In eighty years, Poland not only rebuilt Warsaw, which was completely destroyed in the Second World War, but also made significant economic progress. This could also be an example for Ukraine,” Sebastian Kęciek told us. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland will be the guest of the Ludovika Ambassadors’ Forum on 21 March.
You have been living and working in Hungary since last year. When did you first visit us?
Some eleven years ago, my friends and I decided to celebrate 15th March, your national holiday, here. It was an unforgettable experience when, on our way home after the celebrations, we were approached by a group of Hungarians of a similar age. They asked us to take a photo together and spend the evening together, just because we‘re Polish! Then we also talked about what Hungary and Hungarian history means to them. This experience also contributed to my later interest in Central European nations, especially Hungary, as a university student. So I came here because of the Hungarian-Polish friendship, and the brief encounters we had that evening have since developed into serious friendships.
Speaking of friendship between our peoples, how serious and lasting do you feel the current drift in bilateral relations is?
Russia’s attack on Ukraine was a caesura on this issue. And it not only affected Hungarian-Polish friendship, but also the reactions of other countries in the region and the West. Despite disagreements on certain issues, we try to find areas where we can cooperate. We try to build bridges, even where it seems difficult; this is the task of diplomats.
What institutions and organisations shape Poland’s foreign policy strategy?
Our Constitution states that the President of the Republic cooperates with the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs on foreign policy. So in Poland it’s a team effort. Having worked in the public administration, my experience in recent years has shown me that this works well in the Prime Minister’s Office, especially in the field of security policy.
How do you see Poland’s role and position in Europe changing as a consequence of the war?
It’s perhaps too early to talk about the role that Poland or other countries in Europe will play, and the benefits they may gain and the risks implied. But I think that Polish society was able to cope with this situation. Ordinary people, when they allowed Ukrainian refugees into their homes, and the government when it took into account the historical experience. We have become a distribution centre supporting the defence of the brave Ukrainian nation. Based on their historical experience, Poland and Hungary must have an excellent understanding of Russia and Russian ambitions.
How might Poland’s role in the military-security architecture be transformed?
Poland aims to increase its own security, and that of its region, through the development of its armed forces. We took the relevant decisions years ago. when we analysed the regional situation. Poland sought to warn, in international fora, of the risks of the consequences of completing the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. It also tried to highlight Russia’s aggressive policy. In recent years, we not only witnessed political assassinations there, but also Russia’s attempts to gain influence in other states, including through attempts to overthrow governments. In Georgia and Ukraine we could see it trying to occupy territories by force. Despite the fact that the West did not really take into account these warnings in recent years, we are glad that, when it came to aggression against Ukraine, it was united in its support for the Ukrainians, and Europe showed unity on this issue. And despite the differences between countries, we can rise above them and, on the first anniversary of the war, the tenth package of sanctions was adopted. We can see that Russia was weakened in many areas as a result.
Let’s remain in our region for a while. There are three regional organisations, in the creation of which Poland played a major role. How do you see the role of the Three Seas Initiative, the Bucharest Nine and the V4 in the near future?
Each organisation plays a different role in this region. The Bucharest Nine was created after the Donbass and Crimea crisis: the aim of this organisation is to guarantee the security of the participating countries. The main objective of the Three Seas Initiative was to implement infrastructure development, thus increasing the competitiveness of the region compared to the West. The V4 group initially served as a platform for EU and NATO accession, and more recently, it was able to assert its will mainly in EU politics. So each of these organisations has a different role to play. They complement each other perfectly, and Polish foreign policy aims to strengthen these organisations.
Finally, let’s talk a little about the hopefully not too distant time when the war will have ended. What roles may Poland, regional cooperation and the EU play in the reconstruction?
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to open an exhibition at the Polish Institute; two exhibitions to be precise, one on the destruction of Ukrainian cities and monuments by the Russians, and a parallel exhibition on the destruction of Warsaw by the Germans in 1944. In my speech, I pointed out that in eighty years, Poland not only completely rebuilt Warsaw, which had been totally destroyed, but has also achieved significant economic development. This is another example for how Ukraine can rebuild all that was destroyed, partly using funds frozen from the Russian oligarchs’ assets after the outbreak of war. We need the unity and solidarity that one can see in the European Union. We all look forward to the war ending, but when it does, the international community will have to face a new challenge.
What lessons can these very turbulent times teach to us Europeans?
The pandemic came very suddenly. Neither the countries’ healthcare systems nor their economies were prepared. It also highlighted that we became dependent on Eastern countries, especially China, for our supply chains; suddenly we started to lack certain basic products. Thanks to the wisdom of our leaders and economists, we came out of this crisis well, although it affected everyone. The following year, Poland found its borders under constant attack from Belarus. And then the war broke out in Ukraine. This also shows how difficult are the times we live in, but also that those alliances with neighbouring countries in the region are much more important, and much more useful, than partners hundreds or thousands of kilometres away. That is why Poles believe that these regional alliances and millennial friendships, such as the one between Hungarians and Poles, may not only be revived, but that we can build a better and safer future together.