AWEPA Polish Section: Solidarity with Africa Print
The newly re-established AWEPA Section in the Polish Parliament held a meeting on 19th March 2009 with African ambassadors to Warsaw. The representatives of Algeria, Angola, Congo, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Republic of South Africa and Tunisia paid a visit to the Sejm to meet with parliamentarians who wholeheartedly share an interest in African issues.


The meeting was opened by the Deputy Speaker of the Sejm, Mr Jerzy Szmajdziński, who welcomed the guests, emphasizing the importance for the Polish Parliament of cooperation with African countries, both North and South of the Sahara.

The Polish Section includes MPs from all political parties and represented in both chambers of parliament, the Sejm and the Senate.  Prof. Tadeusz Iwiński, coordinator of the Polish Section, focused on the most pressing topics on AWEPA's agenda, including:

  • combating the consequences of HIV/AIDS;
  • strategies to stimulate development in Africa;
  • the NEPAD framework, which will be the subject of upcoming debates in the Polish Section; and
  • establishing contacts and building cooperation with African parliamentarians.

In the tradition of other European parliaments, Prof. Tadeusz Iwiński suggested that the Section choose a country of focus and recommended linking the Polish Section with Angola.

All topics were discussed according to the idea and principles of Solidarity, which has a truly special meaning for the Poles. The participants contemplated the idea of promoting African issues and showed appreciation for the formation of such a forum in the Polish parliament, where parliamentarians can address relevant issues. Other topics of discussion included the promotion of the NEPAD framework and its importance for African infrastructure.

A valuable idea which emerged at the meeting was that the Section should help develop contacts with academics from Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan African countries. Polish MPs hope to use these contacts to help initiate youth mobility programs. Likewise, members of the Polish AWEPA Section wish to form strong relationships with African parliamentarians.

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