During the state visit of Polish President Andrzej Duda to Armenia, RSC Director Richard Giragosian participated in a briefing for the president and his staff on 26 November. Joining several other Armenian analysts and civil society representatives, Giragosian also met with other members of the Polish delegation, including Mieszko Pawlak, Undersecretary of State in the Chancellery of the Presidency, Marek Prawda, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presidential advisor Wojciech Gerwel, and Undersecretary of State Anna Radwan-Röhrenschef.
During the meeting, President Duda provided his assessment of the ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and reporting on his recent meeting with Azerbaijani Ilham Aliyev in Baku, reiterated Poland’s willingness to help facilitate the peace talks in any way it can.
Polish President Duda also explained that in this new security environment in the wake of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Poland plans to assume a leading position to deal with security threats when it assumes the presidency of the European Council for a six-month term in January 2025. In that context, the Polish president also noted that Armenia’s commitment to Europe will be recognized and rewarded, including new opportunities from the needed modification and update of the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) program.
The visit was a significant demonstration of Poland’s interest in Armenia and is the first visit to Armenia by a Polish president in thirteen years. President Duda also met with the Armenian president, prime minister and parliamentary chairman.
