On the third day of his US visit, the chief of Polish diplomacy took part in a discussion panel “NATO at 70: Commemorating the Past. Preparing for the Future.” Minister Jacek Czaputowicz recalled in his speech that “We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary acceding to NATO.” He added that “For Poland, joining NATO was like seeing its 1980s dream come true.” The minister also said that during their meetings in Washington, NATO member states will discuss ways to adapt NATO to new challenges and will look at how to ensure closer trans-Atlantic ties. He went on to say that “There are some differences of opinion between the US and the EU. However, it is thanks to the US military presence in Europe that we can feel safer.” 

On Wednesday, Minister Jacek Czaputowicz also attended the joint session of the US Congress, where he listened to the address of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “The Secretary General presented the perspective of the Alliance as a whole. He emphasized NATO’s importance in the past and today and pointed to the threats,” said the Polish foreign minister. “We share the opinion that Russia poses a threat. New challenges [are emerging] and we need to strengthen NATO: the US needs a stable Europe, and Europe needs the US.”

‎Minister Jacek Czaputowicz also said that if the US withdraws from the INF Treaty, the deal will cease to exist. “Russia, which has violated the treaty, is to blame for this situation. The Alliance needs to respond strongly,” stressed Minister Jacek Czaputowicz.‎ “We need to reform the Alliance and boost defence spending, for the threat is real,” he added.

The Polish top diplomat also talked with US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker. In the context of the forthcoming 5th anniversary of the illegal annexation of Crimea the Polish foreign minister underlined the need to continue the policy of non-recognition and condemnation of Russia’s illegal actions. “We talked about the situation in Ukraine and about the changes that the elections will bring,” said the Polish MFA chief at a press briefing following his meeting with Kurt Volker. “We also explored what the international community can do to support Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

In Washington, the Polish foreign minister also met with Brian Hook, the US Special Representative for Iran. Among the topics they discussed were further actions under the Warsaw Process, launched jointly by Poland and the US to build peace and security in the Middle East, with a focus on establishing working groups. “What we started in Warsaw, we will continue [together] with the United States,” said Minister Jacek Czaputowicz. 

High on the agenda of Minister Jacek Czaputowicz’s visit to Washington was a conference to mark NATO’s 70th anniversary, organized by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Atlantic Council and the Munich Security Conference. During the panel “Stronger Together: The Importance of Allies in an Era of Great Power Confrontation,” Minister Jacek Czaputowicz drew attention to the fact that amid different external threats, such as the ones coming from Russia or China, NATO Allies should act in the spirit of solidarity. “The unity of the Alliance is the only way to confront the emerging threats,” said the Polish top diplomat.

‎Today, Minister Jacek Czaputowicz also joined NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a reception to celebrate NATO’s 70th anniversary.

MFA Press Office

Photo Tymon Markowski / MFA