World leaders took part in the opening of the 81st  session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski and President Karol Nawrocki, who is heading the Polish delegation. The leaders were welcomed for the last time by Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term expires on 31 December. The secretary-general spoke about the changes that have taken place in the world in recent years.

Over the last decade, wars erupted with devastating consequences and dragged on with despicable cruelty. Civilians were targeted. Human rights trampled. Hunger weaponized. Humanitarians killed. International law cast aside. Geopolitical divides have deepened. Inequalities have intensified

said Secretary-General António Guterres, adding that the main crises and challenges facing the world are conflicts, inequality, climate change, and technological changes.

Most of these challenges were also the subject of bilateral talks held by Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski. On the second day of the high-level week, the head of Polish diplomacy took part in a meeting on maritime security hosted by German foreign minister. Minister Sikorski, together with the heads of diplomacy of: Australia, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United Kingdom discussed, among other things, strengthening partnerships with Indo-Pacific countries, including strategic relations with Japan and South Korea,  continuing dialogue in support of a rules-based international order, and limiting Russia’s influence in the region.

The MFA chief also met with US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Ruben Gallego. During the talks, the minister emphasised the importance of the presence of US troops in Poland and of military cooperation between the two countries, in particular in the context of the war beyond NATO’s eastern flank. The politicians provided assurances regarding the validity of guarantees under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

During the UN high-level week, Minister Sikorski drew attention to Russian provocations:

Putin is trying to provoke NATO in order to justify to his own public opinion why he is sending another half a million of young Russians to war in Ukraine. Russia is sending soldiers, cruise missiles, and drones. Russia is blowing up moving trains, trying to plant incendiary devices on airliners, torching shopping malls, I could go on. ... It might do something reckless and provocative below the threshold of a full-scale war. Therefore, our allies’ warranties are so important for us,

said Poland’s top diplomat.

Security was also a primary topic during Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski’s bilateral meetings. In his conversation with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tleuberdi, he stressed that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine poses a threat not only to Poland, but also to the whole region.

With the partners from Africa, the Polish foreign minister exchanged views on the conflict in the Middle East, the situation in the Persian Gulf, and other issues. During a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Minister Sikorski discussed, among other things, the development of Polish–Egyptian relations, including economic, agricultural, and scientific cooperation, as well as the University of Warsaw’s collaboration with partners in Egypt, the situation in Yemen, and maritime security in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab.

Talking to Mauritania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Minister Sikorski raised the issue of stability and security of the Sahel, countering illegal migration, and cooperation with the European Union.

On behalf of the EU, the head of Polish diplomacy also met with Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations Lejeune Mbella Mbella. He presented the EU member states’ position on Russia’s war against Ukraine and noted Cameroon’s role in ensuring regional stability in the Chad Basin and the Gulf of Guinea.

Poland’s top diplomat is going to stay in New York until 24 September. He will hold a total of over 30 meetings in diverse formats to discuss, among other things, the future of multilateral cooperation and the need for UN reform. On Wednesday, 23 September, during a UN Security Council debate, the deputy prime minister will present Poland’s position on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

For more information on the first day of Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski’s visit to the US, go to: LINK