The UK and Poland deepened their foreign policy, security and defence co-operation on 5 July 2023 with the signing of a new bilateral ‘2030 Partnership’.
The accord was signed at Lancaster House in London by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and their Polish counterparts, Minister for Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau and Minister for National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak.
The partnership, which sets out joint priorities on issues ranging from Belarus to China, to co-operation on defence capability and operations, builds on the 2017 UK-Poland Treaty on Defence and Security Co-operation following three decades of close co-operation.
The 2030 Partnership “emphasises the UK and Poland’s commitment to stand together in upholding a resilient international system that protects freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity, defending rights for countries and states trade fairly and determine their own futures”, the UK Ministry of Defence and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office stated in a press release.
The partnership “also will see co-operation towards building the next generation of capabilities for our armed forces; increasing the intensity and frequency of joint training exercises; strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence posture; and standing united in our approaches to the Indo-Pacific” the ministries noted.
“Just as the UK and Poland fought together to preserve freedom in Europe during World War Two, so today the UK and Poland are standing together once more, at the forefront of international support for Ukraine,” stated Cleverly. “Our 2030 Partnership commits the UK and Poland to even greater defence, security and foreign policy cooperation into the future.”
Wallace added, “As historic defence partners and NATO Allies, the UK stands with Poland to defend NATO’s Eastern Flank and support Ukraine against Russian aggression. The 2030 Strategic Partnership strengthens our commitment to develop closer military deployments and exercises and deliver on immediate and long-term capability projects.”
Both countries have also been working together to help secure the development of future air defence capabilities. In April UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the UK and Poland had signed a major GBP 1.9 Bn (EUR 2.22 Bn) export agreement to roll out a British air defence system, made by MBDA, to defend Polish airspace.
Polish President Andzej Duda also visited Sunak in Downing Street in February, when the two premiers reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine and their support for Sweden’s accession to NATO.
Wallace and his Polish counterpart also signed the Air Defence Complex Weapons Agreement in October last year. This enables the UK and Poland to co-operate in the development and manufacture of current and future complex weapons and to deepen the interoperability of the two countries’ armed forces.
Peter Felstead
