On Friday, President Andrzej Duda presented state decorations and general promotions to Border Guard officers. The award ceremony was held at the Belvedere Palace in connection with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Border Guard.

The newly appointed generals are the commanders of the two largest divisions in terms of territory. A total of six provinces are under their official responsibility.

The Friday ceremonies at Belweder Palace with the participation of President Andrzej Duda and the Minister of Interior and Administration were related to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Border Guard.

In his speech addressing the officers, President Andrzej Duda emphasised that they are great Polish ambassadors and added that their service is extremely important and carried out in an exemplary manner.

“It [Border Guard’s service] is exemplary, and our partners with whom we cooperate both within the European Union and within all other organisations greatly appreciate how Polish Border Guard officers are prepared and how they perform their duties,” Andrzej Duda stressed.

He added that there are approximately 14,500 officers and approximately 3,300 civilian employees in the Border Guard. He also stressed that there was a relatively large number of women among them. “This is very good news. I wish there were more and more ladies,” the President said.

During the ceremony, in addition to the general nominations, the Cross of Merit and the Medal for Long Service awards were presented. State flags were also presented to the Border Guard officers going on missions to Slovenia and Macedonia.