The subject of the three-day meeting (February 24-26) in Krasiczyn, the traditional venue of the Europe of the Carpathians conference, focused on the cooperation of the countries of the region in the face of the crisis caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The place and role of Central Europe in the international security system and the support and reconstruction of Ukraine on the road to the European Union were considered. Also discussed were about the education of the future and digitization, the development of communication in Central Europe, food security and parliamentary diplomacy. Before proceeding to the meeting, a moment of silence was held in honor of the victims of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
The conference was opened by the originator and creator of the Europe of the Carpathians conference series, Marek Kuchciński, head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. – Last year showed clearly that Europe can act together. Together we are strong. The Carpathians are strong, the Carpathians are stable. The Carpathians help us to see in a bigger perspective. We want to use these values. We also want to support development policy in Central Europe. We want to talk about security, cooperation, but we also want to act to strengthen the importance and role of Europe of the Carpathians, Central and Eastern Europe in the entire political, economic and social system of Europe - said the parliamentarian, Marshal of the Sejm in 2015-2019. Then the senior Marshal took the floor Antoni Macierewicz. – The Carpathians are the genesis of this fundamental structure that guarantees the security of Europe and the Intermarium. This is the structure that grows, among others. from the activities of the Europe of the Carpathians conference and is a guarantee of support for the independence, integrity, security and peace of Ukraine, he assessed.
Former Ukrainian ambassador to Poland Markiyan Malskyy considered it symbolic that a year ago, the day before Russia's attack on Ukraine, President Andrzej Duda visited Kiev, "indicating Poland's readiness to support Ukraine." – Today, on the anniversary of Russian aggression, the Polish Prime Minister is in Kiev. It means that we fight together against our common enemy. We fight not only for the freedom and sovereignty of Ukraine. We fight for our way of life, democracy, our freedom and living together in a new Europe. In Ukraine, we are convinced that together with Poland we are creating a new political landscape of Europe, he stressed.
Central Europe in the international security system
The panel opening the 35th conference referred directly to the current geopolitical situation. The debate was initiated by Antoni Macierewicz. The turning point was the decision and proposal of the late Mr. President Lech Kaczyński in 2008 that two countries, Ukraine and Georgia, should be admitted to NATO. This moment shows to this day what are the basic problems related to the security structure of Central Europe. The refusal to accept Ukraine and Georgia was carried out as a result of French and German pressure. President Kaczyński's proposal was rejected. On the anniversary of Russia's attack on Ukraine, it must be made clear that if Ukraine had been admitted to NATO at that time, this war would not have happened. This crime, destruction, genocide would not have happened. The rejection by some European countries of the concept of building Central Europe by including Ukraine and Georgia has become the source of Russia's opening up to the possibility of starting aggression. Russia has understood that it can make an effective decision to seize Ukraine and launch an attack on the whole of Central Europe, he said.
Markiyan Malskyy concluded that the ongoing war is changing the system of international relations that prevail in the world and unexpectedly raised a number of fundamental questions regarding the functioning of the international system. – For Ukraine, in the conditions of war, belonging to Central Europe is a means of survival for a nation, a state. The course towards Central Europe offers a unique opportunity to convince European nations that Ukraine belongs to European civilization and that European values are respected by it, he added.
Józef Majchrak, representing the postoj.sk portal, assessed that when looking at the views of the Visegrad Group countries, there are great similarities in the politics of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. On the other hand, Hungary's policy is different, which is manifested, among others, in the in that they do not provide military assistance and are also skeptical about sanctions policy. – Poland's attitude has changed Slovakia's attitude towards Ukraine. We are a small country whose elites usually look to other leaders. For a part of the Slovak elite, Germany was such a leader in Europe for a long time. The same elite said last year that Germany was wrong about many things. They were wrong about energy policy, about strength and army building, and about how Russia could be dealt with. The Slovak elite now sees that Poland's policy on energy, national defense and eastern policy has confirmed its validity. In the public debate, we hear more and more often that when looking for a strategic partner, we should look to the north, to Poland, emphasized the Slovak.
