Croatia–Poland relations

Croatian-Polish relations

Croatia	Poland
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Croatia, Warsaw	Embassy of Poland, Zagreb

Croatia–Poland relations are foreign relations between Croatia and Poland. Both countries are full members of the European Union, NATO, OECD, OSCE, Three Seas Initiative and the Council of Europe. Poland gave full support to Croatia's membership in the European Union and NATO.

History

Meeting of President of Poland Lech Kaczyński and President of Croatia Stjepan Mesić in 2008

Up until the 20th century, Poland's relations with Croatia was mostly conducted throughout the relations between Poland and various entities ruling Croatia, notably Poland's relations with Hungary, Austria and Yugoslavia. Poland and Croatia were united by a personal union under the union of Hungary and Poland during the reign of kings Louis I of Hungary in 1370–1382, and Władysław III of Poland in 1440–1444. Poles and Croats fought side by side against the Ottoman invasion of Europe in several battles, including at Nicopolis (1396), Varna (1444) and Mohács (1526).

In the interbellum, a Consulate-General of Poland was based in Zagreb, and honorary consulates of Poland were located in Dubrovnik, Split and Sušak.^[1]

Following the German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II in 1939, one the escape routes of Poles who initially fled from occupied Poland to Romania led through Vinkovci and Zagreb.^[2] The Poles then further escaped via Italy to Polish-allied France, where the Polish Army was reconstituted to continue the fight against Germany.^[2]

Poland recognized Croatia on 15 January 1992 along with 16 other, mostly European countries. Diplomatic relations between two countries were established on 11 April 1992.^[3]

During the Yugoslav Wars, the Croatian 103rd Infantry Brigade received a small number of Polish volunteers. In 1992–1995, a Polish military contingent was stationed in Croatia as part of the peacekeeping mission of the United Nations Protection Force. Since 2018, a Croatian military contingent has been stationed in Poland as part of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence defense forces.

18 April 2010, the day of the state funeral of Lech and Maria Kaczyński, was declared a day of national mourning in Croatia to commemorate the 96 victims of the Smolensk air disaster, including Polish President Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria Kaczyńska.^[4]

Poles are an officially recognized national minority of Croatia.

NATO and the European Union

Poland joined NATO and the EU in 1999, and 2004, respectively. Poland supported Croatia's aspiration to join NATO, and ratified Croatia's accession in 2008.^[5] Poland supported Croatia's aspiration to join the EU, and ratified Croatia's accession in 2012.^[6] Croatia joined NATO in 2009 and the EU in 2013.

Resident diplomatic missions

Embassy of Croatia in Warsaw

Embassy of Poland in Zagreb

• Croatia has an embassy in Warsaw.
• Poland has an embassy in Zagreb.

See also

• Poles in Croatia
• Foreign relations of Croatia
• Foreign relations of Poland
• Poland–Yugoslavia relations

References

1. Ceranka, Paweł; Szczepanik, Krzysztof (2020). Urzędy konsularne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 1918–1945. Informator archiwalny (in Polish). Warszawa: Naczelna Dyrekcja Archiwów Państwowych, Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych. pp. 122, 362, 369, 430. ISBN 978-83-65681-93-5.
2. Wróbel, Janusz (2020). "Odbudowa Armii Polskiej u boku sojuszników (1939–1940)". Biuletyn IPN (in Polish). No. 1–2 (170–171). IPN. p. 104. ISSN 1641-9561.
3. Bilateralni odnosi
4. "U nedjelju dan žalosti u Hrvatskoj". 057info (in Croatian). 16 April 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
5. Ustawa z dnia 8 października 2008 r. o ratyfikacji Protokołu do Traktatu Północnoatlantyckiego o akcesji Republiki Chorwacji, sporządzonego w Brukseli dnia 9 lipca 2008 r., Dz. U., 2008, vol. 196, No. 1216
6. Ustawa z dnia 14 września 2012 r. o ratyfikacji Traktatu między Królestwem Belgii, Republiką Bułgarii, Republiką Czeską, Królestwem Danii, Republiką Federalną Niemiec, Republiką Estońską, Republiką Grecką, Królestwem Hiszpanii, Republiką Francuską, Irlandią, Republiką Włoską, Republiką Cypryjską, Republiką Łotewską, Republiką Litewską, Wielkim Księstwem Luksemburga, Republiką Węgierską, Republiką Malty, Królestwem Niderlandów, Republiką Austrii, Rzecząpospolitą Polską, Republiką Portugalską, Rumunią, Republiką Słowenii, Republiką Słowacką, Republiką Finlandii, Królestwem Szwecji, Zjednoczonym Królestwem Wielkiej Brytanii i Irlandii Północnej (Państwami Członkowskimi Unii Europejskiej) a Republiką Chorwacji dotyczącego przystąpienia Republiki Chorwacji do Unii Europejskiej, sporządzonego w Brukseli dnia 9 grudnia 2011 r., Dz. U., 2012, No. 1135

External links

• Embassy of Croatia in Poland (in Croatian and Polish)
• Embassy of Poland in Croatia (in Polish and Croatian)