11.VII.2016
A Summary of the NATO Summit in Warsaw
“This is a very great day for Poland, for all of NATO, for the community of countries, States and Nations of the free
world. (...) NATO has shown where lies the boundary of aggression, which cannot in any way be breached. This
raises hope that we will live in a more secure world. This provides hope for us, Poles, but also for all of the members
of the North Atlantic Alliance,” said the head of the Defence Ministry after the two days of NATO Summit
deliberations.
Among the very important decisions that have been taken, the head of the Defence Ministry mentioned
the enhancement of the eastern flank of NATO and the decision to deploy four robust battalions in
Poland and the Baltic States. “Poland will host the division command, which will be responsible for all
four battalion groups. (...) It is too early to point to the location, but it is already prepared,” said Defence
Minister Macierewicz.
During the Warsaw Summit, Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz also took part in the meeting of the
President of Poland Andrzej Duda with United States President Barack Obama and met with the
Assistant Secretary General of NATO for Defence Policy and Planning, H. Brauss.
The head of the Defence Ministry participated in the session of the North Atlantic Council and
deliberations of other Ministers of Defence, but also took part in a series of bilateral talks. On the first
day he met with the Minister of Defense of the United Kingdom. Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz
and Michael Fallon held discussions on matters related to bilateral cooperation and the implementation
of provisions of the NATO Summit in the area of the establishment of a forward, sustained presence of
Alliance troops on the eastern flank. The British offered the deployment of 150 troops in Poland.
On the first day of the Summit, the Defense Ministers and chiefs of staffs visited an exhibition of military
equipment, prepared by the General Command RSZ
(Dowództwo Generalne RSZ) as well as an exhibition of the Allied Reconnaissance System (AGS).
During the second day of deliberations, Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz met with the defense
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ministers of Canada, the Netherlands, Serbia and the Delegate-Minister for the Administration of
National Defense of the Kingdom of Morocco.
The meeting of the Polish and Canadian Defence Ministers was devoted to the implementation of the
decision on establishing a permanent, forward presence of NATO troops on the eastern flank, further
bilateral military cooperation and the question of the war in Ukraine. Defence Minister Macierewicz
confirmed the willingness to support Canada, as a framework country, in Latvia. In his opinion, a shared
contingent of our two countries will be further evidence of the historical friendship between our States.
In the afternoon, Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz met with the Minister of Defense of the Republic
of Serbia, Zoran Djordjevic. Discussions focused on the question of the possibility of establishing
cooperation in the field of military education and possible joint exercises.
Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz also met with the Delegate-Minister for the Administration of
National Defense of the Kingdom of Morocco, Abdellatif Loudiyi.
The purpose of the meeting was the revival of Polish—Moroccan defense relations so as to bring them
up to the level of the current, very good political and economic relations. The Moroccan side invited
Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz to visit Morocco and take part in a conference on the impact of
climate change on defense. Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz invited the delegation of Morocco to
the trade fair in Kielce. Discussions were also held concerning the possibility of cooperation in the field
of cybersecurity.
On Saturday, three documents were also signed strengthening bilateral cooperation as well as that
within NATO itself:
• A Letter of Intent (LoI) between Poland and Turkey on multinational cooperation in order to raise
radioelectronics’ capabilities in the airspace.
• The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Command of the Supreme
Allied Command Transformation and the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces in Europe, adding to
the Protocol relating to the status of the setting up of international military headquarters pursuant to
the North Atlantic Treaty.
• The Protocol between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Cabinet of Ministers of
Ukraine on the introduction of changes to the agreement between the Government of the Republic of
Poland and the Government of Ukraine on mutual deliveries of armaments, military technology and the
provision of services of a military-technical nature, as agreed in Kiev on 10 October 1996, providing new
impetus to the development of Polish—Ukrainian military technical cooperation.
The second day of deliberations of the NATO Defense Ministers focused among other issues, on the
situation in Afghanistan and the future of NATO missions. “Afghanistan has made significant progress,
which must be continued, especially in the area of the respect for human rights, the fight against
corruption and elections. Afghan Security Forces are now responsible for security throughout the
country. They protect the Afghan people with dedication and commitment. We have decided to continue
in the area of training, advice and support, but Afghanistan is still a place of instability and violence.
That's why we decided to continue our political, military and financial support.
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“The NATO Summit in Warsaw clearly showed the unity, coherence and solidarity of the Alliance; both
NATO and Poland can call it a success,” said Poland’s President Andrzej Duda on Saturday after the
NATO Summit. He added that very important decisions were made at the Summit. “The Summit ended
its deliberations by taking very important decisions, some even say, decisions of historical significance,”
added the President.
“The scale of the challenges we face require us to take action. NATO is a military alliance, set up for the
purpose of collective defense. It possesses proven expeditionary forces designated for crisis
management. We should further develop capacity for the training of local forces. (...) NATO has unique
opportunities to make a difference: it has an experienced command structure, the ability to generate
force and a network of regional partnerships. In the longer term, the training of local forces is more
effective than deploying a large number of our own forces for combat operations. This is one of the best
tools we have in the fight against terrorism. It is better to take preventive measures, than to intervene,”
said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after the end of the deliberations.
Galeria
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