Piotr Naimski, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure in the years 2015-2022, also spoke in this part of the meeting. - It is obvious that the security of our countries is fundamental. If anyone had any doubts, the war in Ukraine dispelled them. Security is the first thing that needs to be ensured for Ukraine and our region. The EU does not include areas that have not previously been guaranteed military security. The experience of Poland and post-communist countries in Central Europe is a tangible proof of this. In the 1990s, talks were held in Poland as to whether to join the EU or NATO first. Fortunately, Poland and the neighboring countries first joined the North Atlantic Alliance together, which enabled the enlargement of the EU to this region. This will also be the case now, if the optimistic scenarios are confirmed. Security is a prerequisite for the reconstruction of the country after the war to actually be carried out, he said.
Support and reconstruction of Ukraine on its way to the European Union
In the further part of Friday's meeting, the following topics were discussed: about military, humanitarian and economic support for Ukraine, as well as the reconstruction of this country on its way to the European Union. The involvement of Poles and the government's participation in these joint activities was discussed by the Minister of Family and Social Policy. We meet at a special time. A year ago the course of history changed, the sense of security was threatened, not only for Ukrainians, but also for us. We passed the human test. We opened our borders, we opened our homes, we opened our hearts. This was the first stage of this direct support. The activities were coordinated from the very beginning. At the same time, we worked on systemic solutions so that Ukrainian citizens could stay in Poland for as long as needed. Over 2.5 million people have been assigned PESEL numbers - emphasized Marlena Maląg.
Olga Semeniuk-Patkowska spoke in the context of energy stability. – Initially, in the first weeks of the war, the economy experienced real perturbations in the context of supply chains and raw material prices. We had to create conditions for Ukrainian companies to operate in Poland. Everything indicates that the war will be of a long-term nature. We need to talk about what will happen in the next few years. New partnerships, new technologies, European funds in the form of credits and loans are needed, which will help to stabilize the level of energy prices. On our part, we have prepared a number of platforms aimed at helping Ukrainian companies with adaptation, noted the secretary of state at the Ministry of Development and Technology.
Carpathian Europe Freedom Archive
Reflections on freedom and its understanding in individual countries of the Carpathian region in relation to the great revolutions of 1989 in Central and Eastern Europe were the subject of the next Friday panel.
Maciej Szymanowski, who opened the discussion, said that our part of Europe was often a "precursor of many solutions regarding tolerance, personal freedom, an elected king, the right to legally rebel". – We used what we received in 1989 well. In this part of Europe, we have free elections, term of office, religious freedom, freedom of speech, manifestation and court. Thanks to the deep experience of both totalitarianisms, we are vaccinated on the so-called social engineering. We also have quite a high capital of mutual trust. We learned to look at each other more broadly. As countries, we also have the ability to say no. We feel more and more as sovereign entities. We are more and more free than 5, 10 years ago. The threat to this freedom is e.g. Russian imperialism - said the director of the Institute of Polish-Hungarian Cooperation Wacław Felczak.
Tomasz Sakiewicz, editor-in-chief of "Gazeta Polska", also shared a reflection on freedom. – What defines the difference between Ukrainians and Russians is freedom. In Ukraine, freedom is as firmly implanted as in Poland. We are very sensitive about freedom, we can warn against threats. This is because we had to fight for this freedom. Freedom of speech was the way to other freedoms. We won it for ourselves and others. Now Ukrainians are dying for freedom. Freedom is something that allows nations to develop and people to feel at home. Today, creating the media in this part of Europe means building a zone of freedom, he stressed.
The perspective of Hungary and the young generation was presented by Dénes András Nagy, a member of the Program Council of the Carpathian Europe Clubs. – We young people feel that in 1989 an opportunity opened up, which we consumed in 2004, and we decided which world we want to belong to, that we want to join the European Union. We never left Europe. They tried to tear us away. In 2004, it was a natural return to the matrix. For my generation, what has happened since then is a huge disappointment. We can see that the forces outside the Visegrad Four are not interested in us staying united, moving in one direction and pursuing our interests together. That's why they keep trying to divide us. From the point of view of our freedom, the most important thing is to maintain unity so that the achievement of 1989 survives. We have a lot of room for development, he said.
Digital Education. Digital Education of the Young
The second day of the meeting began with a discussion on digitization from the perspective of education processes, development of youth competences, talent development, functioning of primary education, secondary school, but also in the dimension related to the functioning of universities also in the context of a pandemic, e-learning, and also the situation related to the war in Ukraine. Possibilities of using all the instruments offered by the digital space in the didactic dimension. Also in terms of conducting scientific activity, access to sources, monographs, studies.
