President office's, foreign ministry's reps to meet over contentious issues
Representatives of President Karol Nawrocki's Office and of the foreign ministry are set to meet to discuss matters of Poland's diplomacy at the heart of a dispute between the president and the government.
The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, will be attended by Marcin Przydacz, Nawrocki's foreign policy aide, and Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki.
Przydacz told the private broadcaster Polsat News on Sunday that the talks will cover "a number of issues, including cooperation between diplomatic missions and the President's Office."
On Saturday, Nawrocki said he would like to speak with Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski about what he considered to be the "worrying" state of Polish diplomacy.
Sikorski replied he remained at the president's disposal and that he hoped the talks would result in Nawrocki signing "in accordance with the law, the nominations of selected candidates for ambassadors who have been recommended by the Sejm [lower house] and have the consent of the host countries."
The row over diplomatic appointments began in March 2024, under the previous President Andrzej Duda, after Sikorski moved to recall dozens of ambassadors. Duda insisted then that "no Polish ambassador can be appointed or dismissed without the president's signature."
In place of the ambassadors who left their posts but were not formally recalled by the president, diplomats appointed by the foreign ministry took over, though due to the ongoing conflict, they hold the status of charge d'affaires rather than ambassadors.
Among them is Bogdan Klich, a government nominee whom both Nawrocki and Duda have refused to appoint and, since 2024, the Polish embassy in Washinton has had no ambassador.(PAP)mmr/jd
