After attending international summits in Washington and New York, Poland’s Foreign Minister began an official multi-day visit to Japan.
Through social media, the head of Polish diplomacy shared initial updates from his scheduled meetings in a country that - despite the vast distance between them - shares a single neighbor with Poland: Russia, as Minister Sikorski pointed out.
He announced plans to meet with his Japanese counterpart as well as the Minister of Defense. He also highlighted Japan’s role as the host of this year’s Expo, where Poland is set to have a strong presence, particularly in light of its presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2025.
Poland’s FM visits Japan to strengthen economic and strategic ties
The Polish delegation has already met with the Japan Business Federation, among others. “Together, we are committed to developing strategic projects - high-speed rail, the Central Transport Hub, and LOT Polish Airlines,” stated a post summarizing the discussion.
„In the past, we used to say that Poland wanted to be the second Japan.We are now the 21st largest economy in the world, and in terms of GDP per capita we are catching up with Japan,” said Poland’s Foreign Minister, referencing former President Lech Wałęsa’s vision of economic transformation, during a meeting at the Japan Business Federation in Tokyo.
As stated by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a meeting with the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), Foreign Minister Sikorski was joined by Deputy Infrastructure Ministers Maciej Lasek and Piotr Malepszak. They presented the Central Transport Hub project, Europe's largest infrastructure initiative.
Poland voices support for Ukraine during Japan visit
While advocating for Poland’s interests in Japan, the delegation also addressed the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“Only Ukraine should decide whether and which countries' troops can be present on its territory as part of a peacekeeping mission,” emphasized Minister Sikorski at the Japan National Press Club.
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Source: X/@PolandMFA/@sikorskiradek
Click on the player icon above for an audio report by Marcin Matuszewski