Poland in Greece

Historical view 

Bilateral diplomatic relations date back to the times when Poles and Greeks lived in large multinational countries: the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the Two Nations and the Byzantine Empire. After a long period without Poland and Greece on the world map, reborn Polish and Greek states have established diplomatic relations. On March 13, 1919, the Kingdom of Greece officially recognized the Republic of Poland. Two months later, the credentials in Athens were submitted by the first envoy of the government of I. J. Paderewski - August Zaleski, one of the most distinguished diplomats of the Second Polish Republic. In October 1922, the first Greek diplomatic representative - Konstantinos Vatikiotis, arrived in the rank of chargé d'affaires.

At the turn of 1930 and 1931, the first official visit of the Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos took place in Warsaw, which symbolically opened a new stage of bilateral relations. Marshal J. Piłsudski unofficially visited Athens on April 10, 1932 on his way from a private trip to Egypt.

Before World War II Poland and Greece concluded basic cooperation agreements in the economic, legal and scientific-technical fields. During World War II the contacts of the emigre governments of both countries remained active. The joint struggle with the invader and the alliance with the Great Britain united Polish and Greek diplomats in the coordination of the resistance movement.

After the World War II our countries found themselves in opposite political sides and despite the traditional friendly ties between nations, our diplomatic relations cooled down. However friendly social relations after 1949 were strengthened by the reception by Poland of several thousand Greek refugees fleeing the civil war in their country. 

The collapse of the junta of "black colonels" and the change of power in Athens in 1974 were an important impulse for the development of Polish-Greek relations. There was the first significant wave of repatriation of refugees from the civil war, including children of whom over 10,000 was born and received education in Poland. This human capital has greatly contributed to the development of social, economic and cultural contacts between the two countries. At the same time a regular political dialogue between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and Greece was established.

The rush of workers and shipbuilders in Poland and the rise of Solidarity aroused enthusiasm in Greece, and numerous Greeks living in Poland took part in the movement. Political dialogue between states was continued. In June 1981 Minister of Foreign Affairs K. Mitsotakis paid a visit to Warsaw who expressed support for political and social changes. The European Solidarity movement has found numerous supporters also in Greece: in Athens, its committee was formed under the chairmanship of the President of the European Association of Journalists Ath. Papandropoulos who helped the first Polish immigrants from the period of martial law. However the attitude of the Greek political scene to events in Poland varied. The A. Papandreou government which maintained good relations with the USSR, maintained good relations with the military authorities in Poland. A. Papandreou was the first leader of the EEC country who visited Poland after the imposition of martial law (October 1984). In November 1987 Gen. W. Jaruzelski paid a visit to Athens.

Political cooperation after 1989

Political changes in Poland after 1989 caused a significant opening in political and economic relations with Greece. Greece's support for the Polish transformation was expressed in Warsaw in May 1991 by Minister of Foreign Affairs A. Samaras during talks with the Prime Minister T. Mazowiecki and Foreign Minister K. Skubiszewski. It was a period of intense growth of some branches of the Greek economy, including construction, in which many Polish immigrants played an important role. In the 1990s some statistics indicated that the number of Polish employees in Greece was up to 100,000 people. At that time the real challenge for Polish diplomacy was to regulate the stay, work and education of Polish citizens in Greece. After long negotiations on November 21, 1994, an agreement on the abolition of short-stay visas was signed in Warsaw.  An important challenge of this period were diplomatic efforts aimed at gaining support for Poland's accession to NATO and the European Union from the member states of these organizations. An official application for admission to the EU was made by Poland in Athens on December 18, 1993, during the Greek Presidency of the EU Council. Greece has firmly supported Poland's accession to both organizations. During the next Greek Presidency of the EU Council in April 2003, the Treaty of Accession was signed in Athens, under which Poland and 9 other countries were admitted to the European community. The calendar of bilateral visits is rich, with the visits of President K. Papoulias in Poland in July 2013 and President A. Duda in Athens in 2017. This year marks 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Poland and Greece, a program  of which consists of several cultural, scientific and economic events organized in both countries.

The legal and treaty framework for economic cooperation  
The regulations included in the Treaty of Accession of Poland to the EU are of key importance for bilateral economic cooperation. A smaller role in this regard have bilateral agreements, while the most important Polish-Greek agreements include: Agreement between the Government of the Polish People's Republic and the Government of the Hellenic Republic on economic, industrial, scientific and technical cooperation from 1980, Agreement between the Government of the Polish People's Republic and the Government of the Hellenic Republic on the avoidance of double taxation from 1987, Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the Republic of Poland and the Hellenic Republic from 1996 and Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Government of the Hellenic Republic on cooperation in the field of tourism from 2011. A list of legal acts concerning Polish-Greek economic relations is available on the MFA website.    

