Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, attending the Ottawa fair alongside government officials including SAFE program envoy Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, said relations between the two countries had never been stronger.
"Poland is being shown at CANSEC as a model to follow", Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters, adding that Canada was investing in defense "along the Polish model". He described the drone purchase declaration as a milestone, saying: "A few years ago, others decided on the security of our region. Today, Poland sets the direction and is becoming one of NATO's pillars in Europe".
Sobkowiak-Czarnecka signaled that Poland's participation carried a clear condition for foreign partners: "If you want to sell something to the Polish army, you must cooperate with Polish defense companies".
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking at CANSEC's opening in a first for a sitting Canadian premier, announced negotiations with Sweden's Saab over early warning systems, to be installed on Bombardier 6500 jets built in Toronto. He said Canada would spend C$180 billion on military procurement and C$290 billion on military and security infrastructure over the next decade.
"The very nature of war is changing rapidly, driven by the proliferation of drones, autonomous systems and orbital weapons", Carney said, also announcing streamlined procurement procedures and incentives for suppliers partnering with Canadian firms.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said Canada would be the main partner at September's International Defense Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce, where he is expected to sign defense cooperation and cybersecurity agreements with Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty.
Poland signed a loan agreement under the EU's SAFE program on May 8, the first among 19 participating states, securing access to EUR 43.7 billion. An initial advance of EUR 6.5 billion is expected to arrive imminently. The country's Armaments Agency is due to sign around 40 contracts under the SAFE program by the end of this week.
(jh)
Source: PAP