2024-11-28 14:27 update: 2024-11-28, 14:30
Fot. PAP/Adam Warżawa
Polish President Andrzej Duda has spoken about the growing importance of the Baltic Sea amid Russia's hybrid warfare attempts, and Poland's role in shaping international security.
During a ceremony commemorating Polish Navy Day in the coastal city of Gdynia on Thursday, Duda said that the recent damage to underwater cables in the Baltic Sea stresses the critical need for a strong naval presence to safeguard critical maritime infrastructure.
According to the president, the Baltic Sea "is becoming one of the most important arenas in which a hybrid war, invisible on an everyday basis, is being fought against an aggressive Russia.
"The fact that Poland is a maritime nation, a status valued for a century, allows it to make a more significant contribution to building international order and security," he said.
Duda also pointed to the urgent need for Poland to acquire modern submarines, calling for swift progress on the 'Orka' programme.
Furthermore, the president advocated for greater autonomy for the Polish Navy, asserting that it is "a vital instrument of national policy." The proposed reforms, he said, aim to restore a separate Navy command and control capabilities. (PAP)
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