Close contacts have developed between Latvia and Poland in all areas and at all levels. The most active co-operation exists in the areas of defence, home affairs, regional development, local authorities, and education and culture. One of the priorities is to promote trade and economic contacts, which have great potential. Latvia is interested in further developing these contacts and strengthening them, both bilaterally and within the framework of the Baltic Sea Region, the European Union and NATO, and international organisations including the UN.

History of Diplomatic Relations

Poland recognised Latvia's independence on 27 January 1921 (Poland's note on the de iure recognition of Latvia is dated as of 31 December 1920 but it was submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia on 27 January 1921).  After the restoration of independence of the Republic of Latvia, diplomatic relations were renewed on 30 August 1991.

As of 13 December 2004, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to Poland is Alberts Sarkanis.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Poland to Latvia since 25 August 2005 is Maciej Klimczak.

Economic Co-operation

Since Latvia and Poland joined the European Union, economic and trade relations between the two countries have been governed by the internal legislation of the European Union and principles of the common market.

In 2007, Latvia's exports to Poland reached 195.6 million EUR, but imports from Poland amounted to 689.4 million EUR. 

Poland exports to Latvia mainly machinery and mechanical appliances, products of chemical industry, metals and metal articles, as well as transport vehicles. Latvia's principal exports to Poland are metals, timber and timber products, as well as machinery, mechanical appliances and electrical equipment.

In 2007, Poland held 8^th place among the largest export partners in Latvia's foreign trade and ranked 5^th among import partners.

Dynamics of export and import of goods (million EUR)

Dynamics of export and import of services (million EUR)

Principal exports of goods in 2007

Principal imports of goods in 2007.

Principal  export goods to Poland in 2007 (thousand EUR)

Principal import goods to Poland in 2007 (thousand EUR)

Exports and imports of principal services in 2006 (million LVL) 

Direct Polish investment in Latvia 

Investment

As of January 2008, 154 Latvian - Polish joint companies were listed with the Register of Enterprises of the Republic of Latvia. Joint companies operate mainly in the sectors of car and motorcycle sales, maintenance and repair services, in financial intermediation and the manufacture of textile articles.

At the end of the third quarter 2007, accrued Polish direct investment in Latvia amounted to 5.9 million LVL, whilst accrued Latvian direct investment in Poland comprises 1 million LVL. On 30 January 2008, Polish direct investment in the equity capitals of Latvian enterprises had reached 2.16 million LVL (38^th place).

Tourism

Co-operation with Poland in the tourism sector takes place within the framework of the Baltic Common Tourism Committee.

With the aim of promoting tourism development, an office of the Riga Tourism Co-ordination and Information centre was opened in Warsaw on 1 September 2003.

Since 2006, Latvia's national tourism portal http://www.latviatourism.lv, is available also in Polish.

Mazurka Travel, a Warsaw tourism information centre, organises regular tours to Latvia for tourists from other European countries.

Defence

Military co-operation between Latvia and Poland is regulated by the Agreement on Co-operation in the Defence Sector, signed on 16 September 1992. On the basis of this Agreement, plans for bilateral co-operation are worked out annually.

The Polish Air Force patrolled Baltic air space from 1 January to 31 March 2006.

The Latvian National Armed Forces continue to be part of the Polish contingent of the multi-national stabilising forces in Iraq. The contingent is deployed in the Al-Divania province. 130 soldiers serve in the Latvian unit. Latvia, together with Poland, is also participating in the formation of the EU Rapid Reaction Force.

The main areas of co-operation between the Naval Forces of the two countries are the provision of technical assistance and training for work with the equipment received. Since 2002 Latvian cadets have the opportunity to study at the Maritime Academy of the Republic of Poland in Gdynia.

The military attachè of the Republic of Latvia in Poland is Lt.Col. Arkadijs Umbrasko.

The military attachè of the Republic of Poland in Latvia is Col. Krzysztof Klosinski. Col. Klosinski has also been accredited as the military attachè of the Republic of Poland in Estonia and Finland.   

Education and Science

Important co-operation has developed between the two countries in the area of education and science.  This is based on the intergovernmental agreement on co-operation in culture and education signed on 29 March 2006 during the working visit of the then Prime Minister of Poland, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz.

Regular exchanges of students and teachers, summer schools, traineeship activities, research conferences are organised within the framework of co-operation, as well as experience exchange visits by officials working in the area of education and science.

A number of Latvia's higher education institutions have signed bilateral agreements with Polish universities: the University of Latvia with the University of Szczecin  and the University of Gdansk; Daugavpils University with Warsaw Agricultural University; Rezekne Higher Education Institution with the University of Wroclaw (Breslau), University of Lodz, University of Poznan and the University of Economy and Finances in Warsaw. Higher education institutions of Latvia and Poland also co-operate under a number of international educational programmes: Socrates/Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Campus Europe, UNICA (Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe) and BSRUN (Baltic Sea Region Universities Network).