The Minister of Education and Science was the first to speak in the discussion. – What happened in 2020, when the coronavirus came and we started to isolate, definitely accelerated the activities towards the use of modernity. There would be no such opportunity for development if not for prior preparation. Remote education and digital progress are the result of investments made a few years earlier, including a nationwide educational network, computerization of schools. In 2015, only 10 percent. of Polish schools were connected to high-speed Internet. It is difficult to imagine the functioning of schools today, also in the post-pandemic period, without access to broadband Internet. Throughout the pandemic and the post-pandemic period, the Polish government invested a total of PLN 5 billion in computerization and digitization of Polish schools. We also have new projects - said Przemysław Czarnek. In the context of the war in Ukraine, the head of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage emphasized that the goal is to take care of Ukrainian children and youth. – We are here not to take care of these children, but to take care of these children, pupils and students for the moment. They are absolutely necessary for an independent, free Ukraine, he stressed.
– When it comes to the problem of digitization, it is also very important for Ukraine. We feel it especially in times of war. Today, Ukraine is fighting on various fronts. One of the most important is the educational front. The Kremlin is trying to create Russian educational programs in every place under Russian occupation. Digitization allows us to fight Kremlin programs - emphasized Ihor Tsependa, rector of the Pre-Carpathian National University named after Wasyl Stefanyk. – The need to implement projects using new technologies is crucial. If we want to show our values and our history, we must speak the language of the young generation, redirect the attention of young people to valuable projects that can also support educators. An example of this is the highly successful project "Cypher game" about Polish cryptologists available here in Krasiczyn. Technology will not replace upbringing, it will not replace education. If we can use these tools to achieve the intended goals, we should use these tools, but in a reasonable way, noted Magdalena Hajduk, head of the New Technologies Office of the Institute of National Remembrance.
Communication in Central Europe - new TEN-T policy
Another point of the 35th edition of the Europe of the Carpathians conference was a conversation about communication in Central Europe, new infrastructural solutions, and the development of a trans-European communication network.
Taking the floor, the Minister of Infrastructure, Andrzej Adamczyk, stated that the next edition of the Europe of the Carpathians conference actually started on February 14. – The transport ministers of the countries entering the Three Seas Corridor, whose basic backbone is the Via Carpatia, met then in Warsaw. Representatives of the European Commission and many European institutions dealing with transport were present. It was within the Europe of the Carpathians that we organized a conference whose participant and honorary patron was President Andrzej Duda. During this event, we primarily referred to the application adopted on December 5, 2022 in Brussels at the Council of EU Transport Ministers to include the Three Seas Corridor in the TEN-T core network. This means that by 2040 and 2050 all countries must implement this undertaking. Everything is slowly starting to fill up and it is in line with the road that was marked out in 2006 in Łańcut by the late President Lech Kaczyński - stressed the head of the Ministry of Infrastructure.
– We are talking about the economy, culture, education and all aspects of social life that takes place in the Carpathians. New directions of action are being set throughout the Carpathians and the Three Seas Initiative. All these ideas would be more difficult to implement if not for the development of transport infrastructure. It is the lifeblood of the economy. It is extremely important that we build trans-European channels and that they grow. On the other hand, local and regional trails are their natural complement - added MP Tadeusz Chrzan, member of the Parliamentary Infrastructure Committee.
– It is us, the countries of Central Europe, who are shown today as the countries that were the first to shake hands with Ukraine. The President of the United States is coming to Central Europe, so are the heads of government, and that gives us courage. It also shows that the focus has shifted to this part of the continent. There will be no good development of Central Europe without functioning in the area of road, railway, air and water infrastructure. We are witnessing breakthroughs that are taking place before our eyes in the context of the development of the trans-European communication network - said Bogdan Rzońca, Member of the European Parliament, who was leading the panel.
At the end of this part of the meeting, the draft Appeal of the participants of the 35th Europe of the Carpathians conference on the further development of transport networks in the Carpathian region was also presented. The document highlights the most important demands of Central European countries. Participants in Europe of the Carpathians appreciated that, in accordance with previous calls, a new TEN-T corridor Baltic Sea-Black Sea-Aegean Sea was created, which is the transport backbone of the Three Seas Initiative, the main axis of which is Via Carpatia. As the community of Europe of the Carpathians, it was requested to provide an appropriate level of financing for the implementation of key investments for Central Europe, including the Via Carpatia route and its rail dimension Rail Carpatia, projects of significant importance for the defense and security of citizens and military mobility on NATO's eastern flank, as well as cross-border initiatives that fit into the assumptions of the solidarity corridors connecting Ukraine with the EU, i.e. the development of as many transport connections as possible connecting Ukraine with the Carpathian region. “We expect strengthening of actions at the European and global level aimed at the efficient implementation of transport investments, which are the foundation for peace, security and economic development. They must rely on effective offering and obtaining international funds for their construction. This is not only in the interest of the countries of the Carpathian region, but also of the entire international community.
