On the second trip abroad since her re-election, Mrs Merkel met Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to emphasise the importance of bilateral ties and the need for European unity despite the nations’ different point of view on judicial reforms, open borders and a new gas pipeline.
The visits aims at bringing the two countries closer after their relations cooled off following Poland’s 2015 elections, which brought to power the national-conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS).
Ms Merkel also wants to resume the ‘Weimar Triangle’, an alliance startd in 1991 which includes France and aims to promote co-operation between the three countries.
Head of the Polish prime minister’s office, Michal Dworczyk, told private broadcaster TVN24 the two sides had a lot to discuss.
He added: “The visit of Chancellor Merkel shows that Germany cares about good relations with Poland.
“It shows a desire at the highest level to fix the relationship.”
During the meeting, Mrs Merkel was handed the opportunity to reassure Poland about German’s commitment to meet NATO military spending targets and Berlin’s support to Warsaw within the European Union.
The latter pledge is particularly important to Poland, as Brussels sees Warsaw’s judicial reform as a threat and has introduced a sanction procedure in December for the first time in the EU history through which Poland could lose its voting rights in the bloc.
The two sides will also have to deal with Warsaw’s aversion to Germany’s refugee and energy policies.
Poland is resisting the quota demanded by Mrs Merkel for the distribution of refugees in the EU and wants to prevent the construction of the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
Warsaw fears that a further pipeline from Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany would make Europe increasingly dependent on Russia.
Franziska Brantner, foreign policy spokeswoman for the German Greens, said: “Merkel has the chance to make clear to the Polish government that Europe’s democrats must stand together against Putin and Trump, also for the sake of Poland”.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas had arrived to Warsaw last Friday, before Ms Merkel.
After meeting his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz, the SPD politician spoke in favour of resuming the “Weimar Triangle” meetings.