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Bogdan Rzońca, Speaker of Podkarpacie province, talks to Feliks Misiak.
The new administrative division of Poland into provinces, which was implemented Jan. 1, 1999, has created a new Podkarpacie province on the Polish map. What is characteristic about this province? What distinguishes it from other regions of the country?
Podkarpacie province was formed from the four former provinces of Krosno, Przemyśl, Rzeszów and Tarnobrzeg. It lies in the corner of southeastern Poland. Its location on the borders with the Ukraine and Slovakia gives the region incredible potential to cooperate with both countries; this is the direction we are taking.
However the region's special location is not its only advantage. Due to its natural and environmental attractions, Podkarpacie province is one of the most popular tourist regions not only in Poland but, more importantly, in Europe. Of special note are the Bieszczady Mountains-a European oasis of wildlife, which attracts many foreign tourists who want to rest surrounded by unspoiled nature.
That is from where our great interest in the development of tourism in this region comes. This is emphasized in the Development Strategy of Podkarpacie Province, 2000-2006, which was one of the first such documents to be passed in Poland. The development of tourism in the region is also justified by the restructuring of agriculture. The increasing number of farms offering agro-vacations is proof that farmers are changing the way they work. Excellent environmental conditions, the possibility of producing organically grown food and the cultural attractiveness of this region, stemming from a stormy history over the centuries, make it possible to create a world-class tourist base.
You mentioned the particular location of Podkarpacie province as one of its characteristics. How does this influence decision-making by the province authorities?
Under the new administrative system, the provincial government is responsible for developing inter-regional cooperation. Because of its geopolitical location, Podkarpacie province is obliged to develop cooperation with regions in neighboring countries.
We have signed mutual cooperation agreements with the Presov region in Slovakia and with the Lviv and Volhynia districts in Ukraine. Very soon, we will sign an agreement with the Kosice region in Slovakia. Currently, we are waiting for the regional agreement documents with the Ukrainian Ivano-Frankovsk district to be signed. There are also talks in progress to develop cooperation with the Ternopol, Transcarpathian and Lugansk districts in Ukraine.
Podkarpacie province's international cooperation is not limited to the border regions. During a business trip to Saratov, we signed an inter-regional agreement with that district of the Russian Federation. We are preparing for permanent cooperation with the Bashkir Republic. Our region also continues to cooperate with the Italian regions of Molise and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, following agreements by the authorities of the former Przemyśl and Rzeszów provinces. We also participated in meetings with representatives of the following German states: Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia. Additionally, we collaborate with the Dutch Program of Managerial Help, and participated in an economic seminar in Namur, Belgium, which revealed to us which parts of Podkarpacie province are of interest to Belgium.
Podkarpacie province joined the Carpathian Euroregion Inter-regional Union on Aug. 25, 1999. The union, which has existed since 1993, has 18 member-regions from Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine and Hungary.
All these activities are designed to promote cooperation regarding the economy, science, environmental protection, culture and education. They also allow cross-border cooperation, and more effective funding from international organizations.
Good relationships with Western European countries play an important role in Poland's European Union accession. One has to remember that as soon as Poland becomes a part of the EU, its eastern border will become a border of the EU-and part of this border is in Podkarpacie province. We will become a bridge in negotiations for the border regions of Slovakia and Ukraine, and we will help them reach European standards. Our experience and knowledge may be useful in their efforts to become EU members.
The geopolitical location of Podkarpacie province is important for the EU, which will probably seek our help in investing in Eastern Europe.
Close to 45 percent of Podkarpacie province's area is under environmental protection. How will this affect the image of the province as the "green lungs" of Europe?
The area under environmental protection in the province exceeds Poland's average by 20 percent. Bieszczadzki National Park is on UNESCO's list of world biosphere reserves. Magurski National Park has also been opened in our region, and the creation of Turnicki National Park is in progress.
Podkarpacie province is one of the most wooded areas in Poland (35.9 percent of the area) and has a number of natural ecosystems. Many kinds of flora and fauna in the province are rare in other parts of the country. Wolves, bears, lynxes, bison, wildcats and beavers are protected species. These rare animals make it possible to organize educational trips, photo safaris and the like.
Hunters may be interested to know that the southern part of the province has Poland's, and maybe even Europe's, largest hunting ground of Carpathian deer. You can also hunt roe deer, wild pigs, foxes, badgers, hares and partridges here. A rarity of the region is the Aesculapian snake population which lives in the Krywe nature reserve in the Bieszczady Mountains.
Podkarpacie province is one of the least polluted regions in Poland and offers water of class 1 purity, which is rare in this country. Our resources also include natural gas, sulfur, timber, gravel aggregate, peat and high-quality gypsum. Thanks to the wide variety of mineral waters in the region, there are many internationally known health spas here, such as Iwonicz Zdrój, Horyniec Zdrój, Rymanów Zdrój and Polańczyk.
We are in favor of opening up the area to tourists, and also of encouraging the organization of open-air events here. This year has already seen the European Cup of dog sled racing in Arłamów, a number of off-road vehicle races, and the first Polish Ballooning Cup. In the area of Czarna in Bieszczadzki county, the first zorbing course in Poland is under construction. Zorbing is a sport brought to Poland from New Zealand. You can get a glider pilot or paraglider license in Bezmiechowa near Lesko. The gliding field there offers the best aviation conditions in Poland.
Lake Soliński, the largest artificial reservoir in Poland, is a scene for water sports competitions and sailing schools.
A number of equestrian centers make the area even more attractive. Stables offer horseback riding lessons, professional riding lessons, and recreational riding possibilities. There are 140 km of tracks available for horse rallying, a sport that has become popular not just in Poland but also abroad. Rallies lasting several days are organized, some of them 500 km long. Germans especially like the valley of the upper Wisłok river, and travel there for week-long horseback trips. Podkarpacie province has excellent conditions for winter sports-there is a layer of snow in the mountain regions up to 200 days a year.
Another of the region's attractive qualities is its abundance of sacral and secular historical buildings, whose constructions were influenced by Latin and Byzantine-Russian styles; they also reflect the presence of Jews in the area throughout the centuries. Tourists can learn about the history and culture of this part of Poland by visiting local museums.
Together with representatives of Małopolska province, we are going to mark a route of wooden architecture in the region so that those interested will be able to visit the most fascinating historical buildings in southern Poland.
International cooperation and the promotion of tourist attractions in the region require transport infrastructure to be taken care of. How accessible is Podkarpacie province?
Two international highways run through the province: from Germany to Ukraine and from Warsaw to Slovakia. There is a network of national and local roads that allow tourists to get to the most interesting places in the Podkarpacie region. We would like Rzeszów-Jasionka airport, which is suitable for international traffic, to increase the number of domestic flights and, with time, become an international as well. We would like it to function as a reserve airport for Cracow's airport in Balice. In the future, we would like to make better use of airports in Mielec, Krosno, Turbia and Krajna as well. The province's geopolitical location forces us to pay special attention to border crossings. Road, railroad, tourist and limited traffic border crossings are already in use. Next year we will open a new crossing on the Slovak border in Radoszyce and a new one on the Ukrainian barder in Krościenko.
Passing the control of the roads to local governments has been beneficial to their condition, allowing for logical utilization and the possibility of new routes.
The most important task of the province is the construction of the A4 freeway, which will provide a fast connection to Małopolska province. The new freeway would also improve connections with the East. We are also preparing to invest in projects connected with the region's water economy, with emphasis on water storage reservoirs, which could then be used for tourist purposes.
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