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Polish president, Italian leaders discuss security, EU ties

18.05.2026 17:00
Polish President Karol Nawrocki met with Italy's President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Monday for talks on security and bilateral cooperation as part of the European Union, officials said.
Polands President Karol Nawrocki (right) and First Lady Marta Nawrocka (left) pose for a photo with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni (centre) during a visit to Rome on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki (right) and First Lady Marta Nawrocka (left) pose for a photo with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni (centre) during a visit to Rome on Monday, May 18, 2026.Photo: EPA/ETTORE FERRARI

Nawrocki, who was visiting Italy with his wife Marta Nawrocka, held separate meetings with Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace and with Meloni at the Chigi Palace, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

The talks focused on European security and Polish-Italian cooperation within the EU, according to Nawrocki's office.

Presidential aide Marcin Przydacz said earlier on Monday that Meloni often shares similar views with Nawrocki in EU debates, particularly about the bloc's future development and the need to counterbalance the dominance of its largest member states.

He added that Nawrocki supports an active role for Poland in the EU but believes the bloc should adjust some of its policies.

Later in the day, the Polish presidential couple was scheduled to travel to Monte Cassino, about 130 km from Rome, to pay tribute to Polish soldiers who fought in the 1944 Battle of Monte Cassino against Nazi Germany.

In a video message posted on social media, Italy's Mattarella said he was pleased to meet Nawrocki ahead of the 82nd anniversary of the bloody World War II battle in which hundreds of Polish soldiers were killed.

Earlier this month, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a political opponent of Nawrocki, said after talks in Rome with Meloni that Poland and Italy "understand each other well" on key issues shaping Europe, including Russia's war in Ukraine, EU climate policy and economic cooperation.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP