Rafał Guz/PAP

Poland’s defence minister said on Monday that Canada was a reliable friend and ally of Poland, following talks with his Canadian counterpart in Ottawa.

Mariusz Błaszczak, who is also a deputy prime minister, said he had discussed Polish-Canadian cooperation in the field of defence with Anita Anand. Błaszczak met the Canadian defence minister on the second day of his visit to Canada.

At a joint press conference with Anand, Błaszczak said the two countries were working together to support security in Europe, highlighting that Canadian troops are active in Poland and that Polish-Canadian relations had been intensified by military and technical cooperation.

“With war raging just beyond our eastern border, I would like to thank Minister Anand for her support for Ukraine,” Błaszczak said, adding that more action was needed to halt Russia’s imperialistic ambitions.

The Polish defence minister said Poland and Canada had a cohesive position towards threats.