“We notice the important role of the United Arab Emirates in stimulating the development in the entire Persian Gulf area.We thus count very much on intensification of economic cooperation between Poland and UAE”, said the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Waldemar Pawlak, at the meeting with a group of UAE entrepreneurs held on 29 October 2009 at the Ministry of Economy.
During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak presented the advantages of Poland as the target location of investments. “We are the only EU state that has marked economic growth this year.It is an effect mainly of the spirit of entrepreneurship in Poland and the liquid exchange rate of the Polish złoty”, he emphasised.
The Minister of Economy encouraged UAE enterprises to procure business partners in Poland. “Our instruments of foreign investor support are worthy of attention, for example the tax relief packages in the special economic zones", he added. Waldemar Pawlak also pointed to other advantages of Poland that promote closer economic relations. “Being a leader in Central and Eastern Europe, Poland provides a market with high domestic consumption and diversified production.Those factors allow cooperation in every sector of the industry", he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister also drew attention to solutions that the Polish government had prepared to alleviate effects of the crisis on the Polish economy. “We are combating the difficulties in the financial markets with the use of, among other things, structural funds.Those funds are allotted to support those sectors that offer the best perspectives”, he said. “We have also launched anti-crisis mechanisms that protect jobs in the Polish companies”, the Polish Deputy Prime Minister pointed out.
The director of the Department of International Bilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Economy, Tomasz Ostaszewicz, underlined the importance of UAE as the focal point of investments in the Persian Gulf area. “UAE is the top receiver of the Polish export among the Arab countries. Its value amounted to almost USD 780m in 2008”, he informed.
The President of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Saleh Al Shamsi, expressed his interest in procurement of relations with the Polish companies. “Unfortunately, the current effects of our commercial exchange do not reflect the potential that our relations carry.Our mission therefore aims at familiarising with new opportunities for the expansion of our business cooperation", he pointed out. The UAE visitor group included, among others, entrepreneurs from the foodstuffs, construction, infrastructure and services sectors.