“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army, I hereby notify belligerent and neutral governments and nations of the existence of an Independent Polish State, within all the territories of the united Poland.” – with these words Józef Piłsudski addressed the heads of world powers and notified them about the formation of the Second Polish Republic.

As part of celebrations of the Foreign Service Day, it is customary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to organise an Open Day during which everybody can learn about the unique character of a career in diplomacy and what a typical workday at the Polish MFA looks like. Unfortunately, this year, due to the sanitary restrictions linked to the coronavirus pandemic, we were forced to abandon this tradition.

This has been an exceptional year for Poland’s foreign policy. It has abounded in anniversaries that are important both for Poland and for the whole of Europe. The most important of these include: the 100th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s birth, the centenary of the Battle of Warsaw, and the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Solidarity movement. The cement holding together these events and the leitmotif of promotional campaigns worldwide has been our desire to show the profound significance of such values as freedom and solidarity. These concepts have become particularly important in times of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In recent months, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has often taken part in aid campaigns for countries around the world, organising or coordinating transport of medical supplies and dispatching medical staff to areas most affected by the pandemic, and has presented the global public opinion with examples of Polish solidarity.

The year 2020 also marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and of the establishment of the United Nations. Another important topic we would like to draw your attention to is Poland’s presidency of the Visegrad Group (July 2020 - June 2021), a format of regional cooperation which in February 2021 will also mark the 30th anniversary of its formation.