Andrzej Duda is the first president of a member state of the European Union, who came to Australia just after the start of the negotiations on the EU free trade agreement with the Antipodes – writes Teresa Wójcik, editor of BiznesAlert.pl.
The official visit of the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda in Australia is to have a significant economic dimension. The President will inaugurate the Polish-Australian Energy Forum in the capital of this country, devoted to business cooperation in the natural resources and energy sector. The Forum’s activity in the area of modern technologies and innovations of these sectors, including the following industries: gas extraction, LNG, hard coal mining and power generation is particularly promising.
Strong professional facilities for the President of the Republic of Poland
On the Polish side in this special event – which was initiated by the Polish President – a representative of the Ministry of Energy, secretary of state and plenipotentiary of the government for mining, Grzegorz Tobiszowski, will take part. On Saturday, August 18, they joined the delegation representatives of Polish mining and energy companies – primarily PGNiG, Gaz-System, Polskie LNG, Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa, Famur and Węglokoks. The Forum will also be attended by representatives of the Polish Geological Institute and the Polish Investment and Trade Agency. Their partners are to be Australian representatives of the energy and coal mining sectors. The Forum is to sign a cooperation agreement between Polish entities and their Australian partners. President Duda stressed that „it is time for us to carry out economic and political expansion all over the world. (…) We want to persuade Polish entrepreneurs to invest abroad and actively invite investors from outside Polish borders „- he stressed.
The EU dimension
Therefore, the President of the Republic of Poland intends to meet with Australian entrepreneurs who are already investing and want to invest in Poland. And this meeting will also have a wider dimension and a special meaning. Andrzej Duda is the first president of a member state of the European Union who came to Australia shortly after the start of negotiations on the EU free trade agreement with the Antipodes.
Some of Polish companies are already present in Australia, they have contacts with business and scientific partners of this country. Australian entrepreneurs appeared in Poland, especially interested in our hard coal resources. By the end of August this year, Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa may conclude analyzes regarding potential cooperation on Prairie Mining coal projects in Poland.
Australia as a player on the global LNG market
It is necessary to emphasize the growing role of Australia as one of the largest players on the liquefied gas market, benefiting from the boom of the shale revolution and on this foundation expanding the production potential of LNG. Already in 2010, Australia could export over 18 million tonnes of liquefied gas per year. Currently, on the threshold of the second half of 2018, Australia is able to produce about 63 million tonnes of LNG a year. Due to geographic conditions, the largest supplies of Australian LNG are and will be directed to Asian countries, including India and South Korea. However, the increase in the Australian LNG offer will be of great importance for the global market, maintaining the price balance as well as demand and supply, especially in the situation of threats to supplies from the Persian Gulf and the Middle East and sanctions against Iran.
The consequence of this situation is the growing interest of many global companies in Australian unconventional natural gas deposits. What probably will entail significant progress in the technology of extraction and liquefaction. In this context, the presence of the heads of such Polish companies as PGNiG, Polskie LNG and Gaz-System in the associate team in Australia must be assessed. And also our geologists and engineers.
The opening of the Foreign Trade Office of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency in Sydney will be a facilitation for future intensive economic cooperation with Australian business. Naturally with the participation of the President of the Republic of Poland.