Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová’s official visit to Poland began on Tuesday morning with a welcome ceremony by President Andrzej Duda in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace.
“With emotion and great joy, I welcomed President Zuzana Čaputová to Warsaw today, because it’s actually a farewell visit. Madam President is slowly approaching the end of her term,” said President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday before noon at a joint press conference with his Slovak counterpart.
As he emphasized, this meeting is primarily an opportunity for him to thank the Slovak president, whose mandate expires in June. “From the very first days of her presidency in 2019, she already emphasized the importance of our relations. I will remind you that one of her first visits then (...) was a visit to Poland. The President has shown from the very beginning that building good neighborly relations (...) is important to her, and she will nurture it,” said Andrzej Duda.
The President also pointed to good cooperation within both the largest global alliances, such as the EU and NATO, as well as smaller ones, such as the Three Seas Initiative and the Bucharest Nine.
“I would like to thank Mr. President and the Polish people for the warm welcome,” said President Čaputová during the conference.
She assessed that her five-year term was exceptionally difficult, mainly due to the outbreak of the war in Ukraine; however, thanks to cooperation with Poland, “we managed to overcome these crises.”
“We managed to handle them as friends who support each other,” she said.
“Together, we participated in many actions, such as the gas connection between our countries, strengthening the eastern flank of NATO, or our joint efforts in granting Ukraine candidate status for the EU,” she emphasized.
She also thanked the Poles for “defending Slovakia’s airspace.”
“When we receive our own fighter jets at the end of this year, we will have the opportunity for our own air defense. However, it is said that true friends are known in times of need, and indeed, Poland provided us with immediate assistance,” she emphasized.
In two months, the Slovak President will end her term, and this is her farewell visit in this role. Poland’s presidential aide, Mieszko Pawlak, said that Tuesday’s meeting in Warsaw is an opportunity to summarize the very good cooperation with Čaputová, both bilaterally and in regional formats: the Visegrad Group and the Three Seas Initiative.
Zuzana Čaputová will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Čaputová is the first woman to hold the highest office in Slovakia’s history. She holds strongly pro-European views, advocates support for Ukraine’s defense and emphasizes the rule of law. Last summer, she announced that she would not seek re-election, stating that she would not have the strength for another term.
As he emphasized, this meeting is primarily an opportunity for him to thank the Slovak president, whose mandate expires in June. “From the very first days of her presidency in 2019, she already emphasized the importance of our relations. I will remind you that one of her first visits then (...) was a visit to Poland. The President has shown from the very beginning that building good neighborly relations (...) is important to her, and she will nurture it,” said Andrzej Duda.
The President also pointed to good cooperation within both the largest global alliances, such as the EU and NATO, as well as smaller ones, such as the Three Seas Initiative and the Bucharest Nine.
“I would like to thank Mr. President and the Polish people for the warm welcome,” said President Čaputová during the conference.
She assessed that her five-year term was exceptionally difficult, mainly due to the outbreak of the war in Ukraine; however, thanks to cooperation with Poland, “we managed to overcome these crises.”
“We managed to handle them as friends who support each other,” she said.
“Together, we participated in many actions, such as the gas connection between our countries, strengthening the eastern flank of NATO, or our joint efforts in granting Ukraine candidate status for the EU,” she emphasized.
She also thanked the Poles for “defending Slovakia’s airspace.”
“When we receive our own fighter jets at the end of this year, we will have the opportunity for our own air defense. However, it is said that true friends are known in times of need, and indeed, Poland provided us with immediate assistance,” she emphasized.
In two months, the Slovak President will end her term, and this is her farewell visit in this role. Poland’s presidential aide, Mieszko Pawlak, said that Tuesday’s meeting in Warsaw is an opportunity to summarize the very good cooperation with Čaputová, both bilaterally and in regional formats: the Visegrad Group and the Three Seas Initiative.
Zuzana Čaputová will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Čaputová is the first woman to hold the highest office in Slovakia’s history. She holds strongly pro-European views, advocates support for Ukraine’s defense and emphasizes the rule of law. Last summer, she announced that she would not seek re-election, stating that she would not have the strength for another term.
Source: PAP
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