Foreign relations of Poland

Poland

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The Republic of Poland is a Central European country and member of the European Union and NATO, among others. In recent years, Poland has extended its responsibilities and position in European and Western affairs, supporting and establishing friendly foreign relations with both the West and with numerous European countries.

Integration with the West and Europe

After regaining independence in 1989, Poland has forged ahead on its economic reintegration with the Western world. Poland also has been an active nation in advocating European integration.

In 1994, Poland became an associate member of the European Union (EU) and its defensive arm, the Western European Union (WEU). In 1996, Poland achieved full OECD membership and submitted preliminary documentation for full EU membership. In 1997, Poland was invited in the first wave of NATO policy enlargement at the July 1997 NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain. In March 1999, Poland became a full member of NATO. Poland promoted its NATO candidacy through energetic participation in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program and through intensified individual dialogue with NATO. Poland formally joined the European Union in May 2004, along with the other members of the Visegrád group.

Poland was a part of the multinational force in Iraq.

Establishing relationships with European countries

The collapse of the Soviet Union led to the establishment of seven new sovereign states in Poland's immediate neighborhood (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia), of which Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia (through the Kaliningrad Oblast) border Poland. Poland has actively pursued good relations with all its neighboring countries, signing friendship treaties replacing links severed by the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. The Poles have forged special relationships with Lithuania and particularly Ukraine in an effort to firmly anchor these states to the West.

Due to its tragic historical experience with a repeating pattern of disloyal allies and simultaneous aggression of powerful neighbors (e.g., Partitions of Poland, Second World War), Polish foreign policy pursues close cooperation with a strong partner, one apt enough to give strong military support in times of critical situations. This creates the background of Poland's tight relations with the USA and their sensitivity in relations towards its partner within the European Union, Germany. At the same time, the equally burdened attitude towards Russia results in very tense diplomatic relations, which have been constantly worsening since Vladimir Putin's rise to power. This is an important factor for the special attention Poland pays to the political emancipation of all its Eastern neighbors: Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine.

