Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have decried comments by China’s ambassador to France after statements he made called into question the sovereignty of former Soviet bloc countries.

Asked if he considered the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, to be part of Ukraine under international law, the Chinese envoy, Lu Shaye, told private broadcaster LCI that „these ex-Soviet Union countries do not have effective status, as we say, under international law because there’s no international accord to concretize their status as a sovereign country.”

The governments of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia condemned Lu Shaye’s remarks and summoned the Chinese ambassadors in their respective countries to clarify Beijing’s position on their sovereignty, according to biznesalert.pl.

Meanwhile, France’s foreign ministry said it heard Lu Shaye’s comments with „dismay” and demanded to know if these remarks reflected China’s official position, „which we hope not to be the case,” as quoted by Britain’s The Guardian newspaper.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, called the Chinese envoy’s remarks „unacceptable” and said they would be part of the discussion at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, which would also seek to „assess and recalibrate strategy towards China,” according to news outlets.

Source: Polskie Radio

Poland’s foreign ministry announced yesterday that eleven Polish individuals, including Warsaw’s ambassador, had been airlifted from Sudan amid a humanitarian crisis caused by the outbreak of fighting between the country’s army and a paramilitary group.

According to spokesperson Łukasz Jasina, eleven Polish diplomats, including the Polish ambassador and some private civilians, were recently evacuated from Sudan by French and Spanish convoys.

Spain airlifted 104 civilians, including a group of Poles, from Sudan to fellow northeastern African country Djibouti on Sunday evening, the PAP news agency reported. The operation, carried out by some 200 soldiers, was described as „complex and dangerous” by Spanish media.

According to the British broadcaster BBC, the Spanish mission included citizens from Poland, Argentina, Colombia, Ireland, Portugal, Mexico, Venezuela, and Sudan. A vicious power struggle between Sudan’s regular army and the powerful RSF paramilitary force led to the outbreak of violence on April 15, and fighting has engulfed the whole of the country, according to news outlets.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters that more than 1,000 EU citizens, including diplomatic staff, had been taken out of Sudan, according to the BBC.

EU officials have said they would continue to work for a political settlement to the conflict in Sudan. „We cannot afford that Sudan implodes,” Borrell told reporters, „because it would send shockwaves throughout the whole of Africa.”

Source: Polskie Radio

Polish GDP is expected to grow by an average of 3.1% in the coming five years, according to the International Monetary Fund’s medium-term projections. In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the country’s growth was dampened, with GDP growth projections for 2023 at 0.3%, down from 4.9% in 2022, according to the IMF. However, beyond 2023, solid growth is set to return, with forecasts of 2.4% and 3.7% for 2024 and 2025, respectively.

„Despite the current challenges, the medium-term economic growth outlook remains favorable,” the IMF has written, anticipating a „cyclical rebound.” The financial institution added that Poland’s „negative effects of population aging are offset by stronger investment financed in part by Next Generation EU grants.”

However, the agency stressed that uncertainty in the country „remains unusually high” amid high inflation and perils related to the escalation of the war in Ukraine and the recent turmoil in the global banking sector. The IMF also underscored the need for mitigating energy shocks and taming still-high inflation by tightening purse strings.

Source: Polskie Radio

After 30 weeks of delays and extensions, the modernization of the viaduct on Krasickiego Street, which connects Brzeźno with Letnica and Nowy Port, has finally been completed.

As part of the investment, a new structure was built for the existing utility network, while expansion joints were replaced and the viaduct pillars were strengthened. New insulation and other improvements were also made to the road surface, sidewalks, and pedestrian and cycle paths.

After final checks on Tuesday morning, the viaduct should be passable later this afternoon.

Due to traffic restoration on the viaduct, the permanent route of tram line No. 3 to Brzeźno will be restored as of Wednesday, along with minor changes on tram lines 2, 4,6,8,9,10,11 and 12. Buses for line 148 will also return to their regular route, with modification changes for night busses N2 and N6.

For more information and a complete list of timetable changes look >>>HERE.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be mostly cloudy and cool, with a chance for rain showers throughout the day and a light breeze coming in from the northwest. Temperatures will be noticeably cooler than yesterday, with a daytime high of 11°C or 52°F dropping to a low of 4°C or 39°F overnight. Sunnier weather and similar temperatures are expected tomorrow, with a chance for more rain showers again on Thursday.

Listen:

Elizabeth Peck/MarWer