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The Deputy Prime Minister, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski emphasized after his meeting with the head of Portuguese diplomacy Paulo Rangel that both agreed that pressure on Russia should be continued in order to end the war in Ukraine. Poland and Portugal share an understanding of Ukraine’s situation as a state fighting for its sovereignty, he added.
Sikorski stressed at Friday’s press conference that the visit of the Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel to Poland confirms the scope for developing the “already excellent and strong” relations between the two countries.
As he added, both countries share the experience of the struggle for democracy. “This translates into an understanding of the situation of Ukraine, a state fighting for its sovereignty. We are also united by security challenges that require joint action, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted.
He recalled that Poland and Portugal cooperate within the framework of the European Union and NATO. He reported that during talks with his Portuguese counterpart, both agreed that “pressure on Russia must be continued in order to end the war.” “The adoption of an agreement on the twentieth sanctions package will be crucial,” he noted. “Yesterday’s (European Union) decisions on funds for Ukraine are also a step in the right direction,” assessed the head of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He informed that he had also spoken with the Portuguese minister about cooperation with the administration of US President Donald Trump. He emphasized that both agree that “strong transatlantic ties and a united NATO are beneficial both for Europe and for the USA.”
Sikorski also drew attention to the growing threats to critical infrastructure, including the problem of cutting cables and damaging pipelines. “We decided today that we will jointly prepare material to be considered by the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union in order to counter this growing danger. Portugal is all the more predisposed to this, as the EU agency for maritime security is based in Lisbon,” he said.
He added that together with Rangel they took part in the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement between representatives of the Polish National Development Bank (Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego) and the Portuguese Banco Portugues de Fomento. “Both development banks are interested in co-financing investments in infrastructure, climate protection and innovation. I am convinced that thanks to the cooperation of both banks, our entrepreneurs will soon benefit,” said Sikorski. He expressed hope that Portugal would be Poland’s ally in discussions on the shape of the new EU budget.
The head of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also emphasized that he and Sikorski agree on the international situation, on the situation in Europe, and on the future and destiny of our countries. “There is a lot of cooperation between us, many common points between Poland and Portugal. It is really impressive that we are able to have truly identical positions when it comes to the attack, to Russia’s war against Ukraine,” he said.
Rangel also pointed out that transatlantic relations are really important and that any changes have a direct impact on the lives of both countries. “That is why we have a common vision that we want to deepen even further,” he added. He expressed hope for the further development of relations between the two countries.
“What we can do now is to guarantee the development of the potential of this relationship; this is a really important issue for us. We are very satisfied with the level we have already achieved, but we believe that we can develop it even further on many levels,” said the head of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He assured that he was leaving the meeting with Sikorski with “a very optimistic attitude.”