UN General Assembly
2016

This year, my country has hosted two events that restore faith in the power of international cooperation among States and nations. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit in July testified to NATO’s unity in the effort to build peace and freedom in the trans-Atlantic space. It was an expression of the failed responsibility of NATO countries that led to an agreement resulting in Europe’s heightened security. The outcomes of the Warsaw Summit are an expression of allied solidarity and respect for the independence of free nations, and hence the values that underpin equitable international order. Soon after the NATO Summit, in my hometown of Krakow, we celebrated International Youth Day, during which young people from all over the world met with Pope Francis. Those days were a time of celebration, a time of joy, friendship and love. The young people who gathered in Poland taught us that the road to peace begins with human solidarity, based on concern for others regardless of origin or religion.