Polish troops mistakenly crossed the country’s border with the Czech Republic in late May before settling there, the Czech Foreign Ministry told CNN.
Snafu led the Czech embassy in Warsaw to take immediate action and inform his Polish counterpart, the Czech government told CNN, adding that Poland has not yet officially explained why it wrongly annexed its neighbor.
“Our Polish colleagues have unofficially assured us that this incident is just a misunderstanding caused by the Polish military with no hostile intent. However, we are still awaiting an official statement,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman told CNN.
“Polish soldiers are no longer present and our citizens are free to visit the place again,” the spokesman added.
“We are still waiting for an official Polish statement,” they reiterated when asked how long Polish troops have been in the country.
The Polish Defense Ministry also acknowledged the brief interest on Friday.
“The setting up of the border post office was the result of a misunderstanding, not a deliberate act. It was corrected immediately and the case was resolved – also by the Czech side,” CNN said in a statement.
The incident took place near Pielgrzymowa, a small border village in southern Poland, located opposite a sparsely populated part of a Czech village. The quiet road there serves as a border point between the two peoples.
“Soldiers of the Polish army are supporting the Border Guard in protecting the state border after its closure due to the coronavirus pandemic,” the Polish Ministry of Defense explained. “The operation is being led by the Armed Forces Operational Command, which is in direct contact with the Border Guard.”
The Polish government has not confirmed how long its troops have been present in the Czech Republic.
Borders between EU countries are often barely visible as citizens enjoy freedom of movement through the bloc.
Poland was involved in several serious border conflicts with the former Czechoslovakia during the 20th century. The two countries waged a seven-day war over territory in the Silesian region in 1919, and Poland annexed the region around the city of Bochumen in 1938.
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