Switzerland to help Poland catch up with Europe

Switzerland to help Poland catch up with Europe

Poland will get more than half a billion of Swiss francs from a Swiss instrument levelling economic and social differences in the enlarged EU, Foreign Minister of the Swiss Confederation Ms Micheline Calmy-Rey said in Warsaw on Monday during a one day working visit to Poland.

"Switzerland is not EU member but it has close relations with the union," the Swiss minister said. "We have decided to make a contribution to level economic and social differences between the new and the old EU states and to allocate 1 billion Swiss francs for the purpose," she added.

An agreement between EU and the Swiss Confederation setting the framework for concrete projects, to be financed from the mentioned fund is going to be approved by the European Commission on Febraury 27. Later Poland and Switzerland will jointly work on projects to be implemented from the funds. Poland's Foreign Minister Stefan Meller said after a meeting with the Swiss minister that all issues related to Polish-Swiss relations and international affairs had been discussed.

"It has been our joint idea to start consultations between our ministries at the level of departments dealing with European affairs especially as regards all issues related to assistance.

He added that cultural exchange between the two countries should be increased as well as cooperation between education ministries. "It would be good to launch a scholarship programme," he said.

Ms Calmy-Rey stressed that Polish-Swiss relations are perfect. She hoped for their intensification now when Poland became the EU membership.