His Excellency Ian Forsyth talks to Jolanta Wolski

His Excellency Ian Forsyth

Jolanta Wolski

In which areas does the Australian government consider Poland a regional power which can influence European and global events, and has Australia taken advantage of it?

– Poland is now a significant player in the EU. The work of this Embassy has changed since Poland entered the EU. That is because Australia has a considerable stake in the EU and its policies and we need to work with member States, including Poland. Poland has 27 votes in the EU which is very substantive, just a few short of the top four or five countries. Poland is playing a leadership role in Europe and the EU on issues such as the expansion of the EU and NATO further East, especially to countries like Ukraine and Georgia. Poland has an interesting, but perhaps a slightly different position on climate change than other countries in Europe. Its position is both interesting and a little worrying on the common agricultural policy, especially because Poland is a major agriculture producing and exporting country in Europe. It is also playing a substantial role internationally on issues such as the international peace-keeping and security agenda, and Australia is working with Poland in such areas as Afghanistan and Iraq and arms control.

You said Poland has a different position to Australia on climate change. In what way?

– Poland has very similar underlying circumstances to Australia in that both our economies are very heavily dependent on coal. And this poses particular challenges for us both in the area of climate change. Australia has started to address the issue earlier than Poland and we will meet our Kyoto targets. But it is not clear that Poland and indeed the EU will. There is much work to be done there. Poland has challenged the current EU targets and has problems with those proposed beyond 2013. This is a difficult issue for Poland. Both of our countries recognise that notwithstanding the problems with coal it is going to continue to be the major energy source for at least short to medium term, as there is simply no viable economic alternative at this time. It is therefore very important that we develop cleaner coal technologies and our countries are working actively in that area.

What specifically have reciprocal parliamentary visits achieved - both the Australian visit to Poland in 2006 and the Polish visit to Australia in 2007?

– They are one the best ways of informing politicians in both countries of the interests, experiences and relevance of the other country to it. In our case it has been particularly helpful in promoting Australian investment in Poland, which has grown dramatically over the last two years, and indeed since those parliamentary visits. The business of international business is a very competitive one. Of course Poland is a long way from Australia and so it has taken Australian companies a little longer to appreciate the market opportunities here. There has been a quantum leap in Australian investment in Poland.

In what areas in particular?

– In those last two years, the first big investment was by Macquarie Group in the deep-sea container port in Gdansk. It was a very successful venture that was opened last year on budget and on schedule, which is quite a remarkable feat. I am told that it was in fact the biggest Greenfield investment in Poland at that time. Amcor packaging company, that has been here for well over a decade, has just completed a third factory in Łódź and has announced building its fourth factory and new offices in that city. There has been a lot of investment in real estate development, including accommodation in Warsaw and Wrocław, in shopping malls (about six or seven shopping malls are now owned by Australian companies), the Maden Group operating here as Opal Property Developments is renovating old factories in Łódź, and now also in Poznań. Another company that manages pension funds in Australia has also invested in property development here. Ansell Rubber Company has bought out a similar company here, and so on. So there is quite a spread of activity.

What effect, if any, has Poland’s accession into the EU had on trade and relations with Australia?

– It is fair to say that Poland’s membership in the EU has given considerable comfort to foreign investors into this country. The EU has a large body of regulations and laws that provide that comfort. That is the message that I have heard from many other ambassadors here as well. Indeed, the investment record shows that very strong growth in direct foreign investment here since Poland joined the EU.

Why should Australia look at Poland instead of for example Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic or Slovakia?

– Australian companies do and should look at all those other markets and they make decisions based on what they perceive to be the best location for their investment. Poland has some particular strengths and provides unique opportunities. In particular, there are great opportunities here in the area of infrastructure development, which is underdeveloped in Poland, and for which Poland has both great ambitions and co-financing from the EU. I hope there will be opportunities here in the near future in the health sector where it is critical that Poland opens up to the private sector to help take some of the heat off the public sector and to make the system more efficient and effective.

Also, Poland has a comparative advantage in labour costs and a good skilled workforce in many areas, although these are starting to erode. We have seen one Australian company that has had to bring in foreign workers to assist in their investment.

