Polish and Japanese Foreign Ministers meet in Warsaw

Poland’s Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau and Japan’s counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi held talks in Warsaw on Friday. The Polish minister stressed that “Japan remains Poland’s strategic partner in Asia.” Both Rau and Hayashi said that the Poland-Japan strategic partnership, launched in 2015, is reflected in “advanced political dialogue, numerous high-level meetings and a deepening cooperation in the fields of business, culture and science”.

Rau expressed satisfaction at the recent wave of new Japanese direct investments in Poland. As has been reported recently, Japanese investments currently represent a significant value addition to the Polish economy, leading to the emergence of suppliers and cooperatives for Japanese investors.

The statesmen also discussed their countries’ ongoing support for Ukraine’s war effort against the Russian invasion. It was noted by the Polish contingent the scale of Japan’s financial and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.

(Polskie Radio)

National Reading Day will be held today in Warsaw

The National Reading has been organised by the President since 2012. The campaign started by the common reading of Adam Mickiewicz’s “Pan Tadeusz”, a Polish national epic, which was intended to bridge the gaps between Poles in the hard times of partitions.

Today, throughout Poland, but also in many other countries around the world, this proud Polish event will be marked by reading “Nad Niemnem” by Elizy Orzeszkowa. The finale of the National Reading campaign will take place in the Saski Ogród, or Saxon Garden, in Warsaw and will be attended by President Andrzej Duda and his wife.

The President pointed out in a letter addressed to the participants of the campaign, that the nominated piece for reading is „an atmospheric book, written in a colourful language, and at the same time resonant and suggestive in its patriotic message… Let us recall the important heritage of the January Uprising, which returns in the memories of heroes and legend as a symbol and foundation of national memory, and whose importance is also important for other nations of our region”.

(Radio Gdańsk)

Two in five Poles plan to vote in October referendum

Forty-three percent of Polish people are planning to vote in the national referendum on issues including illegal migration, scheduled for October 15, according to a new opinion poll.

The survey was conducted by pollsters CBOS and published on Thursday. Almost a third of Poles haven’t decided yet whether they would take part in the referendum, while one in four Poles have declared they wouldn’t vote.
Last month, Poland’s lawmakers approved a government plan to combine the parliamentary elections with a nationwide referendum on issues including illegal migration and the age of retirement.

(Polskie Radio)

A1 Motorway faces roadworks this Autumn

Thirteen kilometres of the A1 motorway will be renovated this autumn. According to information provided by the Gdańsk Transport Company managing the road, from Monday September 11th, work on the regional section of the route will start in Rusocin. On the first seven-kilometer section towards Łódź, traffic will be in two lanes towards Gdańsk and one lane towards Łódź. Motorists are advised to be aware that on each of the renovated sections, the speed limit will be 80 kilometres per hour. The works should take two months to complete.

(Radio Gdańsk)

The weather

Today’s weather will be very warm with consistent sunshine through high clouds. The evening moving into nighttime will be partly cloudy and will remain warm. The air conditions will be increasingly humid as we move through the day. A light breeze will come in from the south east. Daytime temperatures will see a high of 26°C or 79°F, with expected lows of 18°C or 64°F overnight. Tomorrow is expected to be sunnier, with less cloud, and noticeably warmer.