“Community for difficult times” is the motto of this year’s Polish–German Forum in Berlin. Ministers Radosław Sikorski and Johann Wadephul have officially inaugurated the event today. After a seven-year break, the Forum brought together political, scientific, and civil society representatives again.

During the inauguration, Minister Radosław Sikorski recalled an important anniversary—the elections held in Poland on 4 June 1989 changed the course of history, ushering in the fall of communism and making German reunification possible. The head of Polish diplomacy emphasised that it had been a good day to resume the Polish–German Forum taking place in the new Polish Embassy building in Berlin.

The award ceremony of the Polish–German Prize for outstanding merits for the development of Polish–German relations was held during the inauguration. This year’s awards went to the director Elwira Niewiera and Bredbeck Education Centre. Appreciated were their accomplishments in the Polish–German dialogue combined with the efforts and support for Ukraine.

During the meeting in Germany’s capital, Radosław Sikorski and Johann Wadephul discussed security policy, including strengthening Europe's defence capabilities. The ministers elaborated on the support for Ukraine, policy towards Russia, and hybrid threats from Russia and Belarus.

The heads of diplomacies also spoke about bilateral relations, including the need to expand infrastructure connections, and historical issues.

Minister Radosław Sikorski also addressed the border controls introduced by the German side.

The ministers referred to the current situation in transatlantic relations as well, and discussed a joint approach to the challenges in the Western Balkans.