Poland considering extending mandate of its armed forces in Middle East

During his visit to Washington, DC, Waszczykowski took part in the Meeting of the Ministers of the Global Coalition on the Defeat of ISIS, and in the meeting of the “Small Group” of countries most actively involved in the Coalition’s operations.

“I would like to stress that Poland’s participation in the meeting of the ‘small group’ is a show of appreciation for our commitment, including military engagement, in the fight against ISIS,” Waszczykowski said, adding that that since July 2016 four Polish F-16 jets have been carrying out a significant part of the reconnaissance operations in Iraq as part of the Counter-ISIS Coalition, which Poland has also supported by training Iraqi security forces.

‎“We are prepared to return with our troops to peacekeeping operations,” Waszczykowski told reporters.

“We have been in Afghanistan and Iraq; we are also part of the Counter-ISIS Coalition. We are prepared to consider extending the mandate of these forces,” he added. “But without a political solution, a military solution would only be temporary.”

Waszczykowski said that the meeting provided an opportunity to enhance Poland’s image as a country that recognises the significance of the growing terrorist threat, and is prepared to assume responsibility for the fight against such threats.

“The meeting also enabled us to learn what the US expects from its partners, and to get a better understanding of the assumptions underlying the plan to fight against terrorism, which is a foreign policy priority of the new US administration,” he added. (rg)