Border country

Some of the most important transcontinental road and rail routes pass through the Lubelskie region.

They lead from western Europe, Berlin and Warsaw to Moscow, Vilnius, Minsk, Kiev, Lviv and Odessa.

The border crossing points in our region account for almost 50 per cent of the human traffic across the eastern frontier of Poland, and for 60 per cent of the goods. In the north of the region, in Koroszczyn, we have one of the most modern European cargo terminals, linked via a special customs channel to the border crossing, while in Malaszewicze we have the biggest railway and car trans-shipment port in this part of the continent. The Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line, crossing the south of the region, is of major importance for shipping goods between Asia and Europe. This line has recently been used as a cheaper and environmentally friendly solution to trucks for the transportation of containers. Taking advantage of these major transport links are two of the region’s biggest trading companies – the Wholesale Market Joint Stock Company in Elizowka and the Eastern Cereal and Goods Stock Exchange in Lublin – which operate across the whole of Europe.

Links with the rest of Europe are not limited to road and rail connections, however. For more than ten years the Lubelskie region has been co-operating with regions from the western Ukraine within the framework of the Euro Region Bug. Some of the most interesting projects developed within this framework include the Eastern Economic Initiatives, created by the cities of Chelm, Kovel and Lutsk, which are designed to help develop economic co-operation and the improvement of human resources within and between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the border areas of Lubelskie and Volhynia.

Lubelskie has four partner regions in Ukraine: Lviv, Volhynia, Lugansk and Odessa. New challenges have arisen for partners on both sides of the border now that Poland has joined the Schengen zone, and indeed the topic of partnership and co-operation in the era of Schengen will be the main debating point of the Polish-Ukrainian Economic Forum to be held on 15-16 May in Lublin. The hosts of this event will be myself, the Ambassador of Ukraine in Poland and the governors of Lviv and Volhynia oblasts.

Poland and Ukraine are also actively co-operating when it comes to the organisation of the Euro 2012 football championships. There are many tasks for the Lubelskie region to complete before we are ready for the championships, with the highest priorities being given to building and renovating the main communication routes across and towards the border crossings with Ukraine, as well as the construction of an airport for Lublin agglomeration. These works are being financed from the 2007-2013 structural fund budget within the framework of the operational programme of Lubelskie region and the operational programme of Eastern Poland.

While Lubelskie will soon be known across Europe for its excellent transport links and warm welcome as the continent’s football fans arrive in their thousands in 2012, at the moment its reputation is based, above all, on the excellent soil and climate conditions that make it the country’s biggest orchard. Organic agriculture is also taking off in a big way, and we see it as a major opportunity for the region’s agricultural sector to produce certified quality products for the whole of Europe.

Most of the region’s industry is relatively small-scale at the moment – building materials, wood and furniture are the main sectors, although we do have some of the biggest and best coal mines in Poland and a major helicopter construction facility – but we have been steadily moving towards greater involvement in the high-tech sector in recent years. This is helped by the region’s strong research capacity – there are more than 100,000 students in higher education across the region – and by the investments we have made in the Lubelskie Science-Technological Park and the special economic zones that are helping to stimulate technology transfer.

We have played a major role in the development of the regional economy – the marshal’s office is the principal shareholder in all of the most strategically important companies involved in the development of the region. In addition to the Lubelskie Science-Technological Park, these include the International Lublin Fair Joint-Stock Company (the organiser of the biggest exhibitions and events in both the region and in Eastern Poland as a whole) and the Agency for Enterprise Development in Lubelskie (which advises SMEs on how to develop their businesses as well as providing them with financial assistance).

Lublin, the oldest city in the region whose charter dates back to 1317, is also the most important city, with a rich heritage. On 1 July 1569, for example, it played host to an event unique in the history of the continent – the signing an international agreement between Poland and Lithuania. Pope John Paul II was reminded of this event in 2004, just before the accession of both countries to the EU, prompting His Holiness to comment on the long-lasting spirit of unity that has bound the two countries – “from the Lublin Union to the European Union”. In May 2004 Lublin marked the accession to the EU by organising the International Congress of Rectors of European Universities, at which hundreds of scientists from all over Europe participated – a reflection of the city’s strong intellectual and scientific heritage which continues today with the College of Polish and Ukrainian Universities which educates future PhD holders from both countries.

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