Doha: Poland attaches great importance to its relations with the State of Qatar as well as to ways of promoting trade exchange between the two countries, said Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Katarzyna Kacperczyk.
Kacperczyk pointed out that over the past few years bilateral relations between the two sides grew significantly, especially after the opening of the Polish Embassy in Doha in 2006 and the launch of Qatar's embassy in Warsaw in 2008.
Qatar and Poland have been cooperating in various fields, said Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs during a meeting with a Qatari journalist delegation in Warsaw.
The Qatari-Polish relations are characterized by a history of clarity and excellence, as Poland recognized Qatar when it declared its independence in 1971, and also supported Qatar's request to join the United Nations.
The formal diplomatic relations between the two countries began in 1989 and has been growing since then, she said, while referring to numerous visits by Qatari and Polish officials at all levels.
On Qatar's growing political and economic role in the region, the Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs made it clear that Qatar is a stable and active state internationally and regionally, and has played great roes in mediation and in establishing security and stability in more than one country.
Qatar has a global reputation in different fields be it politics, economy, sports or others, she said, pointing to the continued visits paid by both Polish and Qatari sides.
Kacperczyk said she visited Doha last year where she held talks with Qatari officials, and that a delegation of Polish businessmen visited Qatar in order to explore the prospects for cooperation between the two countries in trade and investment along with other fields, especially as Qatar is witnessing extensive development and is implementing hundreds of large-scale projects in preparation to host the FIFA world cup in 2022. This encourages Polish businessmen and companies to work in the Qatari market, she said.
The Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs also announced that the first shipment of Qatar liquefied natural gas will arrive in her country early next summer, after charging trails carried out in collaboration with Qatargas were completed during the past five months to pave the way for receiving shipments at a newly constructed terminal in the Polish port of Swinoujscie on the Baltic Sea coast.
The Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Katarzyna Kacperczyk said that ties with Qatar saw an expansion in 2009. In that year, the two sides signed an agreement based on which the State of Qatar supplied Qatar with 1.5 billion cubic meters of LNG for twenty years. The deal guaranteed Poland's energy security, the Deputy minister said. She noted that the agreement will open the door for further cooperation in the energy and petrochemical sector, which would in turn increase bilateral trade in the coming years.
Kacperczyk highlighted that the use of Qatari LNG in Poland marks the first time that non-Russian gas is used in Europe. She added that Poland represents a massive opportunity for Qatar to gain market share in Europe. It would also have a positive impact on Poland due to the country's strong LNG infrastructure.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the gas reception satiation made in Poland for Qatari gas will open a new chapter for bilateral ties. She said she expected the project to accelerate bilateral cooperation in all fields, especially given that Poland is one of the strongest economies in Eastern Europe. She revealed plans to enhance the stations capacity by an additional 7 billion cubic meters a year.
The Deputy Minister then discussed investment and said that the current Polish government was keen on attracting foreign investments to benefit the local economy. She highlighted that Poland was one of the leading European countries in the agricultural sector, with 55 billion Euros worth of production last year alone.
She added that the State of Qatar itself had plenty of investment opportunities given the large number of projects underway. She highlighted that Poland has an extensive experience in the sports sector, having hosted the Euro 2012.
In addition to that, Kacperczyk said the Polish administration was also looking to enhance ties with Qatar on the diplomatic and political levels.
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