This year’s Heads of Missions Conference has gathered around 170 people in charge of Polish embassies, permanent representations, the Polish Institutes, consulates-general, and consular sections of Poland’s largest embassies.

All participants took part in an official dinner and were joined by over 140 Poland’s honorary consuls from all over the world, the dinner being the last item on the agenda of the Meeting of Honorary Consuls, which has continued since Friday. The guests were welcomed by Undersecretary of State Artur Harazim and Head of the Foreign Service and Director-General Henryka Mościcka-Dendys. Minister of Finance Andrzej Domański and Vice-Rector for Research Professor Mariusz Malinowski also took the floor.

The Heads of Missions Conference officially started on 6 July with a debate on strategy attended by Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski.

During the panel, the head of Polish diplomacy noted Poland’s dynamic development over the recent years:

The imbalance of power between us and the western Europe is much smaller today than in the past. We were, indeed, a marginal and very poor country back then. Today, not only are we much wealthier but we are also experiencing greater growth

- said Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski.

Poland’s top diplomat also spoke on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the need to invest in defence.

I think that the next war will be won by those who will learn the lesson from the Russo–Ukrainian war. It is only the SAFE loan that provides us with the means to invest in drones and anti-drone systems. The question is whether we create an army that will match Russia’s army after the war. It’s not just Ukraine that has learnt its lesson. Russians have, too. The race is on: every few months either Ukraine or Russia gains the upper hand in new technologies

- added Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski.

The Conference participants will attend a total of more than a dozen of discussion panels and lectures centering on security, current developments in Europe, transatlantic relations, and changes in the global international order.

France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot will be the guest of honour at this year’s Conference. The agenda also includes meetings with representatives of the Polish government. Moreover, regional meetings and training sessions have been planned for heads of missions on team management and working with the media.

The Conference will last until 10 July.