Commerce Official Re-Launches Key Bilateral Economic Dialogue in Poland
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2022
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
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WARSAW, Poland - U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman relaunched the U.S.-Poland Economic and Commercial Dialogue (ECD) on Monday, alongside Jan Pawelec, director of the Department of Trade and International Cooperation in the Polish Ministry of Development and Technology.
Established in 2002, the ECD serves to strengthen the economic and commercial ties between the two countries and provides a forum to agree upon concrete actions that will lead to increased two-way trade and investment and advance inclusive economic growth. Yesterday’s meeting in Warsaw, Poland, was the first convening of the dialogue under the Biden-Harris Administration and the first ECD held since 2016.
“By relaunching the U.S.-Poland Economic and Commercial Dialogue, the United States and Poland will build on our shared economic success by revitalizing a key channel to identify and advance shared priorities, address concerns, and, most importantly, deepen the U.S.-Poland commercial relationship,” said Assistant Secretary Venkataraman.
This year’s dialogue focused on three goals: supporting the energy transition; partnering on infrastructure projects and research and development (R&D); and fostering digital policies that support trade and inclusion. Additionally, discussion also centered around ways in which U.S. industry can continue to support Poland and its assistance to the Ukrainian people.
At the conclusion of the ECD, Assistant Secretary Venkataraman and Director Pawelec committed to greater cooperation between the United States and Poland via several key actions. First, the Department of Commerce aims to be a partner in enabling Poland’s energy security, particularly to position it as a regional leader in civil nuclear energy, and the United States views the pending Bechtel-Westinghouse large nuclear power plant project with Poland as the foundation of this relationship. The Department is also exploring further opportunities for energy diversification in Poland, including on civil nuclear, renewable energy, liquified natural gas (LNG), and energy efficiency technology. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency invited the Government of Poland to participate in the Planning for the Future: Transatlantic Cooperation in SMRs Workshop later this year and the DISTRIBUTECH trade show in 2023.
In addition, the Department of Commerce looks forward to promoting several important Polish infrastructure projects to competitive U.S. companies. To stimulate greater collaboration between the two countries on research and development, the U.S. Department of Commerce has also invited the Polish government to collaborate with the United States during the NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference in 2023. Additionally, to ensure the safety and security of the digital economy, both governments anticipate a future workshop exploring the U.S. approach towards cybersecurity and strengthening collaboration between U.S. cyber firms and interested Polish partners.
As part of his official visit to Poland this week, Assistant Secretary Venkataraman also held separate bilateral engagements with counterparts in the Polish Ministries of State Assets and Economic Development and Technology. In addition, he participated in meetings with several members of the U.S. private sector, including with the leadership of the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland. Assistant Secretary Venkataraman also participated in a roundtable of women leaders and entrepreneurs in the digital technology space, and a roundtable with U.S. businesses active in Poland and Ukraine to discuss U.S. industry needs in pursuing reconstruction efforts in Ukraine.
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