The conversation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Odile Renaud-Basso provided an opportunity to discuss political directions and strategic areas relevant to the development of Poland’s cooperation with the Bank.
Tuesday’s meeting took place as part of the first visit to Poland by the newly appointed head of the EBRD, who took up her post on 2 November 2020.
Among the main topics of the discussion were the possibilities of increasing the involvement of Polish entities and institutions in the Bank’s undertakings. Its selected directions of action were presented, including those related to the acceleration of the green transformation process, which is one of the main priorities of the Polish government for the coming years. Minister Rau and the EBRD President also discussed the Bank’s plans for developing its activities, including in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In addition, the interlocutors discussed the EBRD’s directions for action in Belarus because of the current situation in the country. The EBRD President announced the Bank’s new approach to operations in Belarus, which includes strengthening control procedures, including additional reviews of all projects.
– During the period of economic transition, we received significant support from the EBRD. Today, the best testimony of the effectiveness and success of this institution is the fact that Poland is a country of dynamically developing innovative technologies and a symbol of entrepreneurship – emphasized the Minister. – At present, our priority should also be to ensure that the goods and services offered by Polish companies make a significant contribution to projects implemented on the initiative or with the support of EBRD instruments,” he added.
The Head of Polish diplomacy also referred to the possibility of Poland cooperating with the EBRD within the Three Seas Initiative. He pointed out that this project fosters the technological and infrastructural development of the region, which is crucial in strengthening its economic potential. This is in line with the EBRD’s priority orientations.