President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka will hold bilateral talks in Malacanang Wednesday to explore ways that would open opportunities to improve and expand Philippines and Poland relations.

The Polish leader will arrive Wednesday at the Villamor Air Base for a two-day official visit.

Belka will be the first head of government of the 10 new member countries of the European Union (EU) to visit the Philippines. The EU now has 25 members, mostly advanced economies.

The Polish PM, his wife, Madame Krystyna Belka, and his delegation will immediately proceed from the airport to Malacanang where the visiting leader will be welcomed with full military arrival honors at the Palace grounds.

The two state leaders will then have the ceremonial walk after which the Polish premier will sign the Presidential Guest Book at the Palace Stairway before proceeding to the Ramos Music Room where they will hold an expanded bilateral meeting.

The two leaders are expected to discuss new cooperation in the areas of maritime, mining, railways, among others, as well as expanding their bilateral trade.

In 2004, Poland ranked as the Philippines’ 55^th trading partner with a total trade of $14.75 million. Balance of trade has always been in favor of the Philippines, reaching $10 million in 2004.

Poland is the Philippines 49^th export market in 2004. Philippine exports to Poland include desiccated coconut, frozen eels, watches, yarns, parts and accessories of apparatus and equipment, electrostatic photocopying apparatus and cigarettes.

Philippine imports from Poland include milk, machinery for filling/closing/sealing bottles, whey and modified whey, prepared foods, personal care products and other monolithic digital integrated circuits.

The two leaders will also witness the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding – one for the Establishment of Political Consultations, and another on the South Railway Rehabilitation Project.

While the two leaders meet at Malacanang, Madame Belka will be given a tour of the Palace.

Mid-afternoon Wednesday, Prime Minister Belka will lay a wreath at the Rizal monument at the Rizal Park where he will also be presented the "Key to the City of Manila" by City Mayor Lito Atienza.

President Arroyo will host an official dinner for the visiting PM and his party at Malacanang’s Rizal Ceremonial Hall Wednesday evening.

On the second day of his visit, Premier Belka is set to visit the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He will also receive Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Jose de Venecia at his Manila Hotel quarters.

The Polish leader will likewise have meetings with representatives of the Polish Society of the Philippines and will deliver a speech at a business luncheon hosted by Poland’s Honorary Consul in Manila, Fernando Lising , International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ITCSI) Chairman Enrique Razon and the City of Manila at the Manila Hotel.

The Polish delegation is also scheduled to be given a tour of the San Agustin Church, the National Museum and Fort Santiago before departing late Thursday afternoon..

Poland and the Philippines established formal diplomatic relations on September 22, 1973.

Following the closure of the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw in 1993 and the Polish Embassy in Manila in 1994 due to resource constraints, both governments opted to maintain honorary consulates in each other’s capital.

Poland’s Honorary Consul in Manila is Fernando Lising, while the Philippines’ Honorary Consul General in Warsaw is Edward Magiera.

There are a total of 150 Filipinos in Poland, including computer technicians, students, spouses of foreign nationals and domestics, according to the Philippine Embassy in Budapest.

Board of Investments (BOI) records show there have been no Polish investments in the Philippines since 1986 to present, while the Philippines, through ITCSI has a total of US$100 million investment in Poland.

ITCSI has won the bid to develop, operate and manage the Baltic container port in Gydnia, Poland.

Both the Philippines and Poland are predominantly Catholic countries.

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Malacaņang today accorded visiting Prime Minister Marek Belka of the Republic of Poland full military arrival honors, complete with a 21-gun salute during welcome rites at the Malacaņang grounds.

The visiting Polish leader, accompanied by his wife, Madame Krystyna Belka, arrived in Manila before noon today for a two-day official visit that is expected to further strengthen the diplomatic ties between Poland and the Philippines.

Assisted by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and other high ranking Philippine government officials, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo received the Polish First Couple at the start of the ceremonies.

The other Philippine officials in the reception party included Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes, and Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

After reviewing the troops, the two state leaders took the ceremonial walk at the Malacaņang grounds.

As President Arroyo ushered him to the Palace Stairway landing for the ritual signing of the Presidential Guest Book by visiting state guests, the Polish Prime Minister was greeted "Magandang hapon po! Mabuhay" (Good afternoon. Long live) by pupils from Mabini Elementary School in Manila.

Madame Belka, on the other hand, escorted by some Foreign Affairs and Protocol officials, was given a separate Palace tour as President Arroyo and Prime Minister Belka started their official one-on-one meeting inside Malacanang.

The Philippines and Poland, both predominantly Roman Catholic countries, established diplomatic ties on September 22, 1973.

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The Philippines and Poland further strengthened today their relations through the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding—one for the Establishment of Political Consultations, and the other on the South Luzon Railway Rehabilitation Project.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and visiting Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka witnessed the signing of the MOUs at the Reception Hall of Malacaņang.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Edsel Custodio and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Poland Undersecretary of State Boguslaw Zaleski signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations and Cooperation, in behalf of their respective countries.

Under this MOU, the DFA of the Philippines and the MFA of Poland will conduct political consultations every two years to review bilateral relations, identify ways to develop closer cooperation and to exchange views on regional and international issues of common interest.

The consultations will be headed by the senior officials of the DFA and the MFA.

The first round of consultations was held in Warsaw in June 2000.

The Philippines proposed the MOU to institutionalize the consultation process.

Philippine National Railways (PNR) general manager Jose Ma. Sarasola II and BUMAR Group Company Ltd. president Roman Baczynski signed in behalf of their respective companies the Memorandum of Understanding between the PNR and the BUMAR Group of Co. Ltd. for the upgrading of the Main Line South.

The upgrading of the Main Line South or the Sorsogon Railroad Extension Project includes the spur line to the Port of Pantao in Albay and its extension to Matnog in Sorsogon.

The project will enhance the socioeconomic development of the Bicol Region and benefit inter-regional commuters and traders in line with the President’s priority agenda to build the infrastructure facilities needed to connect the entire country through the Strong Republic Nautical Highway.

Under the agreement, BUMAR Company will prepare the feasibility study and provide the funds for the project.

Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka arrived in Manila before noon today for a two-day official visit aimed at exploring ways to open opportunities to improve and expand Philippines and Polish relations.

President Arroyo and PM Belka held an expanded bilateral meeting at the Ramos Music Room in Malacaņang after the visiting leader was accorded full military honors at the Malacaņang grounds.

The Philippines and Poland, both predominantly Catholic countries, established formal diplomatic relations on Sept. 22, 1973.

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