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 Iceland |  Poland |
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Iceland–Poland relations are thediplomatic relations betweenIceland andPoland. Both nations are members of theEuropean Economic Area,North Atlantic Treaty Organization,Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe,Council of the Baltic Sea States,Council of Europe and theUnited Nations.
From 1389 to 1442,Eric of Pomerania of theHouse of Griffin was theruler of Iceland asKing of Norway Eric III (from 1397 to 1442 as part of theKalmar Union), and his tomb is located in his birth town ofDarłowo in Poland.
The first known contact between Iceland and Poland began in 1613 whenCzech pastorDaniel Strejc-Vetterus visited Iceland and spent a considerable amount of time on the island. In 1638, he published a book inPolish titledIslandia, álbo Krotkie opisanie Wyspy Islandiy (published inLeszno, Poland) about his travels in the country.[1] In the 19th century, Polish writerEdmund Chojecki arrived to Iceland as a secretary to future French EmperorNapoleon III.[2] In 1857, Chojecki published a book in French titledVoyage dans les mers du nord à bord de la corvette la Reine Hortense describing his travels and experience in Iceland.[3]
In 1924, Iceland and Poland signed a Treaty of Commerce and Navigation.[4] Before the end ofWorld War II, Iceland recognized the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity in July 1945.[5] Diplomatic relations between the two nations were officially established in January 1946.[5] In 1956, Poland opened a consulate in Reykjavík which stayed open until 1981.[6]
In 2008, Poland re-opened a consulate-general in Reykjavík. The Polish consulate was later upgraded to an embassy.[6]
ThePolish Air Force takes part in the NATOIcelandic Air Policing mission to guard the airspace over Iceland.
In 1999, Icelandic PresidentÓlafur Ragnar Grímsson paid an official visit to Poland becoming the first Icelandic head of state to visit the country.[7] In May 2000, Polish PresidentAleksander Kwaśniewski reciprocated the visit to Iceland.[8] In March 2020, President of the Republic of Iceland Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson paid an official visit to Poland with his wife.[9]
There are direct flights between Iceland and Poland which is served byWizzair.
In the 1960s, Polish migrants began arriving to Iceland to work in the shipyards throughout the country. In need of labor, Iceland began recruiting Polish workers in the 1980s to the island nation.[6] In the mid-2000s, the Polish community was well over 20,000 members.[10] After the2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis, the Polish community decreased by half, however, Polish nationals today account for 3% of the total population on the island and Polish residents constitute the largest foreign community in Iceland.[6]
Both Iceland and Poland trade under theEuropean Single Market with Iceland belonging to theEuropean Free Trade Association and Poland being a full member of theEuropean Union.
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