Mogherini visits Poland and Slovakia: discusses regional crises and looks ahead to NATO Summit and Global Strategy

High Representative Federica Mogherini i visited Slovakia and Poland on Wednesday and Thursday, discussing Slovakia’s preparations for its first Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which begins next month, and preparing for the upcoming NATO summit and the upcoming Global Strategy for EU foreign policy during meetings with the President and Foreign Minister of Poland.

“I was just a few days ago with the NATO Secretary General, who I know also visited Warsaw recently, to prepare the deliverables for the summit in terms of EU/NATO cooperation,” Mogherini told the media after her meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda i. “The work on a joint declaration is ongoing and going well, because we work together with NATO in many different fields, in particular regarding hybrid threats, our cooperation in theatres in the Mediterranean, in the Aegean, with a special attention to cyber threats as well. So there is a lot that the European Union will bring to the NATO summit in Warsaw.”

The continuing crisis in Ukraine was also a major theme of the discussions.

“We have also discussed the many crises that Europe has in its neighbourhood unfortunately and the role that the European Union, with a strong contribution of Poland, is having in trying to solve some of them and trying to prevent some others: for sure, the crisis in Ukraine … where for the European Union the full implementation by all sides of the Minsk Agreements and our active support to Ukraine in its difficult endeavours and in its reform agenda stay essential.”

Mogherini and Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski also discussed the latest initiatives in the Middle East Peace Process and on Syria and Libya and praised Poland’s contribution to EU foreign policy and to relations with the Eastern Partnership countries, and underlined how it would play a crucial role in the neighbourhood when it takes over the Presidency of the Visegrad 4.

In Bratislava, Mogherini discussed the most pressing foreign policy issues in the EU’s neighbourhood with Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, and, on the eve of Slovakia’s first Presidency of the Council, shared her experience of being a minister during the Italian Presidency.

“I know this is going to be the first Presidency for Slovakia, not an easy one, I understand you very well, because I was myself a Minister when Italy had the Presidency - not the first one, but still it was a challenge. I know how much work you are putting in it, but to me this is telling Europe something special. The precious thing that this tells me - the fact that this is your first Presidency - is a reminder that Slovakia, as well as other EU countries, and its people, chose to join a family, the family of the European Union, quite some years ago. And that choice was based on the correct assessment that being part of a bigger and stronger family was the only way of delivering results for our citizens.

“I know that we can count on Slovakia, on your personal leadership, to make sure that all of the European Union reminds us of the added value of being together. Because there is no single challenge of these times that we can face better alone than together.”

LINKS:

Link to the video of press conference with Polish President Duda: http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?ref=I121965

Link to the video of press conference with Polish Foreign Minister Waszczykowski: http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?ref=I122213

Link to the video of the press conference with Slovak Foreign Minister Lajcak: http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?ref=I122145