"Twenty years ago, we joined the European Union," President Andrzej Duda said in a televised message on Tuesday as Poland marks the anniversary.
"May 1, 2004 was a very good day for Poland," he declared, adding that "several generations of Poles dreamed of returning to the political community of the Western world and a united Europe."
He stated: "Twenty years of our presence in the EU is a great success for each of us. Thousands of investments, excellent use of European funds, expansion of Polish companies across Europe. Just look around to see how our country has changed during this time. We have made great use of this period."
He added: "But we are ambitious and want to develop further. We need large, strategic investment projects, such as the Central Transport Hub, so that we can join the wealthiest countries in Europe even faster."
Duda also addressed security and economic challenges facing Poland and the EU, stating: "Our future depends on how we handle them. Being in the EU, we can influence its shape and set key directions. Our voice matters."
He described his country's EU membership as a strategic national interest.
Seventy-seven percent of Poles are happy with their country's membership of the European Union, according to a recent survey.
Poland became part of the EU on May 1, 2004, a historic step that underlined the country’s realignment with the West after decades of communist rule.
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Source: IAR, PAP