EU foreign ministers’ Monday session in Brussels focused on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Such was also the context of a meeting with Moldova’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolae Popescu. The FAC also covered the situation in Mali and reached an agreement on the draft Strategic Compass for the EU, scheduled for adoption at the forthcoming European Council meeting.

On 21 March, Minister Zbigniew Rau will be in Brussels to take part in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council devoted to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

On 15-17 March 2022, Deputy Minister Szynkowski vel Sęk visited Copenhagen and Helsinki. The aim of the meetings was to discuss the impact of Russian aggression against Ukraine, work out further ways to support the country and its citizens fleeing from war, including coordination of humanitarian aid. The consultations also covered energy security of our region and Europe. The deputy minister also met with representatives of Polish community organisations in Denmark and Finland.

On 17 March 2022, Minister Zbigniew Rau met with Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain José Manuel Albares Bueno. The talks focused on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and its political, security, military and humanitarian consequences in the European and global dimension.

On 16 March 2022, at an extraordinary meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies in Strasbourg, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe unanimously adopted a resolution to exclude the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe as from that day. The resolution states that the Russian aggression against Ukraine constitutes a serious violation of Article 3 of the Statute of the Council of Europe, which obliges all member states to collaborate sincerely and effectively in the realisation of the aim of the Council.

On 17 March, Poland’s Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro met with International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan. The meeting took place at the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was represented by Secretary of State Piotr Wawrzyk.

On 16 March 2022, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Undersecretary of State Paweł Jabłoński met with members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Poland to discuss coordination of international humanitarian aid for Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees. Apart from the deputy head of Polish diplomacy, other hosts of the meeting included Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Deshchytsia, Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland Bogna Janke, President of the Government Agency for Strategic Reserves Michał Kuczmierowski, and representatives of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration.

Today in Paris, during a special session of UNESCO’s Executive Board held on 15-16 March 2022, with Poland as its current member, the Board adopted a decision to unequivocally deplore Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The Executive Board meeting was convened on the initiative of an interregional group of states in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.