3 March 2014
Peace in the region is in
Poland’s best interest – Deputy Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz for TOK FM
radio on developments in Ukraine and Crimea, and regional security
“First and foremost, the Polish government sees this
problem not as a Polish-Ukrainian or a Polish-Russian issue, but as a serious
conflict with global ramifications, which no doubt has a huge impact on the
security of the continent,” MFA Undersecretary of State Katarzyna
Pełczyńska-Nałęcz said when asked about the situation in Crimea. “We are trying
in particular to effectively mobilize our NATO and EU partners. An
extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council scheduled for today will discuss this
problem at the level of EU ministers,” pointed out the deputy minister. She
added that a European Council meeting will be held in a few days’ time on
Poland’s initiative.
“Economic interests are crucial also for Poland, with
Ukraine and Russia being our major export markets. Peace and harmony in the
region are in our best interest, so that rather than dealing with conflicts we
can focus on trade and prosperity,” argued the deputy chief of Poland’s
diplomacy.
The deputy minister noted that although Ukraine is not
a NATO member, consultations are being held in this forum. “We need NATO to
react,” underlined Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz. According to her, the important
thing is “to draw conclusions that will influence the security of the region,
including Poland.” “These are the kinds of actions we expect from NATO today,”
assured the deputy minister. “The European Union, the US and the West should
make it absolutely clear that the violation of international obligations, with
Russia having breached virtually all international obligations within the UN,
OSCE, Council of Europe, as well as the Budapest Memorandum, will not be
condoned and will have political consequences.”
“Poland, too, believes that the West should pause to
think whether to take restrictive measures,” said the deputy minister. She also
stressed that such steps depend on decisions to be taken by EU ministers and
heads of state. “We need to keep such tools at hand, though” argued Katarzyna
Pełczyńska-Nałęcz. Referring to the instruments at the disposal of the
international community, the deputy minister mentioned actions that can be
taken against specific persons, such as refusing them entry visas or freezing
their assets, and restrictions that can be imposed on the country itself, e.g.
purchases or sales in certain economic sectors. “These actions are practicable.
In our view they need to be considered and kept ready. The key thing today is
political reaction: political isolation,” reiterated the deputy foreign
minister. “If things continue to head in the wrong direction, serious thought
should be given to such restrictive measures.”
“The decision about sanctions against a number of
people who were responsible for the violence in Ukraine was made before this
turning point, when Yanukovych’s reaction was still unclear and a forceful
resolution seemed very real. And it was then that the decision was taken to
eloquently show the then Ukrainian authorities that a resolution by force was
unacceptable. Today we have a different situation, with a new government
confronted with the enormous challenge of a conflict with Russia. This
challenge has led to a consolidation within Ukraine, and an ever-more prevalent
understanding that divisions serve no purpose,” explained Katarzyna
Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.
She also observed that Poland should not feel put
directly at risk by the Crimean conflict, as “nobody is posing a threat to our
security. Yet it is dangerous for the entire continent, and in particular for a
country bordering the Russian Federation and Ukraine, when our immediate
neighbour infringes international obligations in such a blatant way. It’s a
potentially threatening situation that calls for deep reflection and actions on
the part of Poland, and such actions have already been taken,” admitted the
deputy chief of Polish diplomacy.
http://www.msz.gov.pl/en/
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