Foreign Secretary meeting with Polish Foreign Minister: 28 November 2016
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson met his Polish counterpart Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowksi at Lancaster House.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson met his Polish counterpart Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowksi at Lancaster House for a wide-ranging discussion on foreign policy issues, as part of the first UK-Poland Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC).
A Foreign Office spokesman said:
The Foreign Secretary hosted Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowksi at Lancaster House this afternoon [28 November] for discussions on UK-Poland foreign and security policy co-operation.
Both ministers agreed to build on the strength and success of the UK-Poland bilateral relationship by committing to further co-operation in a number of foreign and security policy areas. They also discussed strengthening joint efforts to counter Russian disinformation in Eastern Europe.
They discussed the recent US election and both reiterated the need for a strong transatlantic relationship and the continued importance of NATO. The ministers noted that both the UK and Poland both meet the 2% commitment on defence spending.
Mr Johnson and Mr Waszczykowksi praised the launch of a new British-Polish Civil Society Forum, which will bring together a wide range of UK and Polish representatives to take part in comprehensive discussions on issues of shared interest, and to increase ties between our two countries.
Following the meeting, both ministers along with the Minister for Europe and the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan, attended a reception hosted by the Prime Minister at Downing Street for around 50 members of the Polish community in the UK to celebrate the important contribution the Polish community has made to the UK across a range of industries and sectors.
The Foreign Secretary and FM Waszczykowksi then joined a plenary meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, in the Cabinet Room at Downing Street which provided an opportunity for Ministers, including the Chancellor, Home Secretary, and Business Secretary to update colleagues on their discussions with their counterparts.
The meeting cemented both countries’ long-term commitment to work together to enhance bilateral co-operation in priority areas ranging from business and finance to defence.
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