President of the Government and Prime Minister of Poland to analyse political and economic priorities for the EU
President's News - 2011.3.9
The 7th Bilateral Spain-Poland Summit will provide an opportunity to exchange points of view on issues of international current affairs, particularly the situation in the Arab countries and regarding the political and economic priorities for the European Union.
In terms of bilateral relations, the intention is to analyse the best way to increase the volume of trade flowing between the two countries and investment for the construction of infrastructures by Spanish companies in Poland, as well as to increase Hispano-Polish cooperation in other areas of business, such as the environment and energy.
One major aspect of the Summit is the fact that Poland will take on the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time in its history during the second half of this year. Also of significant importance is the decisive stage at which the process to improve European economic governance stands and the need to coordinate an EU response to the democratic movements in North Africa and the Arab world at large, particularly the serious situation in Libya.
The President of the Government and Prime Minister Tusk will exchange information and opinions on these issues and on the process to improve European economic governance given that a global agreement must be reached on the latter at the European Council of 24 and 25 March following the Eurogroup meeting on Friday.
Spain supports the priorities set by the upcoming Polish EU Presidency
Spain and Poland have been acting with the highest level of collaboration and understanding in the international and European arenas, meaning that this Summit will provide an opportunity to discuss those priorities set by the Polish EU Presidency that are supported by Spain: strengthening of the interior market; development of the so-called Eastern Partnership; strengthening of exterior EU energy policy; development of the Exterior and Common Security Policy; negotiations on the pluri-annual financial framework for 2014-2020; and the best use of European intellectual capital.
Poland, Spain's largest trade partner from among the newest members of the EU
Both countries can congratulate themselves on the level and quality achieved by productive investments, both Spanish investment in Poland and Polish investment in Spain, which will be analysed at this meeting.
Poland is Spain's largest economic and trade partner from among the newest Member States of the European Union. According to 2009 data, Poland is Spain's thirteenth-largest customer (2.3% of total exports) and nineteenth-largest supplier (1.3% of total imports).
Renewable energies constitute one of the most successful areas for economic and trade collaboration between Spain and Poland, a sector in which Spanish companies lead the world.
The Summit will also explore the possibilities for Spanish involvement in energy projects currently underway in Poland and, in particular, the interest of Spanish companies in the railway infrastructures sector.
Sectoral meetings at the Summit
Three sectoral meetings will take place at the Summit: one on Foreign Affairs; another on infrastructures; and a third on Economic Affairs and Taxation.
The last bilateral summit took place in Spot-Gdansk in Poland on 9 November 2009. This will be the seventh Spain-Poland Summit, the sixth in which José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will take part as President of the Government of Spain and the third for Prime Minister Tusk.
Over the course of these summits, the terms of a particularly close relationship between Poland and Spain have been established; a close relationship in both political and economic matters, not only from a bilateral perspective but also from a European one.
EFE