This year's laureate of the Jan Nowak-Jezioranski Prize is Javier Solana, Spanish politician and diplomat, former Secretary General of NATO, High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Secretary General of the Council of the European Union. It was during his term as NATO Secretary General that Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary joined the Alliance. The prize ceremony was held on Saturday, June 22, 2024 at the Ossolineum Courtyard.
Javier Solana, when he learned of the prize, said:
It is with great honour that I receive the Jan Nowak-Jeziorański Prize. Poland stands as a pivotal factor in grasping the history of modern Europe. Since its inclusion in NATO, it has proven itself as a steadfast ally, making substantial contributions to the collective security and development of the continent.
Dr. Lukasz Kaminski, director of the National Ossoliński Institute and member of the Award's Chapter, noted:
We are honoring Javier Solana at a unique moment - the 25th anniversary of Poland's accession to NATO and 20th anniversary of joining the European Union. The war in Ukraine makes us realize what a fundamental choice we made then. Thanks to the decisions of people like Javier Solana, today we can enjoy security and development along with many other countries in our region.
