French Rotarian Delegation in Krakow
Within the framework of strengthening Polish French cooperation, members of the French Rotary Clubs came to the Krakow City Hall on March 25th. The guests were welcomed by Bogusław Kośmider, Deputy Mayor of the City of Krakow.
The meeting was also attended by Bernard L'Huiller - Governor of French District 1660, Sławomir Czarlewski - diplomat, former Polish Ambassador to Belgium and former Polish Consul in Lyon, Maryline Bertheau-Sobczyk - CEO at Valians International, Anne Schmidt-Riou - Consul General of France in Krakow and Julien Hallier - Member of the Council of the French-Polish Chamber of Commerce.
'I am grateful to France because its cities are giving support to our neighbours: Orléans has sent truckloads with material aid, enabled the relocation of refugees, Bordeaux and Cannes are mobilising,' said the Deputy Mayor of Krakow.
Among the guests were also Mr. Sławomir Czarlewski, former Polish Ambassador to Belgium, and the Consul General of France, Mrs. Anne Schmidt-Riou. During their speeches, they emphasised the common historical threads and the current, extraordinarily strong, Polish French relations. Common projects, such as the ongoing Francophone Month, serve to cultivate them.
This was confirmed by the Governor, Mr. Bernard L'Huiller, who stated that the main reason for his visit was to strengthen the cooperation between the Paris district and Poland and to continue working together on numerous projects. He mentioned that due to the actual war in Ukraine, which is important for all of us, Rotary Clubs are mobilising to help our neighbours, so that trucks with medicines and food are sent to Ukraine. He added that although he does not speak Polish, he knows one word that should guide us all: Solidarity.
It is worth mentioning that the Polish District of Rotary International at the beginning of 2020 applied to host in Krakow the 2026 Annual International Convention. Of the seven cities that were approved after the first round of competition, Krakow and Manila have been placed on the so-called 'short list'.
Rotary is a global humanitarian organization with over 1.2 million members affiliated into 34,500 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographic regions. The annual convention provides an opportunity to meet more than 20,000 members from around the world. In recent years, conventions have taken place in Hamburg, Toronto, Atlanta and Seoul.