President Duda praises NATO for its presence on eastern flank

Attending a two-day NATO gathering in London, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the alliance's military presence on its eastern flank was NATO's biggest achievement in recent years. Duda, taking part in a Tuesday session titled 'NATO Engages: Defence and Deterrence for a New Era' added that such a presence was very important for both Poland and the Baltic countries after the Russian invasions of Georgia and Ukraine. Commenting on Turkey's recent statement that it would oppose NATO's defence plan for the Baltic States if NATO allies did not recognise the groups against which Ankara is fighting as terrorists, the Polish president expressed hope that the NATO countries would find a good solution. Duda added that NATO is an alliance of almost 30 countries that have their own interests. "This is a great field for discussion and negotiation," he noted. Duda added that he had spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday.