Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz met with his Canadian counterpart David McGuinty for talks on expanding defence cooperation between the two countries.
The talks also covered Canada’s participation in the European Union’s SAFE defence initiative, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kosiniak-Kamysz said he and McGuinty discussed Canadian investment in Poland’s defence sector, purchases from Polish defence manufacturers and potential investment projects by Polish companies in Canada.
"At a time when there are often strong political emotions in North America, this is also a good moment for Poland to emphasise relations with both the United States and Canada," he said. "For both partners, our doors remain open to investment and cooperation."
While in Ottawa, Kosiniak-Kamysz is also scheduled to attend the CanSec defence trade show on Wednesday, the largest event of its kind in Canada.
Poland is this year’s "spotlight nation," a designation highlighting the country’s defence industry and strategic importance.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said he expected "good decisions and good agreements" for Poland’s defence sector during the event.
"This shows that Canada is closer to Europe than ever before," he said. "Canada is taking—and will continue to take—greater responsibility for Europe’s security."
Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, Poland’s government representative for the SAFE programme, said Canada’s participation in the initiative reflected its deepening cooperation with Europe.
She noted that Canada is the only non-EU country participating in the mechanism.
Later on Tuesday, Kosiniak-Kamysz and McGuinty were expected to sign a letter of intent outlining planned Canadian purchases of Polish military equipment, including drones.
Defence ties between Poland and Canada have expanded in recent years.
After a meeting in Warsaw last August between Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney, the two countries signed a bilateral defence cooperation plan and established a working group on defence industry cooperation.
In April, the first meeting of a Canadian-Polish steering committee was held in Ottawa to identify new opportunities in trade, investment, energy and defence cooperation.
Earlier this year, the Canadian embassy in Warsaw hosted a Defence Industry Day event aimed at encouraging Poland’s procurement of defence and aerospace capabilities from Canadian suppliers.
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Source: IAR, PAP