Polish ambassador sees huge potential for economic, trade relations with Pakistan
Pakistan
Polish ambassador advocates increased cooperation in agriculture, education sectors
ISLAMABAD (Almas Haider Naqvi) – The Polish ambassador to Pakistan, Maciej Pisarski, has expressed his belief that Pakistan's agricultural technology can benefit from low-cost education opportunities in Poland and Polish technology can be beneficial to Pakistani agriculture, particularly for small farmers.
The ambassador made these comments during an interview with the daily Dunya on Monday.
The ambassador said there were significant opportunities for Pakistani students to pursue studies in business, medicine and engineering at Polish universities which offer quality education at a lower cost than in other European Union countries.
He emphasised that the friendly relations and effective partnership between Pakistan and Poland spanned many decades and there were immense opportunities for further development of economic, trade, political and defence relations between the two countries.
The ambassador suggested that Pakistan should increase its engagement with the European Union as discussions within the EU could affect the future of Pakistan. The ambassador also noted that while Pakistan's exports to Poland were continuously increasing, economic and trade relations between the two countries were less than expected. "Poland is part of the European Union's single market with 45 million people, while Pakistan is a country of 230 million people."
The ambassador emphasised the need for both countries to utilise this potential and increase cooperation in fields such as oil and gas, agriculture, green technologies, smart cities, banking and medical systems, cultural sectors and water treatment.
He acknowledged that there were positive indicators between Pakistan and Poland, with trade between the two countries increasing every year. Last year, the trade volume was $900 million, which is more than in previous years.
However, Poland's exports to Pakistan have been declining over the past few years and the balance of trade is a significant problem.
The ambassador suggested that there were positive stories regarding investment in Pakistan, including Poland's Oil and Gas Company's investment of $300 million in extracting gas in Pakistan over the past 25 years. The ambassador noted that Pakistani gas was three times cheaper than LNG.
Regarding modern challenges, the ambassador highlighted the need to pay special attention to digital and climate transformation, in addition to promoting cooperation in traditional fields.
He suggested that there were immense opportunities for cooperation in the agriculture sector as Poland had specialised in machinery and technologies related to small-scale farming. He added that there were also opportunities for cooperation in the food processing sector.
The ambassador stressed that Poland was part of the European Union, which is the largest market for Pakistani products, and was also a part of the decision-making process of the EU. He urged Pakistan to increase its engagement with the EU and suggested that there was potential for cooperation in the defence industry.
The ambassador noted that the war in Ukraine threatened the security of Poland and the EU and that Poland was helping Ukraine together with its security allies by providing economic support.
The ambassador declined to offer advice on the complicated history of relations between Pakistan and India, stating that the two countries should resolve their issues through dialogue in a friendly environment for regional and global stability. He said multilateral frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation could promote regional peace, stability and cooperation.
Finally, the ambassador highlighted the growing number of Pakistanis in Poland and the opportunities available for Pakistani experts and specialists. He suggested that Pakistanis in Poland could play a role in bilateral relations as a bridge between the two countries.
He also underscored the need to improve payments and rules and regulations for companies investing in Pakistan, while also highlighting the better opportunities for Pakistani students in the fields of business studies, medicine and engineering in Polish universities.
