Belarus–Poland relations

Belarus-Poland relations

Belarus	Poland

The Republic of Poland and the Republic of Belarus established diplomatic relations on 2 March 1992.^[1] Poland was one of the first countries to recognise Belarusian independence.^[2] Polish and Belarusian cultures have been tied together for many centuries, and their national languages are closely related. as well as bounding together through shared history and marked both by Slavic heritage, religion, identity, values, etc.

Cultural relations between the two are quite friendly but diplomatic relations between the two countries are currently very strained. Poland is a member of NATO and the European Union, and has a pro-U.S. stance, whereas Belarus is firmly pro-Russia, and as such, relations tend to be similar to Russia–European Union relations. Belarus has an Embassy in Warsaw, Consulates General in Gdańsk and Białystok, and a Consulate in Biała Podlaska.^[3] Poland has an Embassy in Minsk and Consulates General in Brest and Hrodna.^[4]

Wiktar Gaisenak is the Belarusian ambassador in Poland;^[5] Tadeusz Pawlak is the Polish ambassador in Belarus.

Belarus and Poland share a common border (~418 km long) which is the European Union external border.

Poles make up 3.9% of the population of Belarus according to the 1999 Belarus Census.^[6] There were 48,700 Belarusians living in Poland according to the Polish census of 2002.^[7] Both minorities represent autochthonous population of the region and are officially recognised.

A Belarusian Su-27 crashed at a Polish air show in 2009.

Events

In August 2011, the arrest of Ales Bialiatski using information from Poland led to a harsh war of words between the two countries.^[8][9]

References

1. "Embassy of Belarus in Poland" belembassy.org. Link accessed 26 March 2009.
2. "Embassy of Belarus in Poland" belembassy.org Link accessed 26 March 2009.
3. "Embassy Belarus in Poland" belembassy.org. Link accessed 26 March 2009.
4. "Embassy of Poland in Belarus" minsk.polemb.net Link accessed 26 March 2009
5. "DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS A - F" msz.gov.pl. Link accessed 24 March 2009.
6. Ethnic composition of the population "1999 Census" belstat.gov.by Link accessed 24 March 2009.
7. (Polish) Mniejszości narodowe i etniczne w Polsce on the pages of Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration. Link accessed 24 March 2009.
8. Feifer, Gregory (12.08.2011). "Poland Apologizes For Information Leak On Belarusian Activist". RFE/RL. Check date values in: |date= (help)
9. "Stunning legal nihilism in Poland’s statement on Alexander Belyatsky’s case", BelTA, 12.08.2011 16:23. Retrieved 2011-08-15.