Prime Minister: “That we have to be strong at our borders is more than clear”

This year, the motto of the conference at the Bled Strategic Forum was “Future of Europe”. Discussions involving heads of countries, governments and international institutions concerned, among others, the gaps between the West and the East, the promotion of Western values in a multilateral world and the enlargement of the European Union. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki took part in the prime ministers’ panel titled “Future of Europe – Enlargement”, which dealt with the prospects for integrating the EU with Western Balkan countries.
“In the coming decades, the biggest challenge faced by the EU will be migrations. Western Balkans should join the common security architecture as soon as possible. We need to send a strong signal to institutions in this regard,” said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
“We also need friends at the eastern borders of the Community. Recent events at the eastern border of Poland only confirm this,” he added.
In his speech, the Prime Minister emphasised the importance of enlargement of the European Union. He stressed that enlargement of the Community would strengthen the Union, which wants to and can play a bigger role internationally.
“Inclusion of Western Balkan countries in the common market, the Schengen Area and the cohesion policy should be the first step towards their membership in the European Union,” he stated.

The Bled Strategic Forum

The Blend Strategic Forum has been held since 2006 and is organised by the Government of Slovenia and Slovenian think-tank Centre for European Perspective. Meetings during the Forum deal with important international matters. This year’s participants discussed topics related to the future of Europe. The “Future of Europe – Enlargement” panel was attended, in addition to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, by Presidents of Bulgaria and Slovenia, Prime Ministers of Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Slovenia, the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement and the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the end of the conference, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki took part in a meeting of leaders and former leaders who attended the Forum.

Meeting of the Head of the Government with Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Janša

During his visit in Slovenia, the Prime Minister also met with Prime Minister Janez Janša. The main topics discussed by the leaders of the two countries were bilateral and international matters (including migrations and the situation in Afghanistan) and the current European agenda in the context of Slovenian presidency of the Council of the European Union in the 1st half of 2021. Poland and Slovenia have very good bilateral relations at the governmental, presidential and parliamentary levels. Since Janez Janša became the Head of the Government, there has been a clear intensification of relations at the governmental level, as demonstrated by the visit of Prime Minister Janša in Poland.

The EU intends for its Member States to defend its eastern border together

During his meeting with the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Head of the Government Mateusz Morawiecki also raised the issue of migration and the situation at the border between Poland and Belarus. He stressed that improving the management of external borders of the Community is an important task. The Prime Minister expressed his hope for effective cooperation in this regard while Slovenia holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union.