Warsaw, Poland - 4 June 2014
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today concluded his visit to Warsaw, Poland, where he joined other world leaders to celebrate the Polish Day of Freedom, marking the 25th anniversary of Poland’s emergence from communism. The visit was part of a broader visit to Europe (June 3 to 7), which will also include stops in Brussels, Belgium, to participate in the G-7 Summit, Normandy, France, to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, and Kyiv, Ukraine, to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Petro Poroshenko as the new President of Ukraine.
While in Poland, the Prime Minister attended a welcoming ceremony by President Komorowski and participated in the 25th Anniversary of Freedom Ceremony at Royal Castle Square.
On June 4, 1989, Poland became the first country of the Eastern bloc to emerge from communism with democratically elected representatives. These elections paved the way for a peaceful transition to democracy, both in Poland and more broadly in Central and Eastern Europe. Canada and Poland developed a close friendship during this period, which has continued to flourish over the years.
During his stay in Warsaw, Prime Minister Harper also met with Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss the international community’s response to the situation in Ukraine, including how best to support the newly elected Ukrainian President. Prime Ministers Harper and Tusk have been actively engaged in the crisis in Ukraine since it began.
Finally, the Prime Minister announced that a Canadian Armed Forces contingent of approximately 75 soldiers will participate in Exercise SABER STRIKE 2014, a long-standing, multilateral, multifaceted, U.S Army Europe-led security cooperation exercise. The contingent will join more than 2,000 personnel, including approximately 45 Canadian soldiers already deployed, from nine other countries participating in this annual exercise which is being held this year in Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Lithuania from June 9 to 21.
