Poland and Luxembourg present a unified front in Europe
18.06.2024
Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, where he met with Prime Minister Luc Frieden to talk about security matters, as well as the political situation in the aftermath of the European Parliament elections. The Polish Prime Minister also attended an informal European Council meeting in Brussels on the previous day.
Poland and Luxembourg stand together for the benefit of Europe
The Prime Ministers of Poland and Luxembourg issued a common statement concerning their views within the European People's Party, leaning towards the political centre.
“We constitute a de facto majority. I mentioned the three main factions in the European Parliament. Of course, there are some matters that evoke an emotional response, and there are situations where these emotions take the better of us, but that is one of the essential conditions for reaching a good consensus - listening to each other and understanding each other for the sake of the cause,” said Donald Tusk in a statement issued after his meeting with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg.
Another key aspect concerns shared views on European security.
“The defence of Europe, including against the emerging extremist attitudes, as well as commitment to European values are paramount. Since we are in the circle of these political factions, we do not need to keep redefining these concepts.
We share many points of view and many views concerning making Europe safer, preventing the escalation of war, as well as preventing the conflict from potentially spreading from Ukraine to the territory of any European country,” Prime Minister Luc Frieden pointed out.
Collaboration to bolster security
Poland sees security issues as a crucial matter, along with many other European states.
“Decision-makers and prospective decision-makers share views on hybrid attacks, on migration - including irregular one - and attitudes towards the actions and policies pursued by the likes of Putin and Lukashenko,” stated Prime Minister Tusk.
Poland needs to protect its eastern border, and the European Union needs to keep in mind that both it and Poland share the same border. That is why we are pursuing a responsible policy and taking measures that will protect citizens from the threat from the East.
“As Western leaders, we understand the situation and the specific threats that are looming on our eastern border. This is not just a Polish-Belarusian border - it is also an EU border with the East. It is the external border of the European Union. In this sense, it is also the Luxembourg-Belarus border,” the Polish Prime Minister pointed out.
Poland is currently the most vulnerable of all the European Union member states, as it is bordering Russia, Belarus and war-torn Ukraine. That is why we are taking action to protect the Polish and European skies from all aerial threats.
“Compared to previous years, the talks are now gaining some momentum. We quickly came to a consensus. I have not heard any dissenting opinions among those whom I have met recently. In fact, despite our internal competition, I feel that we are on the same boat, we are part of a single entity," Mr. Tusk added.
“We keep talking about security matters that affect us all. We need to consider our own security in the context of the whole European Union, as well as the security of our partners and allies. These aspects are all interconnected,” Mr. Frieden added.
The talks between the Prime Ministers of Poland and Luxembourg also touched on the NATO summit, which is slated to take place in Washington in July.
Cooperation for Development
The Polish Prime Minister expressed gratitude to his Luxembourg counterpart for the collaboration and good relations, all made possible thanks to sharing views and insights on many issues.
“We have this sense of security because we can trust each other to make the right decisions. I know these decisions are right and purposeful and that our European friends also share our views, as well as understanding of these matters,” said the Polish Prime Minister.
The two countries will continue their cooperation in the areas of science, cybersecurity and new technologies. Joint investments in the energy sector are also a major area of cooperation.
“Our goal is to make Europe and its neighbours less dependent on other parts of the world - in particular the regions and blocs which show more and more hostility towards us - especially when it comes to energy sources and their processing," announced the Prime Minister of Luxembourg.
In April, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg visited Poland during the EU Strategic Agenda Summit.