Poland and UK have enjoyed strong and friendly partner relations, building both on the historical and the contemporary cooperation of the governments and the societies. In the history of the Polish-British relations there have been moments of great importance. The outbreak of the Second World War was undoubtedly a turning point which joined Polish and British soldiers as brothers in arms fighting against the Third Reich. Polish airmen make up a special chapter in history with their contribution to the Battle of Britain as does the Polish intelligence service by breaking the code of Enigma.  

Another breakthrough was the time of the “Solidarity” movement. The activities of the democratic opposition in Poland gained the support of the British government, moral and academic authorities as well as trade unions and the media. The articles about Poland written by Timothy Garton Ash or the academic work of a historian, Norman Davies, were invaluable at the time. A clear expression of the British support was the visit of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1988, during which she met the then “Solidarity” leader and the later president of Poland, Lech Wałęsa. Mrs. Thatcher’s philosophy of economy and her programme of reforms provided the key inspiration for the emerging liberal thought in the free Poland.

The United Kingdom actively supported Polish transformation after 1989 by creating a comprehensive system of grants and scholarships, supporting the development of the democratic state and the civil society. At the same time, the UK diplomacy firmly supported Polish aspirations to NATO and EU membership.  

The recent stage of Polish-British cooperation began in 2004 with the Polish accession to the European Union. The United Kingdom, as one of the few EU member states, opened its labour market to Polish workers without limitations and delay. Until now, this market has absorbed hundreds of thousands of Polish citizens.

Polish-British relations have been developing in different areas and at different levels. The foundation for those relations was laid by the Joint Declaration of the Governments of the Republic of Poland and the United Kingdom, signed on 24 April 1991, during the state visit of President Lech Wałęsa to the UK. Over the years, there have been numerous visits of Polish and British officials as well as visits of the members of the Royal Family. In November 2005 the President of the Republic of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski and his wife came to the UK on a state visit.

In the same year, Prime  Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz visited London, and in the following year – Mr. Stefan Meller, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ludwik Dorn, Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, Mr. Zbigniew Ziobro, Minister of Justice and Mr. Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski, Minister for Culture and National Heritage.

In 2002 Prince Charles paid a visit to Poland. The year 2003 saw the visits of  Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and Prime Minister Tony Blair. In 2004, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott took part in the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. He came to Poland again in May 2005 to participate in the 3rd Council of Europe Summit of the Heads of State and Government and returned in August 2005 – to take part in the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the formation of the ‘Solidarity’ Trade Union.

In November 2004 Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and his wife visited Warsaw and Kraków. The British delegation with Prince Edward and the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw attended the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on 27 January 2005. In February 2006, Princess Anne came to Poland to celebrate the launch of the Pharos ship built by Gdańsk Remontowa S.A. Shipyard.

Poland and the UK share common interests in European issues, security policy, Euro-Atlantic relations, EU Eastern European policy and energy security. Our countries cooperate effectively within the structures of  NATO, UN and OSCE. Polish-British economic and trade cooperation has also been developing successfully and harmoniously.