Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Tomasz Siemoniak will arrive in Riyadh on Tuesday on a day’s tour to the capital.

The visit is aimed at strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries based on mutual understanding. The minister is expected to hold talks with senior government officials on matters of bilateral interests.

Reliable sources said the visiting minister is coming to Riyadh from Warsaw solely for mutual talks and will return home on the morning of the following day.

Last December, Polish President Bronislaw Komorroski visited the Kingdom and met with Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense. He also held talks with the local businessmen at the Council of Saudi Chambers.

During his visit, the Polish president said that the two countries have immense potential for bilateral trade.

Addressing the Saudi businessmen, Komorroski said that despite the current world recession, Poland has been able to maintain its economic growth levels and stability, which made it the only European country that did not show a drop in its GDP. These positive results are due to the increase in export levels, which reached 143.4 billion Euros last year, marking a 4.9-percent growth compared to 2011.

He pointed out that Poland achieved a 180-percent growth rate between 1989 and 2007.

He recalled that relations between the Kingdom and Poland were built on strong mutual respect and understanding. He pointed out that the late King Faisal visited Warsaw in 1932 and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah paid a visit in 2007.

“We have witnessed significant economic growth, which has resulted in Poland becoming a member of the World Trade Organization, European Union and other global bodies,” the president said, stressing that the interests of foreign investors are well protected in the country.

Bilateral trade reached $600 million in 2012, he said and called on Saudi businessmen to invest in promising sectors such as the petrochemical industry, infrastructure development, tourism, railways, mines, agriculture and construction of roads. He also invited Saudi businessmen to Poland’s $285 billion stock market, which has a membership of over 450 joint stock companies.

According to the International Monetary Fund, Poland’s banking system has remained well-capitalized, profitable, and resilient to shocks, as confirmed by the recent asset quality review and stress tests conducted by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF). Reliance on parent bank funding has declined and nonperforming loans (NPL) have started to edge down, although further work to address legal and tax-related obstacles to NPL resolution is needed.

Relations between Poland and Saudi Arabia date back two centuries. In 1817, Polish nobleman Count Waclaw Rzewuski made his famous exploratory journey into the heartland of what is today the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Named “Emir Tag-el-Taher abd-el-Nischaane,” he reached Najd, Jebel Al-Shammar and other Saudi regions to buy the finest Arabian horses. His magnificently illustrated chronicle of the trip (deposited in the National Library in Warsaw) clearly proves the count’s respect for and fascination with the country and its peoples, as well as his unyielding determination in finding reliable business partners here.

In 1844, Count Jerzy Dzieduszycki visited Hail within the framework of his ME expedition and bought 8 horses from the Al-Rashid family. The journey is documented in his memoirs

In 1929 Poland recognized King Abdul Aziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud as the ruler of Hijaz, Najd and Dependencies becoming the ninth country of the world entering into official relations with the Kingdom. In 1930 King Abdul Aziz received in Jeddah the official Polish delegation headed by Count Edward Raczynski and Dr. Jakub Szynkiewicz, the then Great Mufti of Poland. In 1932, Prince Faisal bin Abdul Aziz paid an official visit to Poland in his capacity as foreign minister and chairman of the Majlis Al-Shoura. He was received by Marshal Pilsudski and President Moscicki. The highest ranking Polish order, the “Polonia Restituta” awarded to him is now displayed in the King Abdul Aziz Museum in Riyadh. This was followed by the first bilateral military and civilian contracts.