In his remarks, Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said that the pandemic adds up to the gravity of the challenges confronting the countries of North Africa and the Middle East. He stressed that the South’s demographic and economic processes and its unstable security environment need a long-term programme of cooperation between the EU and the region. He added that promoting political and economic stability, including economic growth and job creation, should remain a priority in future relations.
 
Minister Rau underlined that despite its strong involvement in the Eastern neighbourhood dimension, Poland remains active in the South. “We contribute to the EU’s Operation Irini and the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. Poland brings development and humanitarian assistance to the societies of North Africa and the Middle East. Together with the V4 countries, we prepared aid schemes for Libya and Morocco,” recalled the chief of Polish diplomacy. He said that Poland fully supports further development of the European Neighbourhood Policy and opts for maintaining the geographical balance between the Eastern and Southern dimensions—in terms of both political and financial engagement.
 
The ministerial was part of reflection within the EU on future relations with its southern neighbourhood. It brought together High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi as well as foreign ministers of many EU countries and countries covered by the Southern Neighbourhood Policy (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, and Tunisia).
 
MFA Press Office

Fot. Tymon Markowski / MFA