Belarus–Poland relations
Belarus |
Poland |
---|
The
Cultural relations between the two are quite friendly but
Relations between the two countries have since significantly deteriorated. In the lead-up to and during the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, a number of anti-government protests took place across the country. Belarusian authorities employed various methods of violent political crackdown, consisting of various humans rights violations; Poland strongly condemned the measures. Following Lukashenko's alleged victory for a sixth term, the European Council on 19 August decided that the elections were neither free nor fair, therefore do not recognize the results. Poland and Lithuania became two of the first countries to officially back the Belarusian opposition. Angered by this posturing, Lukashenko claimed that Belarus had closed its EU borders and had deployed additional guards and troops. In August 2021, following a sudden influx of refugees coming from Belarus, Poland deployed 15,000 troops to guard the eastern frontier with Belarus. A standoff ensued between both armies, border guards and refugees caught in between. Poland had accused Belarus of engaging in hybrid warfare, to which Poland was accused of pushing back migrants by force. By 2022, Poland had finalized the construction of a state border barrier between the two countries. In the same year, a number of Home Army monuments in Belarus were purposely destroyed.[citation needed]
Geography
Belarus and Poland share a
national parks.Modern history
2020 Belarusian protests
Amidst the
After the forceful suppression of Belarusian protests, the main opposition challenger
Belarus–EU border crisis
In January 2022 Poland started building a 5.5-meter (18 foot) high steel wall topped with barbed wire along the 187 km Belarus border, which was completed in June 2022.[10]
Fallout of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 6 July 2022, scant months after the
In 2022, Polish places of national remembrance were devastated or destroyed in Belarus, incl.
On 10 October 2022, the Polish government recommended Polish citizens leave Belarus with available commercial and private means as the relationship between the two countries has become increasingly tense.[17] The Polish government also claims the Polish minority in Belarus is experiencing increasing repression from the state, including the imprisonment of some community leaders.
Violation of Polish airspace
On 1 August 2023, a Belarusian Mi-8 and an Mi-24 helicopter, reportedly flew just over 3 kilometers over Polish territory, reaching the town of Białowieża before turning back and flying over the village of Grudki. Initially, the Polish Ministry of National Defence denied the claims.[18][19] A few days before this, Poland stated that they'd send more troops to the border, after Belarus taunted Poland over Russians Wagner group.
Trade
In 2021 Poland exported $1.86 billion of goods to Belarus, the main export being locomotive parts, with Belarus exporting $2.00 billion of goods to Poland, the top export being rail transport. Between 1995 and 2021 Polish exports have risen by an average of 8.62% p.a. with Belarus increasing at 8.92% p.a.[20]
Resident diplomatic missions
- Belarus has an embassy in Warsaw, a consulate-general in Białystok and a consulate in Biała Podlaska.[21]
- Poland has an embassy in Minsk and consulates-general in Brest and in Grodno.[22]
-
Embassy of Belarus in Warsaw
-
Consulate-General of Belarus in Białystok
See also
- 2021 Belarus–European Union border crisis
- Belarus–Poland border
- Foreign relations of Belarus
- Foreign relations of Poland
References
- ^ "Embassy of Belarus in Poland" Archived 2009-08-04 at the Wayback Machine belembassy.org. Link accessed 26 March 2009.
- ^ "Embassy of Belarus in Poland" Archived 2009-08-04 at the Wayback Machine belembassy.org Link accessed 26 March 2009.
- RFE/RL.
- ^ "Stunning legal nihilism in Poland’s statement on Alexander Belyatsky’s case" Archived October 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, BelTA, 12.08.2011 16:23. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
- ^ Ethnic composition of the population "1999 Census" Archived February 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine belstat.gov.by Link accessed 24 March 2009.
- Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration. Link accessed 24 March 2009.
- ^ Bowden, John (2020-08-16). "Russia offers military help to Belarus". The Hill. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ EDT, Tom O'Connor On 8/22/20 at 1:20 PM (2020-08-22). "U.S. allies watch borders closely as Belarus sends military, Russia presses West". Newsweek. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Exiled Belarusian Opposition Leaders Find New Home in Poland". Balkan Insight. 9 September 2020.
- ^ "'Double standards': Poland criticised as steel wall along border with Belarus is completed". news.sky.com. July 2, 2022. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ "Poland to ramp up defence spending, army as Ukraine war rages". Reuters. 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
- ^ "Косыгин: наш ответ на провокации Запада однозначно будет адекватным и жестким". BELTA. 6 July 2022.
- ^ "Belarusian intelligence registers unprecedented rate of militarization of Poland". TASS. 6 July 2022.
- ^ "Belarus Threatens to Attack Poland in Case of "Provocations by the West"". European Pravda. 7 July 2022.
- ^ "Znamy okoliczności popełnionej dziś na Białorusi zbrodni znieważenia miejsca spoczynku żołnierzy AK". 25 August 2022.
- ^ "Białoruś. Kolejny polski cmentarz żołnierzy Armii Krajowej zniszczony". 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Poland advises its citizens to leave Belarus". Reuters. 2022-10-10. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
- ^ Pikulicka-Wilczewska, Agnieszka; Pikulicka-Wilczewska, Agnieszka (2023-08-01). "Poland rushes troops to border, Belarus denies helicopter violation". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
- ^ Poland reinforces border troops, claims airspace incursion by Belarusian military helicopters, retrieved 2023-08-04
- ^ "Poland/Belarus". January 2022.
- ^ "Ambasada Republiki Białoruś w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej". poland.mfa.gov.by.
- ^ "Polska na Białorusi - Polska na Białorusi - Portal Gov.pl". www.gov.pl.
External links
- Media related to Relations of Belarus and Poland at Wikimedia Commons