Polish aid

Undersecretary of State Jakub Wiśniewski noted that building the resilience of states and societies in developing countries will be the key theme of Poland’s presidency in the area of development cooperation. As he stressed, Poland wants to put emphasis on helping development partners increase their ability to respond to various types of crises, both natural and man-made. He said that Poland wants to play the role of a responsible partner that equally recognises the needs of the countries of the Eastern Neighbourhood and those of the Global South. Deputy Minister Wiśniewski outlined the preliminary calendar of the Polish presidency, indicating the intention to host an informal ministerial meeting in Warsaw and to co-organise the European Humanitarian Forum with the European Commission.

Ministers agreed about a need to give renewed impetus to EU discussions on development cooperation, making them more strategic and responsive to global challenges, e.g. with regard to building new international partnerships, creating an attractive EU aid and investment offer, and ensuring greater coherence of EU measures.

The talks also dealt with supporting Ukraine and the policy towards Eastern European neighbours as well as the commitment to implement the EU’s Global Gateway investment strategy. Deputy Minister Wiśniewski assured the Danish side that Poland’s sensitivity to Eastern issues does not mean ignoring the problems of African countries. He recalled that Polish Aid’s priority countries include four African ones: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Senegal.

Deputy Ministers Lotte Machon and Jakub Wiśniewski also drew attention to the special moment of the Polish and Danish presidencies—the start of the new EU institutional cycle and the discussion of the new Multiannual Financial Framework after 2027.