In the years 2007-2011, the Polish Prime Minister paid almost 100 foreign visits and hosted more than 120 official delegations from various parts of the world. Diplomatic relations were maintained with 183 countries. Foreign policy, active and based on partnership, conducted by the government yields effects. Poland is a European Union and NATO member state; relations with neighbours, including Russia and Germany, improved significantly and cooperation within the Visegrad Group and Weimar Triangle was boosted. Positive decisions of the European Council and election of Poles to the most important posts in the European Union are also the success of Polish diplomacy.
Partner dialogue with European neighbours
The government restored relations based on partnership with Poland’s most important neighbours. The enlivening of contacts with Germany on the head of government level is visible. Apart from Chancellor Merkel’s visits in Poland and Prime Minister Tusk’s visits in Germany, a number of bilateral meetings of both countries’ heads of governments were held, among other things, on the occasion of such events like the ceremony of expanding the Schengen zone, the Munich Security Conference, and the Climate Conference in Copenhagen. Polish Prime Minister’s and German chancellor’s cooperation is supported by active consultations on government and parliamentary levels. Both countries effectively cooperate on the European Union arena.
Polish-Russian relations have improved. Vladimir Putin, the prime minister of Russia, took part in the celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Second World War outbreak, held in Westerplatte. A significant step in the discussions on the difficult history of both nations was the invitation extended by Putin to the Polish prime minister to commemorate jointly the victims of the Katyn massacre. The crash of the presidential plane near Smolensk constituted a new challenge for the cooperation between the two states.
Poland maintains good relations on government level also with other partners in the European Union. Regular inter-government consultations and held with France and Spain. The year 2009 saw the beginning of intergovernmental cooperation with Italy, when the first Polish-Italian consultations were held.
In its foreign policy, Poland is guided by the principle of partnership and solidarity. During the highest wave of the global economic crisis, we supported the countries most strongly affected by recession. Within the framework of bilateral aid, Poland granted Iceland the loan of USD 200 million, Latvia – EUR 100 million and Moldova – EUR 15 million. Our country supported higher contributions of member states in the International Monetary Fund, which grants loans to countries in difficult economic conditions. Poland’s current contribution totals some EUR 1.6 billion.
Strong voice in the European Union
The successful negotiations on the climate and energy packet resulted in saving more than PLN 60 billion. Poland secured for itself another EUR 330 million for the execution of energy projects. Commencing works on the EU CAP reform, the government is backing the interests of the Polish farmers. Moreover, the government is protecting the cohesion policy and funds earmarked for eliminating the developmental differences between individual regions in the next EU budget perspective: 2014-2020.
Polish government’s activities encountered recognition and trust of other EU member states, an expression of which was the election of Jerzy Buzek as the head of the European Parliament and of Janusz Lewandowski as the European Commissioner for budget. Apart from that, Polish diplomats, next to the Bulgarians, as the only representatives of the new EU members, received European Union’s ambassadorial posts (in South Korea and Jordan).
Preparations to Poland’s presidency in the European Union in the latter half of 2011 are under way. Our presidency’s priorities include: Long-term 2014-2020 Financial Frameworks, relations with the East, the internal market, EU energy policy, common security and defence policy, and the use of European intellectual capital.
Regional leader
In the years 2008-2009, Poland chaired the Visegrad Group. Thanks to the meetings of the Group initiated by Poland and the elaboration of common standpoints, the position of our region on the European Union forum rose. During the Group’s meetings with the Baltic countries, common stances were worked out on such questions as the climate-energy package, energy safety, and the world financial crisis.
The Polish government was also among the initiators of “Eastern Partnership”. The Polish-Swedish initiative was launched in 2009 with a view to streamlining political cooperation and economic integration of the European Union with its partnership states including Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, or Azerbaijan. The European Council earmarked more than EUR 600 million for the implementation of this project. The first Eastern Partnership summit took place on 7 May 2009.
Relations with other countries
The government is building good political and economic relations also with many other countries in the world. The Prime Minister’s visits in China, Chile, Israel, Qatar, Azerbaijan brought tangible economic effects in the form of intensification of trade exchange, development of investment projects, and the creation of political conditions for cooperation among enterprises. The head of government’s latest visits in India, Vietnam and Turkey are likely to yield positive effects for Polish economy.
