CAIRO: Youm7 met with Polish Ambassador to Cairo last week. Polish Ambassador Piotr Puchta discussed the relationship between Poland and Egypt after the Egyptian January 25 Revolution and the lessons that Egypt could benefit during the transitional period in Poland, polish investments in Egypt and concerns about Islamic movements. Youm7: Let us discuss the relation between Egypt and Poland after the revolution; how do you view the relationship between both countries after the revolution? Piotr Puchta : I believe what happened in Egypt in January and February of 2011 created a new climate in the relations between Egypt and Poland. We witnessed this event in Tahrir Square and upper Egyptian cities as a great sense of "déjà vu," a similar vision that happened in Poland 22 years ago. So for us this was something we feel familiar to in Poland and I believe many Polish citizens are closely following the events in Egypt and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. This was apparent during the visit of our parliament speaker here in July when he spoke to representatives of Egyptian authorities. What could Egypt benefit from the transitional period in Poland? Well, I truly believe it is not for us to decide. Because I believe, and this is my personal opinion, this is up to the Egyptian people to decide what they could benefit from our experiences. This is Egypt's project from the very beginning and I believe it will remain so until the very end. It is up for the Egyptians to decide what experiences they would like to benefit from our history, which led us to a period of successful development of our society and economy. I know for sure there are certain fields Egyptians are interested to study from the Polish experiences, specifically how the polish managed to create a system of fighting the corruption. In may 2011, a group of Egyptian experts went to Poland to study the experiences in Poland. Before going to Poland, we mentioned to the Egyptian researchers this visit would be tailored according to their needs and who they would like to meet in Poland. The Polish embassy prepared a visit according to their demands. This was the political transition, economical transition and media preparation. We also took the initiative to invite them in preparing the parliamentary elections. Like the Supreme Electoral Committee? Yes, the group of Egyptians went to Poland on October 9 and we invited a few Egyptians involved in the preparation of the elections. We asked them if they had certain issues they would like to discuss about the experiences of the polish transition. When they arrived to Poland, we started a program for them answering their specific questions. What were some of their questions? They were especially interested in procedures of putting the results of the elections under the scrutiny of a legal system. They were asking how to follow up on the elections, how to keep uo with complaints concerning procedures and efficiency of each process. Despite all difficulties in Europe, Poland does not suffer from any decline and witnesses greater expectation of growth. What would your advice to Egypt be? It is most important to improve the economy before asking for any form of aid. The aid Poland received was small in forms on know-how and material. This means Poland focused on what it needed to improve and develop. When Poland needed any kind of assistance, it was small in the form of know-how and funding programs. This provides means for potential partners of improving the economy then using the profit for certain projects. It is important for Egypt to self-profit, unburdened by certain subsidies and any project that does not provide economic growth. This is called shock therapy that Poland went through during the first few months of transition. Investments must be made wisely for the sake of a better economy to make profit. We did provide labor for inefficient projects. We planned and provided allowances for as many laborers as possible to employ them. Does Poland have any concerns about Islamic movements, especially the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and if they got hold of authority in Egypt? Regarding this question, I will use the example of Palestine; after the democratic elections that took place there several years ago, the position of the EU and Poland was very straightforward. We would speak to anybody who had values similar to ours. Hamas then declared they will turn to violence. All political figures in Egypt and political forces are denouncing violence. I believe there is ground to establishing contact and cooperation. Now again, I would like to go back to my first statement that it is up to Egypt to decide who would be their ruling party. The moment Egyptians decide and the ruling authority is settled, we will support such party. In the same regard, do you have any fear over Coptic Christians in Egypt? I do not believe there are fears but concerns instead. The Polish government and the EU believe the Christian community worldwide should have an appropriate environment to practice their rights, their human rights and their civil ones. For Coptic Christians or other religions? We are a country of over 90 percent Christians and many Polish believe as a Christian society we should respect human rights and focus our attention to the sake and situation of the Christian community. So we do not fear, we only have concerns. What kind of care can Poland offer for Christians in Egypt? It is important for people worldwide to know when Christians are going through difficulty and to really understand what is happening and raise concerns about these situations. We can hold meetings with Coptic Christian committees in Egypt and with representatives of Egyptian authorities. For instance, the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs visited Poland in the beginning of September 2011 and the importance of protecting Coptic Christians was mentioned. I believe there are many partners in and outside Egypt who feel the same. How do you view Egypt now and in the near future regarding the Maspero clashes and upraising of Muslim movements? As an outsider, I think it is refreshing to watch Egyptians decide about their future; there are many discussions with the army, with the government, and with different spectrum throughout Egypt. How does this help Egypt's future? It is very encouraging most of these incentives come from the younger generations, who will be able to influence the situation and prove their point-of-views and bring prosperity. What is the relation between Poland, the Catholic Church and Al-Azhar institute in Egypt? I think we are in a process of dialogue and we are working on activating awareness for Al-Azhar about Muslims in Poland. During activation, people are being taught to be more aware of the other side, between Chrisitians and Muslims. Dialogue between Muslims and Christians is very signifiacant. The Catholic Church declared there is no difference between a Coptic Christian and a Muslim Egyptian citizen, ultimately, it is one society and Poland supports that statement. What is your response to Al-Azhar document that shed on the relationship among different authorities in Egypt? It is very important for the transitional period in Egypt. Al-Azhar started to play the role of witness in this transitional period and facilitating historical implements and reaching a political agreement. How far do you see the current conditions of Egypt are suitable for Polish investment? I truly believe it is suitable from what I heard from Polish businesses. Are there any conditions for Polish businesses to invest in Egypt? There is already a company that has been working for three years in Egypt in the exploration field and is now getting a joint venture. They are willing to resume and not pulling out.
