The president said that owing to the membership of the alliance Poland was today a safe country. “Poland’s membership in NATO is a symbol of our national unity,” Duda stressed.
“Twenty five years ago, the dream of generations of Poles came true. On 12 March 1999 in Independence, Missouri, Poland – along with the Czech Republic and Hungary – was officially admitted to the North Atlantic Alliance,” the president continued.
Duda recalled that the moment NATO had expanded eastwards for the first time the Cold War had finally ended and the Iron Curtain had finally fallen.
He went on to say that
“Poland’s presence in the North Atlantic Alliance instantly became our common goal in Poland, regardless of political views,” with all sides of the political aisle supporting Poland’s accession.
Significance of U.S. support
The president said that strong support from the U.S. had been of key for Poland’s NATO accession.
“The strategic Polish-American co-operation develops irrespective of who is in power, either in Poland or in the United States,” Duda pointed out, adding that he had convened a meeting of the National Security Council earlier in the day to send a clear signal that “Poland has been speaking with one voice about its security.”
Washington visit
The Polish president will be accompanied by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, on his trip to Washington on March 12 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Poland’s NATO membership.
Poland is one of the leaders among NATO countries in terms of the amount it spends on defense, the Polish defense minister recently stated, adding that Poland’s defense budget is set at 4.23 percent of GDP.
The North Atlantic Alliance now incorporates 32 countries. Sweden has
recently joined, becoming its second new member after Finland following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
