Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited Polish troops stationed in Latvia on the occasion of Poland’s Armed Forces Day. He also met with the Latvian prime minister Maris Kucinskis.
Michał Dworczyk, the Chief of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery calls the visit a “token of respect for the effort and duty of Polish soldiers and an emphasis of Poland’s activity in NATO” in an interview for wpolityce.pl.
The meeting between Morawiecki and Maris Kucinskis focused on military and energy cooperation.
The prime ministers also discussed the Via Carpatia. This is a transnational highway meant to connect the Baltic States with the countries of Central and Southern Europe.
According to reports, there were also talks about connecting the Baltic states to the European energy system. The need for a unified opposition towards projects such as Nord Stream 2 was highlighted, as well as cooperation when it comes to the next European Union budget.
Latvian prime minister thanked Polish soldiers for their mission. The 200 Polish soldiers stationed in the country are well regarded by Latvian and Canadian troops, he said. Morawiecki also took part in celebrations hosted by the Polish soldiers.
The visit showed respect to the almost one hundred years of Polish-Latvian military cooperation. The partnership dates back to when Polish and Latvian soldiers fought together against the Bolshevik army in the war of 1920.
The situation of the Polish minority in Latvia is much better than in Belarus, Lithuania or Ukraine, minister Dworczyk says. The Polish government heavily invested into education for the minority. These efforts have borne fruit, two out of four of the Polish schools are amongst the best in Latvia. “Thanks to this high level of education, not only Poles put forward their applications but also Latvians and Belarusians,” the minister said.
