More bricks in the Eastern Wall

The Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency (PAIiIZ) and BiałystokCity Hall have signed an agreement to boost promotion of the Podlaskie voivodship in Poland and abroad, and to proactively seek new investments. The agreement falls under the aegis of PAIiIZ's Investment Program for the Eastern Polish Regions, which encompasses Poland's "Eastern Wall" voivodships - Podkarpackie, Lubelskie, Podlaskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie and Świętokrzystkie.

PAIiIZ will provide training in the preparation of investment offers and promotion to state employees in the voivodship, as well as training in servicing foreign investments. The agreement also includes PAIiIZ's patronage of promotional events.

"Realization of these activities will begin in Q2 next year and preparatory work is being carried out together with the representatives of the voivodships," Agnieszka Wojnarowska, director of the regional cooperation department at PAIiIZ, told WBJ.

PAIiIZ has already signed similar contracts with Kielce and Lublin, the capitals of the Świętokrzyskie and Lubelskie voivodships respectively, and agreements with other regional capitals are in the pipeline.

"The macroeconomic situation in the eastern part of Poland has improved recently, but no faster than in the rest of the country. That is why the socio-economic distance between these five voivodships with the rest of Poland has not decreased significantly," PAIiIZ's Wojnarowska said.

However, the investment offers available in these voivodships have improved and regional authorities consider FDI to be a priority, according to Wojnarowska. "This is stimulating investors' interest in eastern Poland," she said.

Last week brought additional good news to Poland's eastern voivodships. The Swiss government has announced plans to give CHF489 (zł.1,019) million in development aid to countries in the eastern part of the EU.

Poland will receive around 49 percent of the Swiss aid and, in turn, the Eastern Wall voivodships will receive around 40 percent of the Polish allotment.