“Today, as we are remembering the 100th birthday anniversary of Pope John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyła, we want to share with the whole world the power of hope which he left for us as his heritage, particularly during these hard times,” said Deputy Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk as he initiated the programme to commemorate the achievements of St John Paul II and the Pope himself.

Under the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 16 May 2020 on certain limitations, orders and prohibitions due to the state of epidemic (Journal of Laws, item 878) we hereby inform that exempted from obligatory quarantine are persons who cross Polish internal border for professional, business or gainful purposes in Poland or another EU or EEA country.

“We are in favour of an increased involvement of the EU in the Southern Neighbourhood countries during the COVID-19 pandemic to counteract the economic crisis and political unrest,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Jacek Czaputowicz at a videoconference of foreign ministers from EU member states.

- Poland has implemented humanitarian projects in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan to support local communities in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, - said Minister Czaputowicz during a video conference organised on the initiative of Spain. The meeting was also attended by chiefs of diplomacy of Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary, and Italy. The ministers discussed support for the EU’s southern neighbours in their efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We hope that Poland’s bilateral relations with Slovenia, our close partner and ally in the EU and NATO, will go from strength to strength. Poland’s upcoming presidency of the Visegrad Group and preparations for Slovenia’s presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2021 will give us many opportunities to cooperate,” Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said during today’s video conference with Anže Logar, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Slovenia. This was their first talk since the new Slovenian government took office on 13 March 2020.

Russian mass media have informed about dismantling of plaques which commemorate Polish officers murdered by the NKVD and other NKVD victims. The plaques were erected on the building of Tver State Medical University which in 1935-1953 was the seat of the NKVD Regional Board in Kalinin (now Tver). The first of the plaques, commemorating the POWs of the Ostashkov camp who had been murdered in the basement of this building, was unveiled in June 1992 on the initiative of the Katyn Family Association in Opole. The other plaque was put up earlier on the initiative of the Russian “Memorial” Society.

Seventy five years after the end of the Second World War, we pay tribute to its victims. We remember the indomitable struggle of the Polish nation against Nazi Germany throughout the conflict in Europe, lasting from September 1939 to May 1945.

The future of the Eastern Partnership, arrangements for the next EU-EaP summit on 18 June 2020 as well as efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic were the key items discussed on 6-7 May by Minister Jacek Czaputowicz and the diplomacy chiefs of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Transport with material assistance of personal protective equipment has reached the Vatican today. The aid organised jointly by the Polish government and the PKN Orlen company, will be handed over to the Secretariat of State of the Holy See.