SEMINAR ON POLISH PARTICIPATION
IN RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN LEBANON

   On the 5th of September 2006, the Polish Chamber of Commerce and "Foreign Markets" Magazine organized a Seminar on the Reconstruction projects in Lebanon and the possibility for the Polish companies to participate in these projects. The main speakers at the Seminar were the Ambassador of Lebanon Mr. Massoud Maalouf, the former Polish Ambassador to Lebanon Mr. Waldemar Markiewicz and Mr. Leszek Walczuk, the Head of the Committee for Cooperation with the Arab Countries in the Polish Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Andrzej Arendarski, President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce opened the Seminar and Mrs. Marzena Zielińska-Schemaly was the moderator.
   The Seminar was attended by many Polish enterprises and it was very well covered by the Polish media.
   In his presentation, Ambassador Maalouf spoke of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon and the magnitude of the destruction it inflicted on the civilian infrastructure. He then encouraged the Polish business community to participate in the reconstruction projects in Lebanon, and he underlined the potential for business and commercial relations between Lebanon and Poland.
   Ambassador Markiewicz commented on the positive business environment available in Lebanon, stressing the fact that Lebanon enjoys the same freedoms as any European country and that business can be done in US dollars as well as in Lebanese Lira.
   Mr. Walczuk's presentation focused on the importance of the Lebanese market as a gateway to the Gulf and other Arab countries.
   The presentations were followed by a "Question and Answer" session which showed the interest of Polish companies in exploring the potentialities of the Lebanese market.
   Ambassador Maalouf closed the meeting, thanking the Chamber of Commerce, "Foreign Markets" and all the participants for their interest in Lebanon.