Baku,Azerbaijan-Ambassador Boguslaw Zaleski, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland delivered a lecture as part of ADA’s “Global Perspective” series.

Ambassador Boguslaw Zaleski, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland delivered a lecture on “5 years of Poland's membership in EU: Successes and Challenges” as part of ADA’s “Global Perspective” series. Ambassador Zaleski noted that now, for the first time since the end of World War II, half the European continent is united within the EU, the world biggest economic zone, including 27 countries with population of over 450 million. He asserted that EU integration has had a positive impact on Poland’s economy and based on IMF statistics since 2004, 20 billion dollars has been transferred to the country by local work forces working in the Western Europe.

However, he added, disagreements among EU countries on some vital issues, especially on foreign policy, remain problematic, citing friction over the recognition of the independence of Kosovo and the dispute with Russia on gas supply to Europe. Nonetheless, Ambassador Zaleski stated the further European integration continues to be a priority for Poland and for the rest of Europe.