Bilateral relations

Europe

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Albania		See Albania–Poland relations Albania has an embassy in Warsaw. Poland has an embassy in Tirana.
Austria	1921	Austria has an embassy in Warsaw, a consulate-general in Kraków and 3 honorary consulates (in Wrocław, Gdańsk, and Łódź).^[1] Poland has an embassy in Vienna and 4 honorary consulates (in Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt and Salzburg).^[2] Austrian Foreign Ministry: list of bilateral treaties with Poland (in German only)
Armenia		Armenia has an embassy in Warsaw. Poland has an embassy in Yerevan.^[3] See also Armenians in Poland
Azerbaijan	1991	See Azerbaijan-Poland relations
Belarus	1992-03-02^[4]	See Poland–Belarus relations Poland was one of the first countries to recognise Belarusian independence.^[4] Belarus has an Embassy in Warsaw, Consulates General in Gdańsk and Białystok, and a Consulate in Biała Podlaska.^[5] Poland has an Embassy in Minsk and Consulates General in Brest and Hrodna.^[6] The authoritarian and anti-Western political course taken by the country of neighboring Belarus presents a huge problem for Polish foreign policy.
Bulgaria	1920s	Bulgaria has an embassy in Warsaw and an honorary consulate in Wrocław.^[7] Poland has an embassy in Sofia.^[8] Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union.
Croatia	1992-04-11	Croatia has an embassy in Warsaw.^[9] Poland has an embassy in Zagreb. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe. Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration: list of bilateral treaties with Poland
Cyprus	1960s	See Cyprus–Poland relations Cyprus has an embassy in Warsaw and 2 honorary consulates (in Gdynia and Szczecin). Poland has an embassy in Nicosia and an honorary consulate general in Limassol.^[10]
Czech Republic		See Poland – Czech Republic relations Jan Pastwa is the Polish Ambassador to Prague.^[11] Jan Šechter is the Czech Ambassador to Warsaw.^[12]
Denmark		See Denmark–Poland relations Denmark and Poland have still not agreed on the formal establishment of the maritime border between the two countries. Denmark supports a border half-way between the two countries, but Poland wants to be awarded an even greater share of the Baltic Sea, since Poland has a much longer coastline than the Danish island of Bornholm. The issue has gained significance alongside Russia's plans to build the controversial Nord Stream natural gas pipeline through the disputed area.
Estonia	1991-09	See Estonia–Poland relations Poland recognised Estonia's independence on December 31, 1920 and re-recognised it on August 26, 1991. Estonia has an embassy in Warsaw and 3 honorary consulates (in Szczecin, Poznań and Kraków).^[13] Poland has an embassy in Tallinn.^[14] Both countries are full members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, of NATO and of the European Union. Estonia Ministry of Foreign affairs about relations with Poland
Finland	1919-03-08	See Foreign relations of Finland Finland has an embassy in Warsaw and an honorary consulate in Gdynia. Poland has an embassy in Helsinki.^[15] Both countries are full members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States and of the European Union. Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Poland
France		See France–Poland relations Polish-French relations date several centuries, although they became really relevant only with times of French Revolution and reign of Napoleon I. Poles have been allies of Napoleon; large Polish community settled in France in the 19th century, and Poles and French were also allies during the interwar period. The official relations, having cooled down during the Cold War, have improved since the fall of communism. Currently both countries are part of the European Union and NATO.
Georgia	1992-04-28	See Georgia–Poland relations Georgia has an embassy in Warsaw. Poland has an embassy in Tbilissi.
Germany		See German–Polish relations During the Cold War, communist Poland had good relations with East Germany, but had strained relations with West Germany. After the fall of communism, Poland and the reunited Germany have had a mostly positive but occasionally strained relationship due to some political issues. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Germany has been a proponent of Poland's participation in NATO and the European Union. The Polish-German border is 467 km long.^[16]
Greece		See Foreign relations of Greece
Hungary		See Hungary–Poland relations Relations between the two states date back from the Middle Ages. For a long time, they enjoy traditional close friendship. Hungary has an embassy in Warsaw, a general consulate in Kraków and 2 honorary consualtes (in Łódź and Poznań). Poland has an embassy in Budapest.
Ireland		See Foreign relations of the Republic of Ireland
Italy		See Foreign relations of Italy
Latvia	1991-08-30	See Latvia–Poland relations Poland recognised Latvia's independence on January 27, 1921. Latvia has an embassy in Warsaw and 3 honorary consulates (in Katowice, Gdańsk and Łódź).^[17] Poland has an embassy in Riga.^[18] There are around 57,000 Poles living in Latvia (See Poles in Latvia). Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Poland
Lithuania		See Lithuania–Poland relations The fall of communism in the years of 1989-1991 led to a formal reestablishment of relations by the Polish and Lithuanian states. Poland was highly supportive of the Lithuanian independence, and became one of the first countries to recognize independent Lithuania.^[19] Despite that, there was a relative crisis in the early 1990s,^[20] due to Lithuanian mistreatment of Polish minority, and Lithuanian suspicious that Poland would want to put Lithuania under its sphere of influence.^[19] After a few years, as the situation normalized, Polish-Lithuanian relations have been steadily improving over the past two decades, with both countries joining the NATO and European Union. Lithuania has an embassy in Warsaw. Poland has an embassy in Vilnius, a consulate general in Sejny and an honorary consulate in Klaipėda. There are around 250,000 Poles living in Lithuania and around 25,000 ethnic Lithuanians living in Poland. Both countries are full members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States. Both countries share a common border of 103 km.^[16]
Moldova		Polish Embassy, Chişinău
Romania	1919-02-09	See Poland–Romania relations Poland has an embassy in Bucharest.^[21] Romania has an embassy in Warsaw and 3 honorary consulates (in Gdynia, Katowice and Poznań).^[22] Both are full members of NATO and of the European Union. See also Polish-Romanian alliance
Russia		See Poland–Russia relations In recent years, relations with Russia have worsened considerably. Poland responded with strong disapproval towards the 2008 Georgian Crisis, in which a military invasion of Georgia was led by Russia. Georgia is a former USSR republic, Poland was a member of the Eastern Bloc, and Poland stated its support for Georgia and condemned Russia's actions. The Polish believed the invasion was carried out by the Russians in an attempt to reestablish and reassert its dominance over its former republics. Since 2009, however, relations with Russia somewhat improved - despite the plane accident where the former Polish president died on what is still considered a controversial event. After the 2014 Crimean crisis the relations deteriorated again, as Poland strongly condemned Russian actions against Ukraine.
Serbia	1919	See Poland–Serbia relations Poland has an embassy in Belgrade. Serbia has an embassy in Warsaw. Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Poland
Slovakia	1993	See Poland–Slovakia relations Poland has an embassy in Bratislava.^[23] Slovakia has an embassy in Warsaw and a general consulate in Kraków.^[24] Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union. Both countries share 539 km of common borders.^[16]
Ukraine		See Poland–Ukraine relations Both countries share a border of about 529 km.^[16] Poland's acceptance of the Schengen Agreement created problems with the Ukrainian border traffic. On July 1, 2009 an agreement on local border traffic between the two country's came into effect. This agreement enables Ukrainian citizens living in border regions to cross the Polish frontier according to a liberalized procedure.^[25] The Orange Revolution in Ukraine evoked a wide and authentic support within the Polish society.
United Kingdom		See Poland – United Kingdom relations During the cold war Poland retained a largely negative view of Britain as a sluggish ally of Poland during World War II, later acceptance of neglecting Poland in the international arena and placing it in communist influences. In communist times the UK was a part of the NATO block, so consequently it was considered by the communists as natural enemy of "communist block". British efforts meanwhile were focussed at trying to break Poland off from the Warsaw Pact and encouraging reforms in the country. In the 1990s and 2000s democratic Poland has maintained close relations with Britain; both in defence matters and within the EU; Britain being one of only a few countries allowing equal rights to Polish workers upon their accession in 2004.^[26]