The Latvian Academy of Culture has developed co-operation with the Aleksander Zelwerowicz State Theatre Academy, Ludwik Solski State Theatre School in Krakow and the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan under the Erasmus Programme. The Academy has established an international bachelor's programme Inter-cultural contacts Latvia - Poland as well as a Polish language and culture information centre. 

The Latvian Academy of Sciences has signed a co-operation agreement with the Polish Academy of Sciences of on the exchange of scientists.

In total there are five Polish schools in Latvia: two in Riga, and one each in Daugavpils, Krāslava and Jēkabpils

Culture

Of special note is co-operation between Latvia and Poland in the area of culture. The Latvian National Museum of Fine Art co-operates regularly with Polish national museums in Warsaw, Szczecin, Krakow and Poznan. The Latvian National Museum of History works with the Polish State Museum of Archaeology, and the Latvian Museum of Foreign Art organises exhibitions of various Polish artists. 

The Dailes theatre, the New Riga Theatre and the Liepaja theatre have all participated in a number of international theatre festivals in Wroclaw, Gdansk, Krakow and Warsaw. The Latvian National Symphony co-operates with the Warsaw Philharmonic. World renowned Polish artists have performed in Latvia, such as the composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki and pianist Jerzy Romaniuk.  

With the support of the Polish Embassy, a Polish cinema club has been operating for a number of years at the Cinema Riga, providing audiences with an opportunity to regularly view the best films of various years. The long term partners of cooperation of the Latvian National Library in Poland are: the Polish National Library in Warsaw, the Pomerania library in Szczecin and the library of the Sejm in Warsaw. The Latvian Centre of Literature has developed co-operation with the Polish publishing house SARA and the Polish Book Institute, publishing works of Latvian authors in Polish and organising joint projects under the programme Literature Across Frontiers. From 18 - 22 May 2006, the Latvian Centre of Literature participated at the Warsaw book fair with a presentation on Latvian literature.

From 24 to 30 May 2008, the International Theatre Festival "Kontakt" took place in the Polish city of Torun. The Riga New Theatre participated in the event with a performance of "Klusuma skanas" ("The Sound of Silence") and was awarded with the Grand Prix. The director of "Klusuma skanas", Alvis Hermanis, was named the festival's best director.    

In August 2007, the Archaeological Museum Biskupin hosted a National History Museum of Latvia (NHML) exhibition The Treasures of Ancient Latvia. The exhibition displayed 1154 archaeological artefacts from the NHML collections - tools, domestic items, pottery and weapons from 8^th to 13^th centuries.

On 31 August 2007, an exhibition Metaphor and myth. Literary and historic motifs in Polish art at the turn of 19^th and 20^th centuries was shown in the White Hall of the National History Museum of Latvia.

Co-operation between Local Authorities

Active co-operation has developed between local authorities in Latvia and Poland in the areas of economy, trade, education, culture, sports, information and tourism. Many local governments from Latvian cities have signed co-operation and friendship agreements with Polish cities: Riga with Warsaw; Daugavpils with Radom; Kraslava with Bransk and Hajnowsk; Valmiera with Zdunska Wola; Jūrmala with Sopot; Liepāja with Elblag; and Jēkabpils with Sokolow Podlaski and Czerwionka-Leszczyny. Within the framework of this co-operation, Polish and Latvian communities, cultural organisations and amateur groups of the aforementioned towns participate in various international art and culture festivals, town celebrations, and dance and choir forums. Visits by business delegations and culture specialists, master class workshops, and student and teacher exchanges are organised regularly. The Daugavpils Polish School and the Polish Cultural Centre co-operate with the branches in Wegorzewo, Rzeszow and Gdansk of Wspolnota Polska, an association of the world Polish community, and also with the Association for Cultural Assistance for Poles Abroad.

Most significant visits

From Latvia

From Poland

Agreements

http://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/policy/bilateral-relations/bilateral/?mode=out&state=POL&title=&branch=0&day1=dd%2Fmm%2Fyyyy&day2=dd%2Fmm%2Fyyyy&status=0&day3=dd%2Fmm%2Fyyyy&signer=

Links to Poland

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland: http://www.mfa.gov.pl/

Government of the Republic of Poland: http://www.kprm.gov.pl/english/

Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland: http://www.president.pl/x.node?id=479

Upper House (Senate) of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland: http://www.senat.gov.pl/indexe.htm

Lower House (Sejm) of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland: http://www.sejm.gov.pl/english.html