On Duda’s foreign policy priorities

Past week the newly-elected President of Poland Andrzej Duda was sworn in at the National Assembly of Poland (the two chambers, the Sejm and the Senate, of the Polish parliament). He thus formally assumed the office of president, succeeding Bronislaw Komorowski.

President Duda noted in his almost half-an-hour-long speech that he would do his best to meet the expectations of Poles and keep his election promises, including new tax exemptions and a lower retirement age.

He emphasized that he believes in fruitful cooperation with the Cabinet, the Sejm, and the Senate, as well as with high-raking Polish representatives in the European Union. Besides, the new head of the Polish state put emphasis on strengthening relations with Poland’s neighboring countries – from the Baltic to the Black and Adriatic seas.

Duda also mentioned the need to build a “strong and well-armed army” and also pointed out that the state should take care of the Poles who stay abroad and do its utmost to encourage the young people who had left the country to come back and apply the knowledge they acquired abroad to the benefit of the Polish state which will guarantee justice to all.

The Day requested Andrii DESHCHYTSIA, Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, to say what conclusions we should draw from the Polish president’s speech.

“First of all, President Andrzej Duda noted that Poland’s foreign policy would be more active and much more attention would be paid to security matters, including the security of Poland and the region as a whole. In the context, the president said it is necessary to form a strong Polish army which will guarantee the country’s independence. He also emphasized the intensification of cooperation in the region in order to strengthen the security factor.

“Besides, Duda paid a lot of attention to cooperation with the Polish diaspora in the world. To this end, the new president intends to set up a special bureau in his office to deal with this cooperation.

“At the same time, the president called on all the branches of power in Poland to show unity and redouble their efforts in such fields as foreign and security policies, support of the diaspora, and protection of the historical truth.”

Why did Duda not mention Ukraine when he was speaking of the need to strengthen good relations with the neighbors, which he said would be to the benefit of Poland’s security?

“After all, his speech did not mention, either, any other states except for the Visegrad group. He particularly emphasized the necessity to restore cooperation within the framework of the Visegrad Four and between the neighboring states and to seek new forms of cooperation and new allies in the region.

“As for various speculations about the absence of Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko at the inauguration, there was not a single foreign president or premier there because the inauguration ceremony does not presuppose invitation of foreign delegations. Foreign countries were represented by the ambassadors accredited in Warsaw.”

Incidentally, shortly before, Duda had said in an interview with the Polish news agency PAP that negotiations on settling the Donbas situation should also involve Ukraine’s neighbors, including Poland. Could you comment on this statement?

“I think that the more effective the negotiation formats are, the better it is for Ukraine. If these formats include Poland or other countries that will not only influence making decisions, but also prompt Russia to fulfill them, this will be of benefit to Ukraine and to stabilization of the situation.”

Could you comment on the style of the president’s speech? He spoke without notes and concluded his speech with the phrase “Andrzej Duda believes he will make it,” rhyming the words “Duda” and “uda” which means “make it” in Polish.

“I noted such priorities as active foreign policy, the question of security, search for new formats of regional cooperation, and active support for the Polish diaspora. I emphasize the foreign policy here, but he also paid enough attention to domestic, social, and cultural policies.

“As for his last words, it is repetition of the election campaign slogan ‘I’m Duda, and we will make it.’”

Can you say when the newly-elected president of Poland is going to pay his first visit to Ukraine?

“Andrzej Duda has not yet announced his plans of foreign visits. The president of Poland has said before that he is going to New York to attend the UN General Assembly. Other visits have not yet been announced, and we are working for the presidents of Ukraine and Poland to meet as soon as possible.”