https://www2.polskieradio.pl/eo/dokument.aspx?iid=91623
Poland's financial aid to other countries
17.09.2008
Poland spent over 1 billion zlotys on foreign development aid in 2007. Considering that that over a half of the sum went towards contributions to development aid budgets of the EU and other organizations, the scope of Polish aid may seem insignificant. Yet, for a country which not long ago was on the receiving end of assistance programmes, aid projects are an important foreign policy tenet. We asked Deputy Foreign Minister Ryszard Schnepf if Poland is in this way repaying a debt of gratitude.
‘To a certain extent yes. It is a duty for Poland as a member of the European Union and OECD. At the same time we have a special moral debt to humanity I’d say to those who need assistance today, economic or even intellectual, because the knowledge and know-how in the field of democratic transformations is very important. We want and we can bring this special knowledge to those countries, to the people who are still in need as far as democracy and transparency is concerned.’
‘Poland is a member of the Schengen system and so one of the priorities is to bring assistance to Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, how to organize the police system and borders so that the borders would be secure for them and for the European Union. For Poland, a frontier country, it’s very important.’
‘[There are many Poles who think that Poland cannot afford to help other countries] This is a very natural way of thinking that we need to be concerned with our own problems such as unemployment and low personal incomes but we have to be aware that the real problems in today’s world are not very far from Poland. This is a time to show a very true face of Poland which is a stable, democratic and prosperous country.’