Women’s Congress, bilateral cooperation and much more
In some minutes I will leave the Embassy to pick up our State Secretary Frank Belfrage from Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm. He is arriving to a sunny Warsaw today for the review of the Declaration on Cooperation between Poland and Sweden, signed at the State Visit two years ago – a review which is hosted by his counterpart Minister Henryka Mościcka-Dendys.
When I read through the background documents I felt clearly inspired since it seems that we have identified an increasing number of areas of mutual interest. Encouraging – and I very much lok forward not only to the outcome of today’s discussion but also to folow up and implementation.
Intensive days right now to say the least. I spent two days at the Nordalia festival in Śląsk last week with an exciting visit to a school in Niegowonice where the enthusiasm for Sweden was overwhelming. Children performing Astrid Lindgren fairy tales. Plans for education in our language – just to mention a few examples. Afterwards a panel at the Univeristy of Katowice about gender equality and a speech about the Swedish welfare state at the Economic University (which also is the base for a Polish expert on these matters Dr Sławomir Czech).
After a short stop at the Embassy Friday I spent Saturday at the Women’s Congress in Lubuskie Region, Zielona Góra, where I was invited to give a speech about men and gender equality which was combined with a short film about Swedish family policy including Daddy’s months. But it was also a great experience just to feel the atmosphere of a regional congress of this kind. 300 participants I was told, hosted by Marshal Elżbieta Polak. http://www.swedenabroad.com/pl-PL/Embassies/Warsaw/Wiadomoci-i-wydarzenia/Statements-pl/Przemowienie-Ambasadora-Szwecji-Staffana-Herrstroma-podczas-Lubuskiego-Kongresu-Kobiet-w-Zielonej-Gorze-2013-10-12-sys/
And looking forward I will soon host my colleagues from Central Europe for a subregional conference starting tomorrow afternoon. Informal talks, experience sharing like we did in Prague last year.
I am happy to see Warsaw now showing its most beautiful autumn colours. I sincerely believe they will take some nice memories with them back from Poland.
October 14, 2013 kl 14:23
Very impressed by the work you have done in Poland. As always, you are for gender equality. I still remembered your speech about gender equality when you were in Hanoi. Your speech inspired the participants a lot.