Trade exchange  
The Polish-Greek trade turnover in 2018 increased by 400% compared to 2004, when its value amounted to 336.8 million EUR. In 2018, the volume of bilateral trade increased by 3.3% to 1364 million EUR, while the value of Polish exports to Greece increased by 1% to 866 million euros and imports by 7.6% to 498 million EUR. In Poland's trade in goods, these results provide Greece with 32nd place in terms of exports and 45th place in terms of imports, with export and import shares at 0.39% and 0.22%, respectively. Traditionally, a positive balance of EUR 368 million has secured the Greece’s 21st position on the Polish list of 30 countries with a positive trade balance. Polish goods exported to Greece are dominated by: electronic and digital machines and devices with parts, machinery and mechanical devices, tobacco products, vehicles, household appliances, parts and accessories for electricity meters, meat, dairy products, and toys. We import from Greece: medicines and pharmaceutical products, fruits, chemical products, aluminum, cast iron and steel products and plastics.   Investment cooperation  According to National Bank of Poland data for 2017, the value of Polish FDI in Greece amounted to EUR 12.6 million, while Greek FDI in Poland - EUR 36 million. Enterprises like Polish Register of Shipping and Solaris Bus & Coach  are present on the Greek market. The lists of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency with the largest foreign investors in Poland in 2017 included 20 entities from Greece, among them Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company and Chipita from the food sector, Sarantis from the cosmetic sector and Alpha Grissin and J & P Avax from the construction sector.

Links:
Polish Investment and Trade Agency
Greek-Polish Chamber of Trade and Investment

Cultural cooperation has always been an important element of bilateral relations between Poland and Greece. As a cradle of European civilization, Greece has always been a source of inspiration for Polish artists, what can be proved by the Greek impressions written by Polish authors and travelers from the 19th century. The most famous work of this type is the J. Słowacki poem “Journey to the Holy Land from Naples”. H. Sienkiewicz described his impressions after visiting the monuments of ancient Greece during his journey in 1886, and the famous 20th century poet Z. Herbert appreciated the qualities of contemporary Greece and its culinary. Contemporary Polish culture and art is still inspired by those resources. The Greeks also show great interest in Polish culture and art, appreciating its contribution to the world's cultural heritage. Contemporary Polish cinema and theater enjoys special recognition, which is reflected in the frequent presence of Polish film and theater productions on Greek stages and screens, and the successes of Polish artists at international festivals and events (film festivals in Athens and Thessaloniki, the Athens-Epidaurus Festival and others). Polish musicians are also popular and appreciated in Greece. In addition to the obvious fame that Chopin's music, the contemporary musicians are also highly praised. Concerts of K. Penderecki, Z. Preisner, and L. Możdżer's recital, organized in March 2019 as part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations, gathered a large audience and collect very good reviews. The activities of the Embassy in the field of public and cultural diplomacy is based on the priorities of Polish foreign policy. Polish Embassy in Athens, in cooperation with our Greek partners, initiates and supports selected artistic and cultural events, visits and conferences.

Links:
Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland
Culture.pl
Ministry of Culture and Sports of Hellenic Republic
Adam Mickiewicz Institute

Formal and legal issues
In October 2021, a new Agreement between the government of the Republic of Poland and the government of the Central Committee on cooperation in the field of culture, education, sport, youth and mass media entered into force, was signed in Warsaw in July 2013. Many years of efforts by Polish archaeologists to create a Polish Archaeological Institute of Athens ended with success and in 2019 PAIA, as a research unit of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, obtained a permission to operate from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sport. The official opening of the Institute's seat took place in October 2021. In addition to conducting archaeological research in Greece, PAIA's goal is also promotion of Polish science and cultural heritage.

Scholarship exchange
Under the current agreement, both sides offer each other scholarships for students and researchers, as well as places for summer language and culture courses. Scholarship programs for foreigners, including Polish citizens who want to study in Greece, are also offered by: the Foundation of Alexander S. Onassis - for academic teachers or PhD students, in the fields of humanities, fine arts, social and economic sciences, the State Scholarship Foundation - for one-year courses of Greek language and the Greek Orthodox Church - for theological studies. 

Exchange within the Erasmus + program
The European Commission report on the implementation of the Erasmus + program in Greece shows that Poland ranks third, after Spain and France, in terms of the number of outgoing Greek students. This proves the attractiveness of our educational offer as well as the interest in our country. The most numerous group of Greek students coming to Poland study humanities and economics. Similar fields of study are also represented by students from Poland deciding to come to Greece. In March 2019, the Polish Embassy in Athens together with the National Academic Exchange Agency organized Polish Science Days in Greece, the aim of which was to increase the interest in taking up education in Poland and to intensify the bilateral cooperation in the implementation of research projects.

Diplomas of Polish universities are recognized in Greece. Recognition procedures are carried out by a special office DOATAP. Currently, most cases with DOATAP are processed electronically. In the case of some diplomas, additional exams regarding professional terminology can be required.

The government agency NAWA is responsible for the recognition of foreign university tittles in Poland.

NAWA agency
Hellenic National Academic Recognition Information Center (NARIC)
Ministery of Education
State Scholarships Foundation (IKY)
Study in Greece
www.onassis.gr

Polish School Z. Mineyko in Athens
Foreign Trade Office Athens
Polish Register of Shipping Hellas

Polish Archaeological Institute of Athens