Polish foreign minister Sikorski leads delegation to Brazil

Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski: photo - PAP/Grzegorz Jakubowski

Sikorski will meet his Brazilian counterpart Antonio Patriota, and delegates are due to take part in economic forums in both Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Aside from “boosting political dialogue” between the two countries, “the main purpose of the visit is to help Polish business,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Marcin Bosacki confirmed in an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

Bosacki noted that companies in the mining and oil industries have been included in the delegation, as well as representatives of ship-building and chemical firms.

Brazil is currently the sixth largest economy in the world, and according to the foreign ministry, “Polish entrepreneurs are showing plenty of interest in Brazil as a trade and investment destination.”

According to a statement released by the ministry, the visit “serves to enhance Poland's image as a dynamically developing country and key EU actor which plays a significant role in combating the economic crisis."

Discussions about cooperation between Polish and Brazilian academic institutions are also on the agenda.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry has also noted that there may be a “sharing of Polish know-how” regarding the forthcoming 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games that are due to be held in Brazil. Poland co-hosted the Euro 2012 football tournament this June with Ukraine. (nh)