats should be dealt with by NATO. The Alliance must be ready to take up the most demanding ones, as defined in recent NATO Military Strategy, especially the collective defence. The other actors, however, like the European Union, should also play their parts, nevertheless, with clear division of labour, and clear priorities” - emphasized the head of the Ministry of National Defence.

In his speech, the minister emphasized that Poland is making considerable efforts to build capable armed forces, ready to contribute to a credible deterrence and defence of Poland and the region, and thus constitute a credible force for collective defence. He also cited some already very advanced modernization programs for the Polish Armed Forces.

“In today’s complex security environment no country is able to effectively conduct its security and defence policy alone. International stability and security can only be achieved through combination of national and multinational efforts. Poland is ready to take its share in providing to a more secure NATO, as a stand-alone contributor and as a committed member of multinational structures. While actively participating in NATO initiatives and being a member of the European Union, Poland is also investing by its own in security and defence ,in order to make the Polish Armed Forces ready and fit-for-purpose. This is one the aims our government is firmly devoted to accomplish” - summed up the minister.

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The Warsaw Security Forum is a cyclical event organized since 2014 by the Pułaski Foundation (a Polish think-tank specializing in foreign policy and international security), and from 2020 also by the German Marshall Fund (an American non-governmental organization focusing on transatlantic cooperation).

The Warsaw Security Forum is the leading European platform devoted to transatlantic cooperation, focused on developing responses to security challenges.
The strategic partners of this year's edition of the Forum are the NATO Secretariat and the National Security Office.