Kaczynski makes first trip to Davos

29th January 2010

© PAP Kaczynski takes on Davos Share:

Polish President Lech Kaczynski arrived on Thursday for his first trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, where earlier in the day the head of the NBP spoke on Poland's adoption of the Euro.


Kaczynski is scheduled to take part in two panels, including one on economic growth, where he will focus on Poland's successful transformation. He will also speak on a panel on the future of the EU about his vision for Europe following the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.

In addition, the Polish President will make use his time at the conference to meet with his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, to discuss ways that Poland could work with energy-rich Azerbaijan to lessen its dependence on Russian oil and gas. 

In a speech on the conference's first day, NBP head Slawomir Skrzypek explained that Poland could be prepared to begin the procedure for adopting the Euro by 2013 and that inflation would drop to a level allowed by the ERM-2 procedure as early as later this year.

He noted that the country's budget deficit and growing public debt remained the primary obstacle to Poland's adoption of the EU common currency.

Skrzypek also predicted that Poland's GDP would continue growing from the 1.7 percent rise for 2009 announced earlier in the day, in large part thanks to exports to the EU.

Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski is also attending the event as a representative of the government. He is scheduled to speak on the situation in Afghanistan and on Europe's role in the global order.

Poland's leading politicians have often been less well represented at Davos in recent years. In 2006 and 2008, neither the prime minister nor the president attended the event, though former President Aleksander Kwasniewski has been a regular guest.