MIL ASI Translation. Region: Polish/Europe –
Fuente: Gobierno de Polonia en poleco.
This was the first meeting of the heads of Polish and Italian diplomacy in seven years. The topics of consultations included, among others, defence within NATO and the European Union, migration policy, support for Ukraine and the EU enlargement policy. An example of very good bilateral relations is the cooperation between Poland and Italy in the field of security, related to the participation of the Italian Air Force and Navy in NATO operations on the territory of Poland and the presence of the Military Contingent in the Mediterranean Sea as part of the EU mission. Minister Sikorski emphasised that he and Minister Tajani see a threat to the Schengen system – previously it was a threat from the Mediterranean Sea, the Balkan route, and now also from the Belarusian border. – Belarus is waging a hybrid war using pseudo-migrants, but the effect of this is important – our societies must regain the belief that governments at both the national and EU levels enforce this foreign right to control migration – emphasized the head of the Polish MFA. The minister also appealed for broader Western assistance to Ukraine, especially in the field of weapons to defend airspace, and for the lifting of the ban on the use of Western long-range weapons in Russia. In addition, the head of the Polish MFA thanked his Italian counterpart for the joint protest against Israel’s attacks on the UNIFIL contingent in Lebanon. The interlocutors discussed the situation in the Middle East, expressing concern over the escalation of tensions in Lebanon and emphasizing the need for the international community to act in favor of a two-state solution. On the European agenda and enlargement policy, EU Minister Sikorski assured his interlocutor that progress in the area of EU accession of both the so-called The Eastern Trio (Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia) and the Western Balkan countries will be one of the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council. Minister Tajani thanked the head of Polish diplomacy for the proposal, cf. During the Polish Presidency in the first half of 2025, they traveled together to Africa, which is too important a continent to be exposed solely to the influence of Russia or China. At the end of the visit, Minister Sikorski paid tribute to the Polish soldiers who died in the Battle of Monte Cassino and are buried at the Polish War Cemetery located there. This year we are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the battle, in which 923 Polish soldiers died, 2,931 were wounded, and 345 were reported missing. The Minister laid a wreath under the Virtuti Militari Cross at the Cemetery, where 1,048 Polish soldiers are buried – in addition to those who died during the fighting, soldiers of the 2nd Polish Corps who died before the assault and who gave their lives in further fighting in the massif, mainly in the battles for Piedimonte, are also buried there.
Photo: Konrad Laskowski/MSZ
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.