By Eman Al-Awadhi
KUWAIT, March 3 (KUNA) -- Poland has 25 billion euro to invest in preparation for co-hosting the Euro 2012 Football Championship, and it is in search for "true partners" to implement these projects, said Polish Minister of Sports and Tourism Miroslaw Drzewiecki on Tuesday.
In an interview with KUNA on the sidelines of his visit, the minister said, "We (Poland) are not looking for funds, but for true partners with whom to implement specific infrastructure development projects in major Polish cities in preparation for hosting the Euro 2012 Football Championship." As to the aim of his visit, he said that it was to boost tourism exchange between the two countries, but "most importantly" to assist in preparations for hosting the championship in 2012 alongside the Ukraine, for which 25 billion euro had been allocated on the Polish side.
"Our political relations with Kuwait are distinguished, but the economic ties do not reflect the capabilities of the two countries," he said, regrettably, noting that Kuwait was known to have engaged in projects all over the world, while Poland had the greatest economic growth rate among the European states.
"We aspire for more projects and partnerships with the Kuwaitis ... trade exchange between my country and the UAE is 30 times greater than that between Poland and Kuwait, and this shows that there is much more that we have to do," he added.
Moreover, the minister noted that the successive visits by Polish officials to Kuwait -- including Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Treasury Minister Aleksander Grad, both of whom visited the Gulf state in November 2008 -- "will no doubt result in boosting real partnership between the two sides in specific investment projects." The minister heads a delegation that also includes representatives of the City of Warsaw (the capital's municipality) and PL.2012 (the company responsible for preparations for the football championship).
The delegation met last night, upon arrival, with Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Bader Al-Duwaila and President of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports Faisal Al-Jazzaf. Earlier this morning, the minister met with Chairman of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ali Thunayan Al-Ghanim. (end) ema KUNA 031238 Mar 09NNNN