Casimir Pulaski Foundation organizes from 31 January to 1 February 2024 a high-level delegation of Polish members of the parliament (Sejm) to Germany. The Polish side will be represented by the heads of the committees of Foreign Affairs and the European Union of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, and the Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The delegation will meet in Berlin with representatives of the German federal government at the ministerial level, including Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, and it will take part in the first meeting of the Polish-German parliamentary group in the Bundestag, organized specially for this occasion.

The Polish delegation visiting Germany will include members of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland: Paweł Kowal – Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee; Michał Kobosko – Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee; Władysław Bartoszewski – Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and Marek Krząkała – member of the parliament. The group will also be joined by representatives of the Casimir Pulaski Foundation: prof. Katarzyna Pisarska – Chairwoman of the Warsaw Security Forum (WSF) and Bartłomiej Kot – Program Director of WSF. Polish delegation will participate in meetings with the highest-ranking German representatives: Boris Pistorius – Minister of Defense; Anna Lührmann – Minister of State for Europe and Climate; Jens Plötner – adviser on foreign policy and security to Chancellor Scholtz; Michael Roth – Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Bundestag; Anton Hofreiter – Chairman Committee on European Affairs of the Bundestag; Dietmar Nietan – the German government’s coordinator for Poland and Ambassador Christoph Heusgen – Chairman of the Munich Security Conference. A meeting of the Polish-German parliamentary group in the Bundestag was also specially organised on the occasion of the visit of the Polish delegation, with the participation of several members of the Bundestag from various parties and groupings that make up the parliament in Germany. The visit is the first opportunity in the last several years for a direct exchange of opinions between Poland and Germany at the parliamentary level in such a broad group.

According to the member of the delegation, prof. Katarzyna Pisarska “Polish-German relations deserve a new opening“. The trip aims to revive Polish-German diplomatic contacts, which is considered imperative for Poland to increase its influence in shaping European policy. The priority is to develop effective solutions to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. The main topics discussed during the visit will also include issues from security policy, therein defence spending and Polish-German cooperation in the face of the Russian threat. Economic aspects such as the potential for collaboration within economic projects, including cross-border infrastructure, will also be discussed. The delegation’s aim is to demonstrate Poland’s readiness for a creative and proactive approach to cooperate with Germany.

A particular emphasis is put on the search for specific projects within the Weimar Triangle – a format grouping Poland, Germany and France. Representatives of the Casimir Pulaski Foundation will encourage German partners to, among others, create a future fund, “International Weimar Fund”, dedicated to supporting joint Polish-German civil society initiatives.

The delegation’s visit is part of the increasing activity of Polish parliamentary diplomacy, in which the Foundation is actively involved. The Casimir Pulaski Foundation is co-creating, among others, the Social Advisory Team to the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. The team is led by prof. Katarzyna Pisarska and Bartłomiej Kot is its secretary. Both participate in the delegation.