"Our alliance cannot be at full strength without robust contributions from all allies. President Trump is grateful for Poland's leadership in contributing its fair share to our common defense."
- U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, February 12, 2019
At a ceremony today in Warsaw, Secretary Pompeo and Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak signed our recently negotiated U.S.-Poland Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
The United States values our strong bilateral relationship with Poland. We look forward to Poland's swift ratification of the EDCA, which will permit us to implement fully the enhanced defense cooperation envisioned by Presidents Trump and Duda.
POLAND IS A CLOSE FRIEND OF THE UNITED STATES AND A LINCHPIN OF REGIONAL SECURITY
• The U.S.-Poland relationship is strong and getting stronger. We are fellow democracies, with a deep commitment to the rule of law, human rights, and individual freedom.
• Warsaw has been a strong NATO Ally since its accession to the Alliance in 1999, and serves as a linchpin of regional security. Poland is a crucial strategic U.S. Ally in Central Europe. Polish troops stand shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. forces in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and provide critical support to the Defeat-ISIS Campaign.
• The United States leads the enhanced Forward Presence battle group in Poland and deploys a rotational Armored Brigade Combat Team under Operation Atlantic Resolve, funded through the European Deterrence Initiative.
THE U.S.-POLAND EDCA PROVIDES THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR OUR COUNTRIES TO WORK TOGETHER
• The EDCA reflects the shared vision outlined in the joint declarations signed by Presidents Trump and Duda in 2019, and reaffirmed during President Duda's June 2020 visit to Washington, to deepen our defense cooperation.
• The EDCA supplements the 1951 NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and establishes a framework to enhance and modernize our capabilities, in support of the NATO Alliance's collective defense. The United States has similar agreements with other NATO Allies such as Belgium, Hungary, and Romania.
• The EDCA outlines the legal status of U.S. forces in Poland and will provide the necessary authorities for U.S. forces to access specific Polish military installations and conduct activities for our mutual defense. This Agreement also supports expanded infrastructure, and enables an increased U.S. military presence in Poland.
THE U.S.-POLAND EDCA WILL STRENGTHEN NATO AND INCREASE TRANSATLANTIC SECURITY FOR DECADES TO COME
• The EDCA provides a mechanism for the sharing of logistical and infrastructure costs for U.S. forces present in Poland. By creating a durable framework for even closer defense cooperation with a crucial NATO Ally, it strengthens Eastern Flank security and deterrence.
• Poland's in-kind contributions under the EDCA will directly benefit the Polish economy. For its part, the United States will continue to bear the costs of training, equipping, and deploying U.S. forces to Poland, which is significantly higher than the cost of support Poland invests in support of U.S. forces once they are in country. Together, these efforts improve security and stability for both nations in a cost-effective way.
• The United States and Poland's extensive coordination and consultation on defense cooperation matters will be strengthened and streamlined by the EDCA.
