WARSAW - Poland hopes the UAE will open its Embassy in Warsaw very soon, sources at Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said here on Tuesday.
“We don’t know the precise date, but we hope it will be very soon,” said Juliusz Gojlo, vice-director of Africa and Middle East Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland.
On economic relations between the UAE and Poland, which has an Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Gojlo said the opening of the UAE Embassy in Warsaw will further boost ties.
He said trade with the UAE touched half a billion dollars last year.
“It is exactly $422 million. Considering the volume of trade with GCC countries, which is $950 million, this is a lot for us. We hope it will increase this yearl.”
This shows the growing importance of the Gulf region, especially the UAE for Poland.
“The head of our Federal National Council is visiting the UAE this month, and we hope that it will further boost the relations between the UAE and Poland,” said Gojlo.
The official said the two countries and Spain are involved in a joint project in Afghanistan.
He said that while the UAE has been financially supporting the reconstruction of the war-torn country, Polish troops have been active in their peacekeeping role.
The Polish official said the UAE, with its booming economy in the Middle East, and Poland with its European Union experience, can gain from each other in various fields like agriculture and science.
He said the Gulf countries, being rich in energy resources, are all the more important for Poland, which heavily relies on Russia for its energy needs.
He said his country is one of the best producers of food items in Europe. The products made in Poland are free of chemicals and very cheap compared to those produced in other European countries. Poland is the only country in the European Union without a nuclear reactor and the issue of alternative sources of energy has gained wider significance. Around 15,000 Muslims live in Poland.