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Poland's defence minister to meet president ahead of NATO summit

30.06.2026 16:20
Poland's Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz will meet President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday to discuss the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Deputy Defence Minister and government plenipotentiary for state resilience Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka speaks at a press conference in Warsaw on Tuesday.
Deputy Defence Minister and government plenipotentiary for state resilience Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka speaks at a press conference in Warsaw on Tuesday.Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara

Deputy Defence Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said on Tuesday that Nawrocki held his own consultations with several other presidents over the weekend, while Kosiniak-Kamysz has been doing the same for weeks and presented the government's summit plan on Saturday.

She stressed the importance of the two officials reaching a common position before the talks.

"It is good for Polish authorities to speak with one voice on international matters," she said.

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski will also travel to Ankara, where the summit takes place on 7–8 July.

Wednesday's meeting is also expected to address a permanent US troop presence in Poland.

President Nawrocki, who will attend the summit with his wife, is traditionally accompanied at NATO gatherings by representatives of the defence and foreign ministries.

New resilience role

Separately, the government confirmed on Tuesday that Sobkowiak-Czarnecka has taken on a new role as plenipotentiary for strengthening state resilience, succeeding her previous post overseeing Poland's rollout of SAFE, the EU's defence loan scheme.

Government spokesman Adam Szłapka said the change reflected progress "to the next stage" of the programme's implementation, praising her as someone who "delivers every project flawlessly."

Sobkowiak-Czarnecka's new responsibilities include coordinating the defence industry, ensuring SAFE-funded contracts are delivered on time, supporting Polish arms exporters and promoting civil defence education.

"So that we all know where to find reliable information, how to react when something worrying happens, what to keep at home for a difficult moment," she said.

(ał)

Source: PAP