Poland’s ambassador to Switzerland says there are good reasons to continue payments to boost economic development in the new European Union countries.
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Jaroslaw Starzyk said the funds paid by the EU Cohesion Fund – and independently by Switzerland – are needed to ensure stability and prosperity throughout the European continent.
The statement in the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper comes amid speculation that non-EU member Switzerland is expected to contribute a further SFr1.6 billion ($1.5 billion) towards countries, including Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and the three Baltic Republics.
Starzyk said the so called cohesion payments were also in the interest of other countries to develop the economies of central and eastern Europe.
He rejected allegations by Swiss companies that they were not granted contracts for projects in Poland.
Switzerland has been paying SFr1.25 billion towards projects in eastern European countries, mostly in Poland and Hungary, between 2007 and 2012, following a nationwide vote in 2006.
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