Polish FM meets with EU counterparts in Tallinn
PR dla Zagranicy
Grzegorz Siwicki
08.09.2017 10:28
Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski has met his counterparts from other European Union countries to discuss a range of pressing issues at an informal meeting in the Estonian capital Tallinn.
Poland's Waszczykowski (right) speaks with Britain's Boris Johnson (centre) and MEP David McAllister at the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Tallinn. Photo: EPA/VALDA KALNINA
During the meeting, EU foreign ministers talked about issues including escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula following another nuclear test by North Korea, the Polish foreign ministry said on its website.
"Poland condemns the sixth nuclear test carried out by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,” said Waszczykowski, as quoted on his ministry’s website. “It violates existing international obligations and leads to a dangerous escalation of tensions in the region. Moreover, it could have unpredictable consequences.”
Waszczykowski added that the North Korean ambassador to Poland had been presented with a diplomatic note condemning the country's actions.
The debate on Thursday also focused on the EU's involvement in breaking the deadlock in the Middle East peace process in cooperation with regional and international partners, according to the Polish foreign ministry.
Waszczykowski said that Poland condemned all acts of violence and religious extremism, especially at places of worship. He declared that the protection of places of worship would be one of Poland’s priorities in its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2018-2019.
Informal meetings of EU foreign ministers take place every six months and are held in the so-called Gymnich format, the Polish foreign ministry notes on its website. This facilitates more open discussions and strategic reflection, making consensus within the EU more achievable at a later stage, according to the ministry. The name refers to Gymnich Castle near Bonn, Germany, which hosted such a meeting for the first time in 1974. (gs/pk)
Source: msz.gov.pl