CEEC and China have great potential to develop

On 25-26 October 2017, we had the pleasure of organising the CEEC – China 2^nd Transport Ministers’ Meeting & Business Forum (‘16+1’ format), which was held in Warsaw at PGE Narodowy. The event officially inaugurated the operation of the ‘16+1’ Coordinating Secretariat for Maritime Issues of the Central and Eastern European countries and China.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation of Poland, and it was addressed to representatives of both the public administration and the business circles of the ‘16+1’ format. This format of cooperation has a great potential for growth, as European countries continue to show high growth rates, and the economy of the People’s Republic of China, although still ranking second in the world, keeps developing dynamically. The cooperation between the region of Central and Eastern Europe and China, which at this moment is a priority for both parties, has been given another important impulse when it was joined by the entire maritime and inland navigation due to the establishment of the Coordinating Secretariat for Maritime Issues.

In Warsaw, during the 2nd CEE China Transport Ministers’ Meeting, we examined the strategies and concepts of our entire ‘sixteen’, aiming to establish a common vision and to create infrastructure projects that connect individual countries of our region, and also to establish direct cooperation with China. The main goal of the conference was to provide an opportunity for political representatives and business representatives to meet, so that the partners of each domain could discuss specific projects, the potential for cooperation and future plans.

A great opportunity has arisen for empowering the region of Central and Eastern Europe. It is an opportunity that ensures mutual success, the revitalisation of maritime and river transport, and thus the enhancement of the significance of the maritime economy. Therefore, I encourage all of the ministers and honourable representatives of business to cooperate under the ‘16+1’ Coordinating Secretariat for Maritime Issues. We invite you to share your experiences, to organise common undertakings and to present your projects, assumptions and plans. I promise that we will do whatever is needed to make this initiative our mutual success. I am convinced that our cooperation will bring measurable results.

Minister for Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, Marek Gróbarczyk