“What binds us together is not only our geographical contiguity. We not only have a common history or a common understanding of the words “freedom” and “solidarity”, but we also face similar socio-economic challenges,” said Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Government Plenipotentiary for the Polish Presidency of the Visegrad Group and the Celebrations of the 30th Anniversary of Visegrad Cooperation Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk during today’s media briefing at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.

Thirty years ago, on 15 February 1991, the presidents of Poland and the Czechoslovakia, and the prime minister of Hungary signed the Declaration on Cooperation between the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Hungary in Striving for European Integration in the castle of Visegrad, Hungary.

On Monday, 15 February 2021, a stamp commemorating the “30th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Visegrad Group” was released. The issue is a joint initiative of the Polish Post and postal operators in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Post office customers and stamp collectors can buy the stamp during Poland’s presidency of the Visegrad Group (V4) which started in July 2020.

- The V4 was and still is a pragmatic and useful cooperation platform - said Minister Zbigniew Rau on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Visegrad Group during his conversation with Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Ivan Korčok. - We can be proud of what we have achieved over the past 30 years - underlined Minister Korčok.

Post-Covid-19 recovery was the focus of the first meeting organised as a video conference by the Permanent Representative of Poland to the OSCE in Vienna under this year’s Polish Chairmanship of the OSCE Mediterranean Partnership for Co-operation.

“Over recent months, our relations have been very intensive, which reflects the dynamic developments in our countries, in Europe and globally. The Czech Republic remains Poland’s strategic neighbour,” said Minister Zbigniew Rau in a conversation with the Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister Tomaš Petříček.

“Challenges arising in our eastern neighbourhood call for intensive dialogue, and wherever possible – joint engagement,” emphasised Deputy Minister Marcin Przydacz during consultations with his Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian counterparts – Aleš Chmelař, Martin Klus, and István Balogh respectively. The meeting, held in the form of a videoconference, confirmed the need for regular discussions at the forum of the Visegrad Group on Eastern policy.

Today’s video conference, organised by Bulgaria, was attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński and government coordinators for the Three Seas Initiative. Representatives of the European Commission, United States, and Germany joined the discussion along with representatives of the format’s member states. Bulgaria convened the meeting to present its vision of developing cooperation within the Three Seas Initiative. The conference also aimed to support preparations for the sixth Three Seas Summit, which will take place in Sofia at the turn of June and July.

- Poland welcomes the involvement of the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union in development cooperation, particularly in negotiations of the post-Cotonou agreement that comprehensively defines the EU’s future relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. We also appreciate Portugal’s activities in Africa-related matters, including areas that particularly require the EU’s attention, such as Ethiopia in the context of the conflict in the Tigray province, and Mozambique, in connection with the Islamic rebels’ activity in Cabo Delgado, - stressed Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński during a telephone conversation with Secretary of State at Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Francisco André.

- Poland does not forget about those in need, not only in our country but also around the world. Today, we are sending another humanitarian aid transport to Iraq in response to a great demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a war with the so-called Islamic State. Our intention is to support the medical services there in providing the necessary help to the inhabitants of Iraqi Kurdistan, - emphasised Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Paweł Jabłoński speaking about the aid dispatched today in coordination with the Ministry of National Defence, its subordinate air units, and the Material Reserves Agency. As part of the Poland’s relief effort for Iraq, the Material Reserves Agency has airlifted blankets, surgical gowns, towels and sheets which will reach the needy.