It used to be said that Poland ought to look to Australia as a gateway to Asia and in reverse Australia ought to look to Poland as the gateway to Europe and Eastern Europe. Do you think that is still the case?

– I think in some sectors it can be. Certainly Australia is a gateway into Asia in some sectors. Australia is the regional headquarters for many dozens of European companies, and it is also a gateway for products and services going into Asia. And Poland can provide opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe, as it has been shown in some areas such as motor vehicles, televisions, and so on. For example, Poland has become the plasma capital of Europe. And there are economies of scale by servicing markets from one centre, but it depends on the type of industry.

Australian wines are quite popular in Poland, there were some 40 wineries represented at the recent Australian Wine Day in Warsaw. What is our competitive edge in comparison to wines from other “new world” countries?

– We are by far the biggest of the “new world” exporters. Indeed, we are now the third biggest exporters of wine in the world, after France and Italy. This means that we have far more volume and variety to provide, in terms of quality, price and type. The Australian wine industry is spread over a very large geography so that means that we produce many different types of wines which is not the case with most other “new” wine producers and indeed in most wine producing countries. We still have a comparative advantage in price over many of these exporters, We certainly have a comparative advantage in the area of price to quality over most European producers and exporters. We also use very professional marketing methods that have brought us international success.

How has the drought affect the wine exporting industry in Australia?

– Drought usually affects volume, and it affects quality. During drought periods yields tend to be very intense and produce very high quality wine. Thus, while we may see some decline in volume and some increase in price as a result of scarcity, we will also probably see improved quality. We have been living with the drought in Australia for over ten years so this is not anything new.

Have any bilateral agreements been negotiated between our two countries in recent years?

– We signed a cooperation agreement on environmental technologies with the Polish Ministry of Environment. A social security agreement is currently being negotiated; we had a delegation from Poland in Australia last May on this issue. I understand the negotiations are very well advanced and the agreement will probably be signed this year. In the second half of 2007 we submitted a proposal to the Polish government to negotiate a work and holiday maker program, but it got caught up with the change of government here. We are still waiting for a formal response from the Polish side, but I believe that this agreement is likely to happen, I would hope within 12 to 18 months.

Poles will also have an easier method of getting tourist visas to Australia.

– We have been improving the visa system for Poles since Poland joined the EU. We have removed fees for electronic short-term visas for Poles about a year ago. The Australian Minister for Immigration announced in June that Poland would be getting auto-grant electronic visas from 16 June. In October this year we are moving to a new IT platform – an electronic auto-grant system that will provide for the same system of visa issue for all people across the EU including people in Poland.

What does the auto-grant visa system involve?

– It means that an application is made electronically which immediately goes to an office in Australia. There it is checked against certain profiles, and if there are no problems then the visa is granted automatically. If an issue comes up with respect to something like crime, terrorism, etc, or concerns about overstay in Australia, then the checks can take longer.

Has the number of Polish students studying in Australia increased?

– No, it has been pretty constant at about 2,000 students at any one time. We have done well to hold on to the numbers given the benefits, both geographic and financial, that Poles have to study in the European Union now.

What attracts Polish students to study in Australia?

– Australia provides for a different life experience as distinct to just an education experience. Foreign students in Australia are allowed to work part time and full time between semesters - that also adds to a different experience. Because of the distance between our countries many students take time off to travel and discover the Australian continent. And Australia is a very different country to any other on earth.

Do you think the Australian government is doing enough to promote Australia in Poland?

– I think it is very hard to promote ones country anywhere. We do what we can with the limited resources that we have. There is a considerable interest in Poland about Australia - it is seen as a very different country a long way away, perhaps one that offers a touch of adventure, and that is something that we can try to build on. It has been a particular pleasure to work with Australian Poles here in these efforts. We do have a number of Australian Poles, including yourself, who are very keen to develop stronger links between our two countries and to promote a very good image of Australia in Poland and of Poland in Australia. It has been a great pleasure to work with them in these efforts.

You personally and the Embassy have been very supportive of many cultural events in Poland that promoted Australia. What would you consider the most spectacular Australian Polish event during your tenure?

