Polish-Finnish Seminar on Ports and Shipping

16.09.2002

On September 10^th, 2001 the Tri-City was playing host to the Polish-Finnish Seminar on Ports and Shipping. Representing Finland at the event there were the Minister of Transport and Communication Kimmo Sasi accompanied by a group of delegates representing ports authorities, operating and shipping companies, whereas on behalf of Poland there were the Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure Marek Szymonski and the Governor of the Pomeranian Province Jan Ryszard Kurylczyk, as well as representatives of administration, companies and organizations operating in the field of maritime commerce. Among them, the Head of the Maritime Transportation Department at the Ministry of Infrastructure Andrzej Gdula, the President of the Board of the Port of Gdansk Authority SA Andrzej Kasprzak, Vice-President of the Board of the Port of Gdansk Authority SA Zbigniew Perlinski, President of the Board of the Port of Gdynia Authority SA Jerzy Wielinski and the Vice-President of the Board of the Port of Gdynia Authority SA Janusz Jarosinski.

The visitors attended a reception that was held onboard the pleasure-boat catamaran "Rubin" and then they were taken round the Port of Gdansk and the Port of Gdynia on a sightseeing cruise that gave them the opportunity to examine on the sight the development potential of the Gdansk and Gdynia ports. Their particular interest focused on the information concerning the scheduled investment projects. During the cruise a seminar was arranged that included introductions of the ports of Gdansk, Gdynia and Szczecin-Swinoujscie, as well as the ports of Helsinki, Kotka, Rauma, Turku and the companies of Mann Lines Oy and Steveco Oy. The presentation of the Port of Gdansk was delivered by Danuta Bilat - Shipping and Transit Senior Executive at the Port of Gdansk Authority SA. Additionally, the seminar provided for the introduction of the Finpro organization that is supporting Finnish foreign investment projects and holds its representative's office also in Poland.

At the seminar a number of issues were raised, i.a. lifting the barriers on foreign investment projects in Poland with a particular focus drawn to the need to upgrade road infrastructure, Polish-Finnish co-operation prospects as viewed at the threshold of Poland's EU accession, as well as the development of commercial partnership between the both countries and Russia. The event provided suitable grounds for building new business relations and encouraging Finnish and Polish entrepreneurs operating in the maritime commerce to jointly take on new enterprises. Minister Kimmo Sasi emphasized that from his point of view Polish ports have a considerable potential for the rapid growth in cargo throughput in the nearest future.