INTERVIEWS WITH THE KRYNICA FORUM 2023 PARTNERS

Witold Kozłowski, the Marshal of Małopolska Province: In Krynica-Zdrój, we’ll witness valuable discussions in an eminent company

‘We are awaiting September with hope and striving to do the utmost so that whoever visits the Krynica Forum leaves convinced we are a hospitable, kind, open, and safe region’ – says Marshal of Małopolska Province Witold Kozłowski.

 
Mr Marshal, from 13 to 15 September the Krynica Forum will be held. This is an undertaking with the participation of the President of Poland and his guests, but also of Korean representatives and many experts from Ukraine. What does it mean for the Province of Małopolska, the event’s Main Partner, that Krynica is the venue of such a prestigious meeting?n Partner, that Krynica is the venue of such a prestigious meeting?

It is a huge honour for us to be able to collaborate with President Andrzej Duda and host the distinguished guests – from not only Ukraine but also Korea and other states. Organising the Krynica Forum is a result of shared work, and the event is making more and more waves, not only domestically but also internationally. The prospect of hosting such important persons and holding here a debate dedicated to the gravest subjects is an outstanding distinction for Małopolska and Krynica-Zdrój. The debate is going to concern international politics, geopolitical systems and economic matters. I am sure we’ll witness really valuable discussions in an eminent company.

The Korean-Polish Forum, which the president of Poland invited businesspeople to while President Yoon Suk Yeol was visiting Warsaw, is an initiative that will influence the international reception of the Krynica Forum a lot.

Our relations with Korea deserve particular highlighting. The nuclear plant project is among the key tasks related to Poland’s energy security. It will mark the first Polish-Korean investment of this kind in partnership with private business as well. At the same time, power-plant building talks are under way at the government level with the US partners; these projects complement each other. The dynamics of Polish-Korean co-operation is undoubtedly strong – in power plant construction issues and in defence industry matters alike. After all, what is at stake are not just purchases of military equipment but the placing of Korean investment in Poland. The chance to talk about it in Małopolska is simply superb.

Last year, when President Duda visited the forum in Krynica, he stressed that the event was already a fixture in the political and economic calendar of Poland. In Davos this January, President opened the discussion on Polish-Korean project to build a nuclear power plant as well as a debate of Central and Eastern European ambassadors to the NATO headquarters. Both panels will find their continuation nowhere else but at the Krynica Forum.

We are seeing a crystal-clear signal that Krynica-Zdrój is number one among the similar initiatives. The success in following up on the subjects explored in the Polish House in Davos only confirms this fact. It is with hope that we are awaiting September and striving to do the utmost so that whoever visits the Krynica Forum leaves convinced we are a hospitable, kind, open, and safe region. We proved as much during the Third European Games, we showed as much at the Beauty Pageant, which has recently unfolded in Nowy Sącz. In turn, after the Krynica Forum, the European Congress of Sports and Tourism will take place in Zakopane. We are engaging in all these activities with a view to showing Małopolska as a region worth coming to, where everyone can find something good. We want everyone paying us a visit to think on the day of leaving: ‘I wish I could stay here longer, and I’m definitely coming back’.

The Province of Małopolska is the Main Partner of the Krynica Forum 2023.