Warsaw, Poland - 9 June 2015
Canada and Poland share a lasting commitment to democratic values, an unwavering respect for human rights, and are committed to a stable rules-based international order. Both countries recognize the important role played by our military forces in safeguarding these principles and protecting our way of life.
Canada and Poland enjoy positive bilateral defence relations dating back to their close cooperation in the Second World War. Canada was the first country to ratify the Accession Protocols for Polish accession to NATO.
Defence ties between Canada and Poland remain strong. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have conducted dozens of training activities with their Polish counterparts over the last decade. A number of Canadian military personnel live and work in Poland and, over the course of the last year, more than 200 Canadian soldiers have been operating out of Poland, training alongside Polish troops as Canada’s Land Task Force deployed to Central and Eastern Europe under Operation REASSURANCE. Operation Reassurance refers to Canada’s measures to promote security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe in light of the Putin regime’s aggression against Ukraine.
The Department of National Defence of Canada and the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Poland have signed a Declaration of Intent indicating their commitment to further strengthen their defence cooperation, promote the security of their countries, and contribute to international peace.
Canada and Poland have already achieved important successes, both bilaterally and as NATO Allies. This document declares the intent of the two countries to continue building on these successes by establishing strategic defence dialogues which explore ways to further collaborate in a range of fields, including bilateral and multilateral training, international personnel placements and exchanges, military education, defence capacity building in third states and information sharing. The signature of the Declaration of Intent sets the stage for deeper bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the face of a constantly evolving security environment.
Among other things, this declaration will lead Canada and Poland to exchange information on best practices in several key areas. Most notably, Canada will share the expertise our Special Operations Forces have in air mobility, the ability of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to react quickly to humanitarian crises, and knowledge in how military forces can respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats. The two countries will also exchange information on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAVs), the ways in which their troops train for survival situations, and the management of their Army reserve forces.
In addition to the signature of the Declaration of Intent, five Canadian Armed Forces personnel will take up positions at NATO’s Multi-National Corps-North East headquarters in Poland by the end of 2015.
Closer defence cooperation as stipulated by this declaration will benefit Canada and Poland, leaving both countries more secure and the international community more stable.
Canada has often engaged in bilateral defence arrangements with allies and its other partners. For example in 2014, a similar Declaration of Intent was signed with Ukraine to explore opportunities to conduct joint military training and capacity building in response to Russia's aggression toward Ukraine, and Prime Minister Harper signed a Declaration with Mexico which demonstrates our continued commitment to working together on issues facing North America. Most recently, Canada signed a Technical Arrangement with France in February 2015, ensuring close cooperation continues between both nations in a constantly changing global security environment.
