Polish, Swedish FMs reaffirm support for Ukraine
Poland’s foreign minister has met with his Swedish counterpart and the two diplomats reiterated their countries’ support for Ukraine’s defence against the Russian invasion, and for Kyiv’s ambition to start accession negotiations with the European Union before the end of the year.
Poland’s Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau (right) and Sweden’s Tobias Billström (left) shake hands at a joint news conference after their talks in Warsaw, on Monday, June 12, 2023. PAP/Andrzej Lange
Poland’s Zbigniew Rau and Sweden’s Tobias Billström held talks in Warsaw on Monday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The two foreign ministers also presided over wider Polish-Swedish political consultations, which focused on support for war-torn Ukraine, ways to deepen the strategic Polish-Swedish relationship and Sweden’s accession to the NATO alliance, according to officials.
‘Sweden is Poland’s strategic partner’: Rau
At a joint news conference afterwards, Poland’s top diplomat described Sweden as “a strategic partner.”
He added that “Poland and Sweden maintain intensive political and economic ties,” with bilateral trade hitting a record level of EUR 15 billion in 2022.
Rau said that his recent meetings with Billström had naturally focused on “our countries’ shared concern for security in the region.”
He told reporters: “We feel an enormous responsibility for protecting our region and the community of countries that espouse the standards of international law, which we have forged over the years.”
Poland’s foreign minister stated: “That’s why Poland is investing in its armed forces, while Sweden has done something that would have been unimaginable a mere 18 months ago, namely, it has made a historic decision to join the NATO alliance.”
FM reiterates Poland’s support for Sweden’s bid to join NATO
Rau stressed that “Poland fully supports Sweden’s membership of NATO and was one of the first member countries to formally approve Stockholm’s accession.”
He added: “It is our belief that Sweden’s membership will create a new security paradigm in Europe. Not only will it strengthen NATO’s military presence in the Baltic Sea region, but also enhance political and economic stability in our neighbourhood.”
Rau said that Poland would seek to work closely with all of NATO’s Nordic allies.
He declared: “We should join forces to push for defence measures geared to NATO’s northern and eastern part, which are organised together, in a mutually supporting way.”
Poland, Sweden support Ukraine’s fight against Russia, aspirations to join EU
Referring to NATO’s upcoming summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12, the Polish foreign minister said: “Our mission is to respect Ukraine’s decisions and to ensure it has our strong and steadfast support.”
He added: “Poland and Sweden support the aspirations of Ukraine and Moldova to start negotiations on accession to the EU before the end of this year. We would also like Georgia to seize its chance and become a candidate country to join the bloc.”
Rau said his talks with Billström also focused on the situation in Russia’s close ally and Poland’s eastern neighbour, Belarus.
He told reporters: “Over the past few weeks, the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border has escalated and we’re expecting a further influx of [illegal] migrants” seeking to enter Poland from Belarus, the PAP news agency reported.
Swedish FM thanks Poland for supporting Sweden’s NATO bid
Meanwhile, Sweden’s top diplomat thanked Poland for supporting his country’s bid to join NATO.
He noted Turkey and Hungary had not yet approved Stockholm’s accession to the western alliance.
Billström described Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as “a historic turning point for the security of Europe and the world.”
He said Sweden was ready to be “a loyal member of the NATO alliance” and help provide security for the entire Western pact from day one after joining.
Billström stated that Sweden “has a very powerful defence” and was willing to make its contribution to the protection of “the Baltic states, the eastern flank and other parts of NATO,” the PAP news agency reported.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
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Source: PAP, wnp.pl, dziennik.pl
