Washington, 8 October 2021 (TDI): The United States Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin welcomed the Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak to the Pentagon on Wednesday. The officials discussed ways to strengthen the defense partnership between both countries.
Secretary Austin expressed his pleasure to receive the Polish Defense Minister in Washington and exhibited a commitment to enhancing the US-Polish defense relationship, particularly through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance. Austin stated that the US-Polish relations have strengthened since Poland joined NATO in 1999. He recalled the United States deployment of troops in Poland while deterring Russia.
In addition, the US Defense Secretary announced the United States’ decision to build an Aegis-ashore facility in Poland, reinforcing the NATO Ballistic Missile Defense capability. Poland’s Foreign Minister Blaszczak welcomed the U.S. military presence in the country, regarding it as a ‘central pillar’ of the future bilateral cooperation between the two states. During the meeting, Blaszczak shared Poland’s continuing efforts to enhance defense capabilities through acquiring the US military equipment, such as the F-35, Abrams tanks, Patriot batteries, and HIMARS-rocket systems.
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