Qatar and Poland share friendship based on mutual respect and common interests. The relations between the two countries continue to flourish, reflecting their desire to deepen ties across various fields.
Poland was one of the first countries to recognise Qatar after its independence in 1971 and supported its bid to join the United Nations. In September 1989, diplomatic relations were officially established between the two countries.
Diplomatic exchanges began in 2000, with Qatar being represented by its ambassador to Russia, who also served as a non-resident ambassador to Poland. Poland established its embassy in Qatar on September 1, 2006, with an official opening on April 28, 2007 and Qatar opened its embassy in Poland in June 2007.
The relations between two countries have been strengthened by mutual visits of top leaders of the two countries. The Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani visited Poland in June 2002, followed by a visit from former Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski to Doha in December 2013. Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani visited Poland in May 2017 and Polish President H E Andrzej Duda visited Doha in May 2021.
The current visit of H H the Amir to Poland is significant for the bilateral relations as it will open new avenues of cooperation. H H the Amir and the President of Poland H E Andrzej Duda held talks at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw on Friday. The Polish President said he looked forward to joint efforts to push ties between the two countries to a broader level of cooperation. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and prospects of strengthening them, particularly in energy, technology, education and defence.
A significant milestone in Qatar-Poland trade relations was in 2016 when Qatar began delivering liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Poland after the opening of the Swinoujscie LNG terminal on the Baltic Sea. Poland imports one-third of its LNG needs from Qatar, making it the largest LNG supplier to Poland, following a 2017 agreement that doubled the quantity of gas exported to Poland.
The two countries have held regular political consultations since 2014. These meetings review bilateral cooperation. The trade exchange between the two countries is growing, reaching QR7.2bn in 2020. Several Polish companies operate in Qatar in partnership with Qatari firms in construction, trade, technical services, health and consulting.
Poland is one of the largest economies in Eastern Europe with aspirations of becoming an energy hub. The country offers Qatar investment opportunities in energy, food and agriculture, and medical services sectors, among others.
