British Ambassador Robin Barnett (L) collects a Special Award on behalf of Tony Blair: photo - PAP/Pawel Supernak
The former UK leader was chosen on account of backing Polish efforts to join the EU, opening up the British labour market to Poles, and overseeing a growth in trade between Poland and the UK during his tenure in office.
British Ambassador Robin Barnett collected the prize on Blair's behalf, and a message of thanks was screened for those attending the event at Warsaw's National Opera.
“I have a lot of admiration for Poland and the Polish people,” Blair expressed, as cited on the web site of the Business Centre Club (BCC), which organises the awards.
“This is a tough time economically, but I know about the fantastic work of which Business Centre Club can be proud,” he added.
Blair followed in the footsteps of his one of his own predecessors, Margaret Thatcher, and former US president Bill Clinton, with the Special Prize always bestowed on figures from outside the business sphere.
This year, Blair shared the award with former defence minister Janusz Onyszkiewicz and former deputy prime minister Janusz Steinhoff.
The BCC was founded in 1991, shortly after the fall of communism, and numbers 2500 members, taking in leading Polish business personalities and firms.
Meanwhile, eleven companies were declared Polish Business Leaders: Biuro Turystyki ZNP LogosTou, Ceramika Paradyz, Corab , Energoprojekt-Katowice, Hertz System Ltd , Hochland Polska., International Paper-Kwidzyn, Pruszynski, Przedsiębiorstwo Budowlane Calbud, Trans Polonia and TurboCare Poland. (nh)