Parliamentary Diplomacy of Carpathian Europe (V4+)
The discussion on the importance and role of parliamentary diplomacy was opened by Deputy Speaker of the Sejm, Ryszard Terlecki. – We have many different formats of parliamentary and international cooperation, also in our region of Central and Eastern Europe, including the Intermarium. These are bilateral groups, parliamentary assemblies. We also have various occasional formats, such as the Lublin Triangle referring to the tradition of the Union of Lublin, which included Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine. We also have many attempts to build parliamentary cooperation. The Intermarium, Three Seas project, whose element and driving force is the Europe of the Carpathians. Among these various ideas there are projects concerning our common life in this part of Europe - said Deputy Marshal Terlecki. "Maybe it's the right time to set up a kind of parliamentary assembly of Central and Eastern Europe, like an Interparliamentary Union," he added.
The Lithuanian head of the delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Emanuelis Zingeris, considered it important that the voice of the parliaments of the Carpathian region be stronger. – Russia's attack is a response to the 1990s, to our independence, Poland, the Baltic States, Ukraine and the direction of our countries towards the West and freedom. This is an attack aimed at destroying Ukraine as a nation, stressed the vice-chairman of the European Affairs Committee and a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas.
– We are fighting together primarily to strengthen the parliamentary friendship between the states of the Baltic Sea and the Visegrad Group. We have a new format - Three Seas. This initiative is intended to increase military mobility. Of course, thanks to this, this initiative will gain strength. As parliamentarians, we speak direct language. If we look at the B3, B4 format, the Baltic States, Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic, all of these countries have defined Russia as a country that sponsors and supports terrorism. We also need Hungarians on our side, stressed Richard Kols in his speech. – We must do everything for Ukraine to win. I would like us to create such a parliamentary image that the countries of the Baltic Sea and Eastern Europe would be able to say something together. If we are able to show, in various international formats, that we are united, we will be able to take further steps and build lasting cooperation with parliamentary assemblies, said the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Latvian Saeima.
MP Anna Paluch pointed out the importance of building trust within the Baltic States, the Visegrad Group and all countries that share the same experience after the years of communism. We know this system very well. We all know how public opinion functioned at that time. In Russia, the public has no real data, but saying that this is "Putin's war" is a lie. Even with the falsification of public opinion polls, the majority of Russians support this bestial aggression. As representatives of our countries, we have a duty to make our voice heard, so that we can communicate with each other and reach out to the entire EU with our message. Then he is stronger and more efficient - MP Paluch emphasized.
- Undoubtedly, our entire region of Central and Eastern Europe, the region of Europe of the Carpathians is connected by a common historical and cultural heritage - said Arkadiusz Mularczyk. - This means that the citizens of our countries have a common point of reference and a deeper historical knowledge of what has happened in the last hundred years on our lands and what consequences it brings to this day. We live in a region that is economically less developed than Western European countries. We are all aware that both World War II and communism have led us to a situation where we still struggle with large economic emigration from all countries of the region. All the more, the Russian aggression against Ukraine has made us even more aware of where we are in Europe and has united us very much, said the Secretary of State for European Policy.
Realism and values in Central Europe
Another panel dedicated to the memory of prof. Waldemar Paruch, concerned basic, fundamental issues: realism and values.
The discussion was started by Zdzisław Krasnodębski. – There is no modern politics without referring to values, to certain norms and beliefs. On the other hand, values depend on power. It seems to me that the problem of European politics in recent decades has been an excess of values rather than a deficiency. Realism was lacking. I think much of what Mr. prof. Paruch has been confirmed by the course of events - assessed the Member of the European Parliament.
- We are talking about the merits of political science late. prof. Waldemar Paruch. It should be remembered that he was also a historian. This determined his view on political and European problems. Tradition played a very important role in his political thinking. A return to the values that constitute Poland, our region, is what should unite us - said Arkadiusz Adamczyk from the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of the Jan Jan University
Kochanowski in Kielce.
