BBN / French Institute of Higher National Defence Studies seminar
Wednesday, 21 September 2012. The Presidential Palace in Warsaw hosted the first seminar of the National Security Bureau (BBN) and the Institute of Higher National Defence Studies (IHEDN). The meeting was opened by the Head of BBN, Stanisław Koziej, and the Ambassador of France to Poland, Pierre Buhler. The IHEDN delegation was headed by the director of the Institute gen. Jean-Marc Duquesne.
Representatives of Poland and France discussed the current threats, challenges and common strategic interests that are considered a foundation of the common European security based on NATO and the EU.
The Head of BBN pointed out that despite many political differences which occurred during the last twenty years, France was always an important reference point for Poland in cultural and political matters. S. Koziej emphasized the importance of the discussed issues – NATO’s strategic and political condition, the EU security policy and the national security reviews carried out in Poland and France.
Ambassador P. Buhler said that the presence of representatives of the foreign and defence ministries of both countries points to a real interdepartmental approach to security and defence. The Ambassador stressed that progress in addressing defence and security issues by France is expressed by inclusion into the White Paper of 2008, a new feature – "knowledge and anticipation". Pierre Buhler noted that the meeting should help define a common vision of the Polish and French strategies. He said that the experience gained from the White Papers of both countries should contribute to strengthening the military and industrial capabilities and help build a common Europe that possesses a great potential in research and development.
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France is an important partner of Poland both in bilateral and regional (Weimar Triangle) relations and in NATO and the EU. Dialogue, exchange of opinions and analysis allow a better understanding of individual interests and strategic objectives and contribute to their effective realization.
The seminar is another element of cooperation between BBN and its French partners. Meeting was attended by representatives of the Polish and French central administrations (from the Polish side: BBN, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defence; from the French side: IHEDN, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ministry of Defence). The parties discussed issues of European security after the NATO summit in Chicago, revision of the European Security Strategy and exchanged their respective experiences of the security and defence reviews in Poland and France.