– There have been three very big events in which we have been involved over the last three years. The first was an exhibition of Australian and New Zealand contemporary art in Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw. It was one of the largest collections of Australian contemporary art shown anywhere overseas; a fantastic exhibition that generated a lot of interest in Poland and promoted Australia as a young and vibrant country with a contemporary art scene that is second to none.

The second major exhibition was called “Eagles in the Land of the Kangaroos” about the contribution of Polish explorers and migrants to Australia from the beginning of white settlement until 1918. It was shown in the Łazienki Royal Gardens in Warsaw and it too was very well received by the Polish public. The exhibition was very attractively presented and there were very interesting stories told about the contributions that Poles had made in building our young nation.

The third big promotion that the Embassy was involved in was featuring Australian films at the Wrocław Era of New Horizons Film Festival last year. The festival featured about 35 Australian films, we brought a number of film stars, directors and producers to Wrocław, and again that promoted a very good image of Australia.

Are there any plans to expand the number of staff at the Australian Embassy in Warsaw? In the 1990s there were over 40 staff, today there is much fewer.

– We have some 20 staff at the Embassy, including Austrade representatives. The electronic age has changed our operations considerably, particularly in the area of immigration. I don’t think there is any realistic possibility of the staff increasing here, in fact the trend globally is to reduce staff numbers overseas.

How big is the ex-pat community in Poland?

- We have about 2,000 on our register here, but I think that is just the tip of the iceberg; people who return to Poland permanently or semi-permanently don’t always register with the Embassy. My guess is that there are probably more than 4,000 in Poland.

Australian studies at the Toruń University were established some four years ago. How popular are they?

– The interest in the Centre is increasing as well as is the use of its library and facilities. There are a few academics at the University who are very keen to promote Australian interests in Poland. Additionally, there are study courses on Australia and the numbers of students enrolling is also increasing.

Are there any plans to establish an Australian Cultural Institute in Poland, similar to the French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese ...?

– No, it is not something that Australia does overseas. We have the Australia Council that is based in Australia. We do what we can through Australian embassies. Cultural institutes are usually established by big countries with big budgets whose major aim is to promote their language.

What major changes have you noticed in Poland since you have been here?

– I have noticed continuing development in the physical shape of Warsaw and the renovations of the city’s buildings, bridges and roads as well as in other Polish regions. Obviously there is still a long way to go, but I have been particularly impressed by the amount of development that has taken place in Poland over the last nineteen years. This has been remarkable by any standard. That development has been stepped up particularly in the last year.

What do you think is unique among Polish people?

– The Polish people are unique because of their history. It has been of course a very difficult history with many tragedies. I think Polish people have a very strong sense of nation, because at times in their history they had no nation. They live in a very interesting part of the world where borders have changed constantly throughout history, and populations have shifted constantly. And Poland was at the heart of two terrible World Wars in the last century. This has built a nation that is a little different from others, and one can get a strong sense of this by visiting the Warsaw Uprising Museum, where I feel Polish characteristics come through, such as toughness, resilience, a strong sense of nationhood, a stubbornness perhaps, and heroism in the face of adversity.

Some people say that there are similarities between Poles and Australians. Do you think there are?

– That is true to some extent. I think we share a sense of adventure, of independence, and probably a strong entrepreneurial spirit. We both have people in the private sector who are “can doers”.

Do you have a favourite place in Poland?

– I liked the quietness of the Masurian Lakes area; we went there during our first autumn in Poland and we could literally hear the leaves fall into the lake from our hotel room. But we have also enjoyed holidays in the Zakopane region, our visits to Białowieża, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Cracow and several other cities.

Which typically Polish food have you enjoyed most in Poland?

– The natural seasonal products are sensational here, particularly the berries, mushrooms, and the quite plentiful game. As you know I have a very good chef Marcin Piotrowski, who is pushing the boundaries of Polish cuisine, and he has prepared some delicious Polish nouveau cuisine at my residence. My favourite dish would have to be duck with berry sauce.

Thank you for the interview and I hope you enjoy your retirement back in Canberra.

Jolanta Wolski