Rest of world

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Argentina	1931	Argentina has an embassy in Warsaw. Poland has an embassy in Buenos Aires.^[27] List of Treaties ruling the relations Argentina and Poland (Argentine Foreign Ministry, in Spanish)
Brazil	1919	Brazil has an embassy in Warsaw.^[28] Poland has an embassy in Brasília,^[29] and Consulate Generals in Curitiba and São Paulo. Diplomatic relations between Poland and Brazil date back to 1919, and have gone on uninterrupted ever since.^[28] Poland opened a Consulate in Curitiba in 1920.^[30]
Canada	1935	See Canada–Poland relations The Canada-Poland diplomatic relationship goes back from the first bilateral agreement, a Convention on Merchant Shipping, which was signed in 1935. Canada has an embassy in Warsaw.^[31] Poland has an embassy in Ottawa and 3 Consulates-General (in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver). Both countries are full members of NATO and OECD.^[32] Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade about relations with Poland
Colombia	1931	Colombia has an embassy in Warsaw. Poland has an embassy in Bogotá.^[33]
India		See India–Poland relations Historically, relations have generally been close and friendly, characterized by understanding and cooperation on international front.^[34] India has an embassy in Warsaw.^[35] Poland has an embassy in New Delhi.^[36]
Israel		See Israel–Poland relations Poland broke off relations with Israel after the Six-Day War of 1967, following most other countries of the Soviet Union controlled Eastern Bloc. Poland was the first Eastern bloc country to recognize Israel again in 1986. Full diplomatic relations have been reestablished in 1990, after the communist People's Republic of Poland was transformed into modern, democratic Poland. Government relations between Poland and Israel are steadily improving, resulting in the mutual visits of presidents and the ministers of foreign affairs. See also History of the Jews in Poland Krzysztof Bojko, Poland’s Relations with the State of Israel, Yearbook of Polish Foreign Policy (English Edition) (01/2006) ^[37] Poland Resumes Full Diplomatic Ties With Israel, New York Times, February 28, 1990
Malaysia		See Malaysia–Poland relations Malaysia has an embassy in Warsaw,^[38] and Poland has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur and a consulate in Kuching.^[39]^[40]
Mexico	26 February 1928	See Mexico–Poland relations Mexico has an embassy in Warsaw.^[41] Poland has an embassy in Mexico City.^[42] History of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Poland (Spanish) Both nations are members of the OECD.
North Korea	1948 October^[43]	See Poland–North Korea relations The Republic of Poland maintains its embassy in Pyongyang DPRK maintains its embassy in Warsaw Republic of Poland As of 2009 the Republic of Poland and the DPRK (North Korea)signed 16 bilateral treaties 12 as the People's Republic of Korea and 4 as the Republic of Poland^[44]
South Korea	1 November 1989	See Poland–South Korea relations Ahead of the planned performance in the Rzeczpospolita Polska (Republic of Poland) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) Foreign Ministry will hold a workshop on b-boying for local youngsters in Warsaw Republic of Poland on June 11 offering Polish youngsters an opportunity to learn b-boying first-hand and youngsters of the two countries to have special experience of cross-border and cross-language communication through their common interest of dance Foreign relations of South Korea#Europe Foreign relations of the Republic of Korea.^[45]
United States		See Poland–United States relations A tighter security alliance with the United States was announced in the middle of the Georgian crisis as an agreement between the two countries was reached to allow the US to install and operate an interceptor missile defense shield, a move which Russia sees explicitly targeting it and which it stated made Poland "a legit military target."^[46] A high-ranking Russian military official said, "Poland in deploying [the US system] opens itself to a nuclear strike."^[47]