Poland in Qatar

On June 2, at the initiative of the Embassy and in the context of Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, an expert roundtable entitled “EU-MENA Relations During the Polish EU Presidency” was held at the headquarters of the renowned Qatari think tank, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (MECGA), co-organized by the Embassy.

The event brought together over 40 participants, both in person and online, including: heads of EU and partner country diplomatic missions (such as the United States, Switzerland, and Ukraine); experts on the MENA region and its relations with the EU (from MECGA, Georgetown University – Qatar, Qatar University, and AFG College with the University of Aberdeen); as well as, via remote participation, analysts from leading Polish think tanks (the Polish Institute of International Affairs, the Centre for Eastern Studies, the Centre for International Relations, and the Casimir Pulaski Foundation), and representatives of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DS and DABW).

The participants were welcomed by the co-hosts: Dr Adel Abdel Ghafar, Director of the Foreign Policy Program at MECGA, and Tomasz Sadziński, Head of Mission. The opening address was delivered by Minister Marek Prawda, who presented selected aspects of the Polish EU Presidency’s activities, with particular emphasis on cooperation with the countries of North Africa and the Middle East. He also reiterated Poland’s position on key regional challenges, including the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The introductory session concluded with expert presentations by Dr Dalia Ghanem, Director of the Conflict and Security Program at MECGA, and Sara Nowacka, Analyst on Arab States at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM).

The initiative aimed to highlight the priorities of Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, the growing role and influence of Poland in European affairs, as well as to facilitate discussion on key—and at times difficult—issues shaping relations between the European Union and the countries of the Middle East and North Africa in the first half of 2025.

Photo credits: Barbara Franklin, Arvie Castaneda