- Prime Minister to host Prime
Minister Tusk of Poland today as leaders sign landmark agreement
to confront modern security threats
- Visit comes as the Prime Minister
continues to drive for an ambitious relationship
between the European Union and the UK to deliver security and
opportunity on both sides.
- Treaty follows similar agreements
with France and Germany, strengthening security across Europe
The UK is set to sign a new defence and security treaty with
Poland to protect British borders, tackle organised crime,
bolster collective defences and deepen cooperation with the
European Union.
The Prime Minister will host the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald
Tusk, in London today, as the pair prepare to sign the new
agreement to strengthen defence cooperation in the face of
increasing hostile threats across Europe.
Poland is one of the UK's closest defence and security partners,
a staunch supporter of Ukraine and vital economic partner, with
one of the fastest growing economies in Europe.
The leaders are expected to discuss the major uptick
in hybrid attacks - including
Russian-ordered arson attacks in East London, cargo
fires in Birmingham and across Europe, as well as
cyber-attacks and espionage - and agree to combine
expertise to combat accelerating threats.
The announcement builds on the Prime Minister's drive to get
closer to Europe and strengthen ties with the trading bloc
to improve security and opportunity on both sides. It
also follows similar treaties with France and Germany.
The UK and EU's joint ambition to improve relations to deliver
for consumers, businesses and collective European security is
expected to be high on the agenda of talks today.
Prime Minister said:
"Britain and Poland are already close allies and
friends, but the challenges Europe now faces demands an even
stronger partnership.
“This treaty is the biggest step forward in our defence and
security relationship with Poland in a generation, allowing us to
confront modern security threats that may be less visible but no
less dangerous, and our collective work together will keep our
countries safe for years to come.
"It also delivers on my commitment to work more closely with
European partners to boost security and opportunity for
people at home and stability across our continent."
The leaders are expected to sign the new treaty in London today,
signifying the historic ties between the UK and Poland, and
opportunity for both countries to work closer together in
protecting European defences long into the future.
The defence strand of the agreement is expected to unlock
major defence benefits for both sides, allowing forces to combine
expertise and industrial capability to lead the development and
manufacturing of next-generation complex weapons, ensuring
sovereign production chains and supporting high skilled jobs
across the UK and Poland.
That will include the design and development of new air
defence effectors, which are sophisticated
munitions, strengthening air and missile defence systems,
and deepening interoperability across all domains. It is also
expected to include the co-production of a next‑generation
medium‑range air defence missile.
The UK and Poland will also step up the use of uncrewed
systems to reinforce NATO's Eastern Flank through
next-generation land capabilities. As part of that drive, joint
land forces will undertake large‑scale joint exercises to sharpen
interoperability across counter drone warfare, electronic
warfare, and engineering support, as well as developing land
forces that remain at the forefront of future warfighting
through the harnessing of disruptive technologies.
And as part of efforts to outpace the threats of
tomorrow, from cyber-attacks to malign
information campaigns, the UK and Poland will also accelerate
cooperation to disrupt malicious attempts by hostile state actors
to sow discord through the sharing of expertise and coordinated
responses and exercises - sharpening how both countries can
respond in real time.
As a major migration partner for the UK and frontline state in
Europe's migration system, both countries will discuss how to
boost border security and dismantle organised crime groups
upstream through a new Joint Action Plan on Irregular
Migration.
The Joint Action Plan will allow both countries to better target
smuggling networks and their vulgar use of social media to lure
vulnerable people and maximise intelligence sharing to disrupt
gangs and their tactics and harness new technologies such as
advanced targeting and surveillance capabilities to strengthen
both countries' border security.