The countries with which Poland maintains good relations based on partnership also include the United States of America. The effect of those relations is, among others, the delivery to Poland of the Patriot missile battery, which augments our country’s defence capability.
Partner dialogue with European neighbours
The government restored relations based on partnership with Poland’s most important neighbours. The enlivening of contacts with Germany on the head of government level is visible. Apart from Chancellor Merkel’s visits in Poland and Prime Minister Tusk’s visits in Germany, a number of bilateral meetings of both countries’ heads of governments were held, among other things, on the occasion of such events like the ceremony of expanding the Schengen zone, the Munich Security Conference, and the Climate Conference in Copenhagen. Polish Prime Minister’s and German chancellor’s cooperation is supported by active consultations on government and parliamentary levels. Both countries effectively cooperate on the European Union arena.
Polish-Russian relations have improved. Vladimir Putin, the prime minister of Russia, took part in the celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Second World War outbreak, held in Westerplatte. A significant step in the discussions on the difficult history of both nations was the invitation extended by Putin to the Polish prime minister to commemorate jointly the victims of the Katyn massacre. The crash of the presidential plane near Smolensk constituted a new challenge for the cooperation between the two states.
Poland maintains good relations on government level also with other partners in the European Union. Regular inter-government consultations and held with France and Spain. The year 2009 saw the beginning of intergovernmental cooperation with Italy, when the first Polish-Italian consultations were held.
In its foreign policy, Poland is guided by the principle of partnership and solidarity. During the highest wave of the global economic crisis, we supported the countries most strongly affected by recession. Within the framework of bilateral aid, Poland granted Iceland the loan of USD 200 million, Latvia – EUR 100 million and Moldova – EUR 15 million. Our country supported higher contributions of member states in the International Monetary Fund, which grants loans to countries in difficult economic conditions. Poland’s current contribution totals some EUR 1.6 billion.
Strong voice in the European Union
The successful negotiations on the climate and energy packet resulted in saving more than PLN 60 billion. Poland secured for itself another EUR 330 million for the execution of energy projects. Commencing works on the EU CAP reform, the government is backing the interests of the Polish farmers. Moreover, the government is protecting the cohesion policy and funds earmarked for eliminating the developmental differences between individual regions in the next EU budget perspective: 2014-2020.
Polish government’s activities encountered recognition and trust of other EU member states, an expression of which was the election of Jerzy Buzek as the head of the European Parliament and of Janusz Lewandowski as the European Commissioner for budget. Apart from that, Polish diplomats, next to the Bulgarians, as the only representatives of the new EU members, received European Union’s ambassadorial posts (in South Korea and Jordan).
Preparations to Poland’s presidency in the European Union in the latter half of 2011 are under way. Our presidency’s priorities include: Long-term 2014-2020 Financial Frameworks, relations with the East, the internal market, EU energy policy, common security and defence policy, and the use of European intellectual capital.
Regional leader
In the years 2008-2009, Poland chaired the Visegrad Group. Thanks to the meetings of the Group initiated by Poland and the elaboration of common standpoints, the position of our region on the European Union forum rose. During the Group’s meetings with the Baltic countries, common stances were worked out on such questions as the climate-energy package, energy safety, and the world financial crisis.
The Polish government was also among the initiators of “Eastern Partnership”. The Polish-Swedish initiative was launched in 2009 with a view to streamlining political cooperation and economic integration of the European Union with its partnership states including Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, or Azerbaijan. The European Council earmarked more than EUR 600 million for the implementation of this project. The first Eastern Partnership summit took place on 7 May 2009.
Relations with other countries
The government is building good political and economic relations also with many other countries in the world. The Prime Minister’s visits in China, Chile, Israel, Qatar, Azerbaijan brought tangible economic effects in the form of intensification of trade exchange, development of investment projects, and the creation of political conditions for cooperation among enterprises. The head of government’s latest visits in India, Vietnam and Turkey are likely to yield positive effects for Polish economy.
The countries with which Poland maintains good relations based on partnership also include the United States of America. The effect of those relations is, among others, the delivery to Poland of the Patriot missile battery, which augments our country’s defence capability.