Merkel: Poland and Germany in favour of safety and freedom

PM Ewa Kopacz (R) with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) during their meeting on 25th anniversary of Polish-German reconciliation. Photo: PAP/Maciej Kulczyński

“Poland and Germany are in favour of safety and freedom. This is important, and is especially tangible now during the crisis in Ukraine,” the German Chancellor said during a ceremony in the south-western Polish city of Krzyzowa.

The town is significant as it was where a quarter of a century ago, former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and former Polish PM Tadeusz Mazowiecki hugged to symbolise the reconciliation between the two countries following decades of ill trust during WWII and the subsequent Communist rule in Poland and the former GDR.

“The peace gesture shared by Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Helmut Kohl was a strong sign of the will of reconciliation and will to create new, better relations between Poles and Germans,” PM Kopacz said.

This year’s celebrations stressed the importance of the two countries sticking together in light of the current turmoil in Ukraine and the EU’s stance on Russia, particularly regarding sanctions towards the country.

“We are aware that only together with Russia can we protect the security of Europe in the long run, and therefore sanctions are not just an end in themselves, but we need to have a dialogue with Russia,” Chancellor Merkel said. (rg/jb)

Source: PAP/KPRM