Ambassador Jaroszynski has done an excellent job clearly articulating how Poland is moving forward and shaping its future and that of the EU through reforms, productivity improvements and continuous economic, social and environmental innovation. This has lessons for Australia.

Poland is widely seen as a successful role model by a number of countries that are poised to join the EU in the future, including Turkey, Serbia and Macedonia.

It is unfortunate that the EU has been procrastinating with its expansion policy. Both the EU and NATO have allowed themselves to be held back by member states such as Greece, which has used its power of veto to prevent Macedonia from joining by using the artificially created name dispute as an excuse and as a strategy for de-legitimisation and destabilisation of South Eastern Europe. This must be stopped in Europe and in Australia and Poland can lead the way forward.