National Day Message by H. E. Mr. Maciej Szymański, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to the Republic of Bulgaria

Dear friends of Poland,

In November, the Republic of Poland celebrates Independence Day and Diplomatic Service Day. The two anniversaries stem from the same crucial event more than a century ago.

On November 11, 1918, Poland regained its independence after 123 years of partition between the three powers - Russia, Prussia and Austria. Although Poland has been absent from the map of Europe for more than a century, it has been existing in the hearts of Poles. They tried to build their autonomy in slavery, fought for their freedom, raising numerous uprisings, but only the changes that occurred as a result of the First World War created conditions for the restoration of an independent and sovereign Polish state.

This goal was achieved not only with weapons, but also with constant diplomatic efforts and complex negotiations with other countries. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the celebrations on the occasion of November 11 almost coincide with the holiday of the diplomatic service. The holiday falls on the anniversary of the telegram sent on 16 November 1918 by Józef Piłsudski- the father of Polish independence. In it, he notified the international community of the rebirth of an independent Polish state with the words: "As commander-in-chief of the Polish Army, I want to announces to governments and belligerent and neutral nations the emergence of an independent Polish state comprising all the territories of a united Poland."

104 years separate us from these events - a century that left a lasting mark on Polish history. 21 years after the restoration of independence, Poland again disappears from the world map as a result of the Soviet-German agreement on the territorial division of the country (known as the secret protocol to the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact), which led to World War II.

After the end of the war, Poland was literally reborn from the ashes of the collapsed cities to fall into the Soviet zone of influence, where for almost 50 years the Poles were deprived of the right to independently decide their destiny. Symbolic in this regard is the Communist Party's decision to abolish the Independence Day. It was revived only in February 1989 - a few months before the first partially free elections in Poland, which led to the final collapse of communism not only in our country, but also in the entire region.

The fall of communism became a prerequisite for accelerated political and economic development of Poland, which led to its accession first to NATO and then to the European Union. Today, Poland is a dynamically developing country that makes good use of its freedom and sovereignty. We are constantly increasing our potential in the fields of industry, services, agriculture, energy infrastructure and defense. We are an important member of the European Union, successfully developing in the field of global competition, cooperation and security. We have strong economic ties with our European partners. Bulgaria is no exception to this trend: in 2021, the exchange of goods between our countries will amount to almost BGN 4.5 billion. Bulgaria is a traditional destination for Polish tourists, whose number has grown significantly in recent years. The exchange in the field of culture, science and education is also active.

Dear friends of Poland,

On the day that has become for every Pole a celebration of freedom, we cannot help but look beyond our eastern border, where another nation is fighting for its independence and sovereignty. And if there is something in our holiday that can give even more courage to every yearning for freedom, it is the fact that "the fate of Poland is proof that history is not a trap from which you cannot escape and that even the most a powerful force must be reckoned with the strength of a nation that strongly desires freedom" - as noted by the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki.

The photo are provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Republic of Bulgaria. On it: H. E. Mr. Maciej Szymański, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to the Republic of Bulgaria