Waldemar Buda made the remark at the launch of the latest Polish-Ukrainian business forum on Thursday, Poland’s state news agency PAP reported.
Buda told the gathering in Warsaw: “Rebuilding Ukraine is the number one economic goal for all of Europe, if not the world, in the immediate future.”
'Enormous mutual trust'
Referring to Poland’s role in the effort, he said: “The more systemic our approach, and the bigger the involvement of the state administration on both sides, the better for the future development of both Poland and Ukraine.”
Buda noted that "the Polish and Ukrainian peoples have built up enormous mutual trust that will influence our economic relations.”
Hub for helping Ukraine
He told the conference that Poland and Ukraine would soon discuss the details of how they plan to work together in the immediate future.
“Poland can serve as a hub for the supply of resources and support and for the reconstruction of Ukraine in the upcoming period,” Buda said.
Weapons for Ukraine ‘almost daily’
He confirmed that Poland was delivering "humanitarian, economic and military aid" to Ukraine.
He also revealed that his country was issuing permits “almost every day” for military equipment “from around the globe” to pass through its territory, bound for the war-torn eastern neighbour.
Ukrainian investment in Poland
Buda told the gathering that more Ukrainian companies would start investing on the other side of the border, “to cater to the needs of Ukrainians who have settled in Poland.”
Polish-Ukrainian trade at USD 10 bn in 2021: Ukraine ambassador
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, Andrii Deshchytsia, told the conference that bilateral trade surpassed USD 10 billion in 2021.
“It’s a springboard to striving for even bigger growth,” he said.
Deshchytsia stressed that Russia’s attack on his country would not jeopardise relations between Polish and Ukrainian businesses.
“I congratulate the Polish government on managing to keep economic growth at a high level, while also helping Ukrainians in distress,” he said, calling Poland “a role model on how to provide assistance to other countries.”
The Polish-Ukraine Business Days event has been held since 2014. Thursday’s conference, co-organised by the Association of Ukrainian Business in Poland and the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), among other institutions, was the 15th edition.
Key topics included bilateral economic cooperation, postwar reconstruction of Ukraine, and Polish and international support for the war-hit country, officials told reporters.
Thursday was day 64 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Poland on Thursday reported it had welcomed 3 million refugees fleeing Russia's war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, paih.gov.pl