In the opinion of prof. According to Jan Holzer, these two basic categories: values and realism, do not contradict each other. – Realism is a value. It is important to look for a category that can combine a valuable and realistic approach to the problem. A moderate approach counts. Especially at the moment we are in. At the moment, we are witnessing a major geopolitical change of value in Central Europe, he said.
– There is realistic thinking in our part of Europe, at least on the level of fundamental problems. There is a lack of effectiveness, an effective initiative understood as a common, Central European undertaking. In the recent past, the V4 countries have proven several times that it is possible to achieve even small goals at the level of the European Council - said prof. John Draus. – I look with admiration at the Bucharest Nine, which effectively strengthens NATO's eastern flank against Russian aggression, and at the attitude of Central Europe supporting the Ukrainians in the war with Russia. However, there is a lack of firm and solid cooperation of Central and Eastern European countries at the EU level, he added.
Women of the Carpathians: the most important challenges
In this part of the meeting, thoughts were shared on the challenges of the modern world, including the environment, war, security, energy, youth from the perspective of women.
The Minister of Climate and Environment, who conducted the conversation, noted that "the Carpathians are something that connects us, economically, socially, culturally, but also environmentally." "It's 30 percent of the land. covered with forests. The environmental dimension is one of the most important here. We care about a good estimate of environmental losses in connection with the war in Ukraine, so that in the future, on behalf of the Carpathians, we will demand compensation from the Russian Federation for the compensation of these losses, which concern us all, stressed Anna Moscow.
– For over a year now, as free people, we have been opposing aggression, crazy evil, rape and violence. The Ukrainian woman crosses the border of pain at this point. The challenges faced by the Ukrainian woman include preserving the life of her child, looking for a shelter. This evil kills all perspectives, but it also kills all living creatures on earth, people, animals, nature, ecology. Everything that people want to preserve, multiply, said Ukrainian MP Olena Kopanchuk. – The Ukrainian woman is strong with the strength of every Polish woman. We are in touch with each other all the time. The first warm embraces that the Ukrainian nation received were from Polish women. We will remember this at all times. You help us all the time, relations between Ukrainian and Polish women allow us to connect the world - noted the vice-chairman of the Budget Committee of the Verkhovna Rada.
– As women, we are brave in political and social activities. In politics, women give professionalism, good knowledge, experience, well-prepared projects, but also a lot of empathy, emotions, and in these difficult times, a terrible war situation, these feelings and empathy are needed much more. The sense of security, also social and psychological, has been severely destroyed. Our role is solidarity, as women we understand each other and feel this empathy. We can deal with difficult situations. They know, experience and what we have. We are preparing that Ukraine will win, and peace in the world is, above all, respect for other people and understanding, emphasized Agnieszka Ścigaj, Minister for Social Integration.
30 years of the Carpathian Euroregion. Carpathians, Alps
On the third day of the conference, the following topics were discussed, among others: about the Carpathian Euroregion, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2023. Over the last three decades of its activity, the Carpathian Euroregion has gone from an idea to an organization with the status of a Cross-Border Legal Entity - the only structure of this type on the external border of the European Union.
– In 2018, the Carpathian Declaration was signed in Krynica, under which Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary expressed their willingness to cooperate in the context of establishing another macro-regional strategy in the EU. Since then, these activities have been carried out very intensively with the cooperation of parliamentarians and local government officials from all interested countries. In the current geopolitical situation, it is through the Carpathian Strategy that we must increase the security of all countries that are involved in activities for Ukraine, in supporting Ukraine in its reconstruction. The Carpathian Strategy can be just such a stimulus to ensure energy security and the safety of the inhabitants of the entire Carpathian area. We emphasize this in all national programs that we implement - said Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy.
In turn, Sandor Koles, outlining the historical background, noted that in the late 1980s in Central and Eastern Europe a certain vacuum emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union. – It was feared that it would lead to chaos in this part of Europe. Therefore, initiatives such as bilateral cooperation between Hungary and Poland, Hungary and Ukraine, Ukraine and Slovakia were created, which ensured greater political stability and prevented conflicts. This was followed up by the Visegrad cooperation, which was a very important driver of European cooperation. This was part of the Carpathian Strategy. It was about preventing conflicts, changing the narrative in the region and putting emphasis on cooperation, he said. – We have to work together if we want to live in peace, if we want this region to be a prosperous one. Now we are in a completely different geopolitical environment. This requires strengthening the structures we have. It should be inspired to invent new forms of cooperation adequate to the current situation. However, the main goal remains the same as it was 30 years ago, i.e. cross-border and regional cooperation, promotion of the Carpathian Euroregion in Europe, supporting people's well-being - noted the President of the Carpathian Foundation.
