Warsaw, Poland - 9 June 2015
Thank you, Prime Minister.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
It’s wonderful to be back in Poland and to have the chance to renew and reaffirm the deep and enduring ties that our two countries share.
This is my third visit and I can tell you that each time I have been greeted with an equally warm welcome, and I know the same, I can say the same for my colleagues who have joined with me here, the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of National Defence, Member of Parliament James Bezan, Member of Parliament Ted Opitz, a Polish Canadian, Member of Parliament, Wladyslaw Lizon, not only a Polish-Canadian but born and raised here in Poland.
Wonderful to have all of you with me.
The Poles are sincere friends and loyal partners for Canada.
And you are also very gracious hosts.
Thank you so much.
This is also my first meeting in her new capacity with Prime Minister Kopacz and I’m certain, Prime Minister, that our relationship will be as productive and mutually beneficial as the one that I enjoyed for so many years with your predecessor who’s now taken on leadership in Europe.
It’s almost exactly one year since I was here last to mark the 25th anniversary of Poland’s emergence from the dark night of oppression into a brilliant dawn of freedom.
And earlier this spring I attended the ceremonies in the Netherlands marking the end of the Second World War.
These two struggles, the back-to-back struggles that these anniversaries represent against the barbarity of Fascism and the brutality of Communism, were the defining conflicts of the last century.
The courage and resolve of the great people of Poland were fundamental to the final victory over both of these terrible evils.
Now of course today more than a million Canadians are of Polish heritage, and given our close people-to-people ties it’s no surprise that in the post-Cold War era our countries have become great trading partners.
Last year we exchanged almost $2 billion worth of merchandise, making Poland Canada’s largest trading partner in Eastern Europe.
For several years now, Poland’s economy has been booming, leading the European Union in growth by any measure.
This country is a global rising star.
That yours was the only country in the EU to avoid a recession during the global economic crisis I think speaks to that.
So I'm also pleased to be able to announce today a new Canadian priority Market Action Plan for Poland.
This action plan aims to strengthen further the commercial and economic ties that so benefit the people of both of our countries.
Earlier the Prime Minister and I discussed how the Canada-European Union Free Trade Agreement, when implemented, will substantially increase this commerce.
We are very grateful for Poland's clear and unwavering support of the Canada-European Union Free Trade Agreement.
We also discussed the situation in Ukraine.
As the Prime Minister noted, we are very concerned about the Putin regime's relentless campaign to disrupt and destabilize that country.
As Canada and Poland are partners in the pursuit of prosperity, so we are also allies in the pursuit of peace.
As you noted, Prime Minister, Canada was the first country to ratify Poland's membership in NATO.
Since then, we have stood together to defend the values and interests of that alliance.
Canada and Poland served side by side in Afghanistan and we now stand together in promoting freedom and democracy in Ukraine.
Our militaries are working actively in concert as part of NATO’s assurance measures.
Among the many things our countries hold in common is support for Ukraine’s freedom and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression.
We can never accept the illegal annexation of Crimea nor President Putin’s attacks in other parts of Ukraine.
President Putin has not only attacked a sovereign European state.
He and his thugs have attacked the very principles and conventions that distinguish peace and order from disorder and anarchy.
The Russian aggression in Ukraine is an intolerable situation that will demand a sustained and effective response from the international community and we are proud from the outset to have worked with Poland in this regard.
And I also would like to note as well once again the strong G-7 statement by all leaders, including major European leaders, to not only sustain the pressure of sanctions on Russia but to be prepared to augment those sanctions on Mr. Putin, should circumstances warrant.
Canada…as for Canada and Poland, our militaries are already cooperating in a number of ways, and I'm pleased to note that we’re expanding on this through the signing of the Canada-Poland Declaration of Intent on Defence Cooperation.
This new cooperation mechanism will allow our armed forces to share best practices in a number of areas.
I’m also proud to announce that Canada will contribute personnel to the NATO Multinational Core, Northeast Headquarters located in Szczecin, Poland.
We hope – both of us and I think all of us present – we hope that Poland’s present, a free people enjoying the fruits of a dynamic economy, will someday be Ukraine’s future.
We will continue to work together toward that goal.
Thank you again, Prime Minister, for your hospitality.
