Afghanistan and Poland held the first round of political consultations since 1993, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab on Thursday met his Polish counterpart Marcin Przydacz in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. 

The two counterparts discussed bilateral relations, peace process, the new chapter of partnership with Poland after withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan, cooperation in the fields of economic, agricultural, banking, and education, as well as regional and international cooperation, the statement said.

Mirwais Nab expressed his gratitude to the Polish Government for “its investment in blood and treasure over the past 20 years,” the statement said.

He also paid tribute to the 44 Polish soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan.  

Stressing the importance of further strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries, Nab hoped that the new chapter of partnership opened new horizons of collaboration with Afghanistan’s partners, especially with Poland.

Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Marcin Przydacz has voiced Poland’s support for Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO allied forces.

Przydacz noted that since 2002 Poland has supported Afghanistan with the military presence of its troops and contributed nearly 30 million EUR towards the development of Afghanistan and its society. 

“He declared his country’s readiness to continue its support for peace, stability, and prosperity of Afghanistan,” the statement said. 

He added that Poland hoped for maintaining a lasting peace and Afghanistan’s achievements built during the last 20 years, including in the field of human rights, especially the rights of women and religious minorities.

Afghan Ambassador to Warsaw Tahir Qadiry; Ambassador Hamid Sediq, senior advisor to the MFA; Witold Sobków, Director General of the Asia-Pacific Department, MFA Poland; and Polish Ambassador to Afghanistan Adam Burakowski also attended the political consultations.

Direct diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Poland were established during Ghazi King Amanullah Khan’s reign in 1927. 

Both countries have been enjoying close ties ever since. Poland has been a solid partner in the security and infrastructure fields since 2001.