Minister Henryk Kowalczyk and Vice-Minister Małgorzata Golińska visited the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park together with a delegation from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus, which was followed by a bilateral meeting with Belarusian Minister Andrei Khudyk and Deputy Minister Andrei Khmel. The meeting concerned the cooperation of the Białowieża National Park with the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park and the work of the Polish-Belarusian Commission for cooperation in the field of environmental protection.

“Today's meeting shows that cooperation with Belarus is based on good neighbourly cooperation, which we emphasise during the work of the Polish-Belarusian Commission for cooperation in the field of environmental protection,” said Minister Henryk Kowalczyk.

“The cooperation between the Białowieża National Park and the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park is very close and regular, and the exchange of information between the parks, pertaining to the management of both facilities is based on the national law,” he added.

During the meeting, Vice-Minister Małgorzata Golińska stressed that Polish-Belarusian cooperation, especially in the field of environmental protection, is very important and prospective.

“Our cooperation is characterised by understanding and mutual support in solving problems pertaining to the protection and sustainable use of the Białowieża National Park,” said the Vice-Minister.

On the second day of his visit, Minister Kowalczyk met with the Governor of Hrodna Region Vladimir Kravcov, as well as visited the Polish Educational Society in Belarus. At the end of the visit to Hrodna, a delegation of the Ministry of Environment attended a meeting with representatives of the Polish minority in Belarus.