The 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Germany and the 100th anniversary of the Polish Association in Germany are an ideal opportunity to sum up the relations between our countries and outline common plans for the future.

As the Speaker of the Sejm, I met over a dozen times with the heads of the Bundestag. In none of the 30 years of my term of office have Polish-German contacts been so frequent. After yesterday's conversation with the new chairman of the German Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael Roth, I think that our cooperation can go in the right direction. Germany has been Poland's biggest economic partner for almost 30 years. The economic importance of Poland, which is the 5th trade partner of Germany, is also growing.

It is a truism to say that this is a difficult neighbor. Everyone knows what the past was like, but considering the gas alliance with Russia, attempts to federalize the European Union, interference in our internal affairs, or the asymmetry in supporting the German minority in Poland and the Polish minority in Germany, we understand that dialogue is necessary. We expect that the new federal government will fulfill its 2020 declaration regarding the fulfillment of the demand to create a separate fund at the federal level to support Polish education in Germany. There is growing support in Poland for reparations for World War II, and according to Green Party politicians, this topic is not closed.

Germany has done its history lesson and does not want to get involved in armed conflicts - hence the lack of military support for Ukraine. I was assured, however, that Ukraine receives assistance on other levels - reforms, economic, environmental protection or judicial. Poland is not a lonely island, we have a special place on the map and special neighbors. This requires from us diplomatic wisdom - not to conflict, but to build. Alliances are necessary in the modern world. Taking into account that both Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock paid familiarization visits to Warsaw in their first days in office, we hope that with the new federal government there will be a new opening in Polish-German relations.

Marek Kuchciński, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee