Investment insecurity

Although the hopes for Polish businesses were high as Polish troops entered the Iraq war, little has been made of the opportunity. Despite the Polish military presence, Polish companies have managed to invest only $80 (zł.227) million since 2003. Though the situation is clearly different now, some perspective can be gained by noting that throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Polish investment reached around $250 (zł.708) million annually.

The reason for the drop-off in investment is insufficient self-promotion of Polish companies in Iraq, according to Aleksander Szczygło, the Minister of National Defense. "The army is not responsible for spurring trade," he said during a debate on Polish involvement in Iraq. The Minister stressed the need for Polish investors to be more visible in Iraq.

"It's impossible to do business sitting here in Warsaw," he said, and added that more and more companies have begun to understand that.

However, for many Polish companies, going to Iraq is simply too dangerous. In addition, businesses cannot count on on the protection of their own army, said Marek Goliszewski, BCC's president. However, many American businesses get comprehensive protection from their country's troops, he noted.

Jarosław Górski, an expert from the Sobieski Institute, also sees an added benefit of increasing military protection of Polish business. "Such a change in the army's role in Iraq might could lead to the process of withdrawing our troops," he told WBJ.