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Poland has been a member of the North Atlantic Alliance for 25 years

12.03.2024

On 12 March 1999, a free and democratic Poland joined the North Atlantic Alliance. On that date, NATO opened its ranks to three former Warsaw Pact members: Poland, Czechia, and Hungary.

Polska, Czechy i Wêgry zosta³y w pi¹tek, 12 bm. oficjalnie przyjête w poczet cz³onków NATO. Podczas uroczystoœci w Independence (Missouri, USA), sekretarz stanu USA Madeleine Albright przyjê³a dokumenty akcesyjne z r¹k szefów dyplomacji nowych pañstw cz³onkowskich -
Bronis³awa Geremka, Jana Kavana (Czechy) i Janosa Martonyiego (Wêgry). Na zdjêciu: szef polskiej dyplomacji Bronis³aw Geremek (przy stole) podpisuje w Bibliotece Trumana w Independence dokumenty akcesyjne cz³onkostwa Polski w NATO. Za nim od lewej stoj¹: amerykañska sekretarz stanu Madeleine Albright, czeski minister spraw zagranicznych Jan Kavan i wêgierski minister spraw zagranicznych Janos Martonyi. PAP/EPA
(CLIFF SCHIAPPA)

For Poland, the event crowned years of effort to obtain reliable security guarantees. NATO accession was also an opportunity for the country’s development and economic growth as part of the Western community of interests and values.

Today, Poland strengthens and modernises its armed forces. It plays a key role in defending the North Atlantic Alliance’s eastern flank. The Polish army takes part in Allied deterrence and defence measures and NATO’s missions and operations. We are consistently pursuing NATO’s effective adjustment to a volatile security situation, which is particularly important in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine.

The North Atlantic Alliance has ensured the security of its members for 75 years now as a central component of the strategic relations linking Europe with the United States and Canada. The same as 75 years ago, the transatlantic defence cooperation forms the foundation of present-day security in Europe and remains a source of stability and peace in the world.

Owing to the accession of Sweden on 7 March, the latest expansion of NATO has added significantly to the security of not only Poland but also the Baltic Sea region and NATO as a whole.

Published below are two historic documents that go back 25 years to offer an insight into that special day in the history of Poland:

  1. NATO’s press release from 1999—a welcoming statement by the North Atlantic Council to Czechia, Hungary, and Poland;
  1. Letter from NATO’s Secretary General to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland communicating approval of Poland’s accession to NATO in 1999.

 

Author/photo source: CLIFF SCHIAPPA / AP POOL
Provider: PAP/EPA

 

Materials

NATO’s press release from 1999 - a welcoming statement by the North Atlantic Council to Czechia, Hungary, and Poland
Komunikat​_prasowy​_NATO​_12​_marca​_1999.pdf 0.04MB
Letter from NATO’s Secretary General to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland communicating approval of Poland’s accession to NATO in 1999
List​_NATO​_do​_PL​_informujący​_o​_zgodzie​_na​_akcesję​_styczeń​_1999.pdf 0.04MB

Photos (4)

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