The perspective of the Alpine region was presented by Manu Broccard from the Institute of Tourism in Valais, Switzerland. In the discussion, he emphasized the importance of "fair tourism". “It is tourism that takes people, economy and the environment into account. Our regions have already had the opportunity to cooperate under the first program entitled "Bridges of cooperation between the Alps and the Carpathians". We focused on small entrepreneurs and local tourism. We would like to further expand and strengthen these bridges, cooperate with partners from the Carpathian region, work on sustainable development, develop the tourist market - he noted.
Food security and strategic autonomy of the EU in the face of the war in Ukraine (agricultural policy presentation)
The last panel of the 35th Europe of the Carpathians Conference was devoted to the problems faced by farmers from the countries of the Carpathian region, food security and strategic autonomy of the EU in the face of the war in Ukraine.
– If we are able to maintain and develop agriculture in Podkarpacie and in mountainous regions where agricultural conditions are particularly difficult, we can be confident about food security. Our farmers passed the test in the most difficult times, first covid, and then Russian aggression against Ukraine, where Russia can use food, or rather the lack of food, as a weapon and a tool for conquests - said Janusz Wojciechowski. – The fact that we have food security is a great merit of Polish farmers, as well as Ukrainian farmers who work despite the war situation. In early February, representatives of the European Commission met with members of the Ukrainian government. Ukraine has always been a major exporter of grain and will probably remain so. In 2021, it had a record harvest of cereals, never recorded before. Unfortunately, then this terrible war began, which blocked exports and it was not possible to sell grain. We will not leave farmers without help. The aid is prepared and I think it will be effective, stressed the EU Commissioner for Agriculture.
Oleksandr Gaydu, chairman of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Agrarian and Land Policy, stressed that the conference is "another proof of meeting each other". – The year 2022 proved that we are able to ensure food security not only to Ukraine, but also to the whole world. Before the Russian aggression, Ukraine was one of the leading exporters of agricultural products in the world. After the closure of the export channels, we began to look for ways to renew them in order to avoid a food crisis. We have received support from our European partners, including Poland. After a few months, the initiative of the Solidarity Trail was launched. I believe that the sphere of food production will be the most important for us immediately after the war, he stressed.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Slovakia noted that the Europe of the Carpathians is "a unique opportunity for dialogue between the countries of the region." “Effective cooperation and a coordinated approach are crucial for us to be able to properly respond to the current challenges. Covid and the conflict in Ukraine had an unprecedented impact on agricultural markets, hence the EU took measures to prevent the effects of these crises. In recent years, we have seen that not only the EU's strategic autonomy and competitiveness matter, but also food safety. Strengthening it is one of the key parts of our Common Agricultural Policy strategy, stressed Martin Kováč.
Among the events accompanying the February conference was the presentation of the currently implemented project of the International Center for Meetings of Academic Youth of Ukraine and Poland in Mikuliczyn - a new platform that will integrate young people from Poland and Ukraine. The results of the survey of Eastern European Studies of the University of Warsaw and the EWL foundation on refugees from Ukraine in Poland, as well as the role of civil society in the defense and transformation of Ukraine, were also discussed. In addition, the project "Polish culture in the Three Seas countries and in Anglo-Saxon countries" was discussed, as well as projects implemented under the Cross-border Cooperation program Poland - Belarus - Ukraine. It is also worth noting the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the Brzeziński family in Primary School No. 1. Henryk Sienkiewicz in Przemyśl.
The conference was co-organized by the Chancellery of the Sejm and the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, in cooperation with: GovTech, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Infrastructure, Institute of Polish-Hungarian Cooperation. Wacław Felczak, Carpathian Euroregion, Przemyśl Cultural Society, Clubs of Europe of the Carpathians, People's University of Three Seas, Collegium Carpathicum.
Text of the Chancellery of the Sejm
photo: Marta Olejnik/ Chancellery of the Prime Minister
