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Poland to launch ‘GoArctic’ campaign

Poland’s Deputy Economy Minister Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik has announced a "GoArctic' campaign.

Poland has noticeably increased its activity in Arctic affairs in recent years. Next year the Arctic Council observer state will launch a program aimed at attracting more Polish companies to the north.

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Poland’s Deputy Economy Minister Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik has announced that the government plans to initiate a ‘GoArctic’ campaign next year, aimed at involving more Polish business and increasing trade links with Arctic countries.

“The potential of the Far North is rising, and there are already Polish petroleum firms in this area,” she said according to Polish website News from Poland.

According to the Polish Foreign Ministry, due to climate change the Arctic’s vast mineral wealth is becoming increasingly more accessible for exploitation. A changing Arctic environment could also open up new trade routes to China, currently one of Poland’s major targets for expanding trade with, the website reports.

The campaign includes organize an economic mission to Iceland and visits of Polish firms to Greenland, Alaska, Northern Canada and Northern Norway.

Poland has earlier had similar ‘GoAfrica’ and ‘GoChina’ projects aimed at to increasing trade links to Africa and China respectively. According to Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik, these campaigns have been a success.

Poland has had a polar station on Svalbard since 1957. The country is a permanent observer in the Arctic Council and has also been an observer in the Barents Euro-Arctic Council since it was established in 1993.

Poland has since 2006/2007 led a policy towards assumption of a more ambitious role in the Arctic, Piotr Graczyk writes in Arctic Yearbook. “The current Polish activity in the Arctic is motivated primarily by scientific interests, but nonetheless the region has been given a renewed attention in the countrys foreign policy.” Taking advantage of its status as a permanent observer to the Arctic Council (AC), Poland has keenly engaged in advancements at different international levels by introducing and supporting various initiatives within the AC and bilateral relations with Arctic and non-Arctic states as well as the European Union.