Andrzej Duda made the statement at the launch of the annual 590 Congress business conference in Nadarzyn near Warsaw, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
In his speech to the conference, Duda said he was pleased that Ukraine recently became a participating partner of the Three Seas Initiative group of European Union countries.
He also voiced hope that Ukraine would soon become a member of the EU.
Duda hailed Ukraine’s “enormous economic potential,” calling the country “a treasure-trove of potential for decades of future development,” the PAP news agency reported.
“Poland must be strong and for this, it needs a strong, independent, sovereign Ukraine as a part of Europe,” Duda told the conference.
One of the main themes of the two-day conference, which is now in its seventh year, is cooperation between the countries of the Three Seas Initiative.
The Polish-led regional drive aims to boost infrastructure, energy and business ties among 12 European Union countries between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas.
Duda said: “Some time ago, the Three Seas countries all became members of the European Union. We received cohesion funds from the EU to catch up with the West faster, to address disparities, especially in infrastructure.”
He added that EU funds were also designed to make new member countries more business-friendly.
The president also said that, over the past two decades, “Poland has been among the leaders when it comes to utilising EU funds for cohesion policy.”
Referring to the Three Seas club, Duda said: “In the Three Seas Initiative, we discuss collective development, ways to facilitate transport of goods, security and how to forge ties. This cooperation is already bringing us tangible results.”
Wednesday was day 119 of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, prezydent.pl, kongres590.pl