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Having weathered the storm of privatization that is battering Russia, Polish investors plan to spend some of their accumulated capital in Primorye, a delegation said July 18.

Poland’s Trade Advisor Zbignev Kvichak and Lentex Company’s International Manager Waclaw Sotkiewicz met with Vice Governor for Fishing Fyodor Novikov, inspected local fishing company DalRyba, and toured Vladivostok markets. And, as they told reporters during a press conference, they liked what they saw.

Poland would like to join forces with local fishing companies, sharing its high-tech ship designs as part of the bargain, Kvichak said (his delegation visited after an invitation from the Primorye Chamber of Commerce). Budimex, the Polish company that built Sheremetievo II airport in Moscow, is interested in investing in Primorye, as is Lentex, a Polish company which sells various household construction materials, including linoleum.

“Lentex is not trying to be a large presence in Primorye,” Sotkiewicz said. “It doesn’t really matter if we don’t get a lot of profit out of trade with the region — what matters is to make more jobs available to people in Poland.”

The delegation, however, wasn’t just looking out for Poland’s interests. Kvichak said Poland’s privatization efforts have been more successful than Russia’s, and Polish investors would now like to boost the market economy here, provided they had some guarantees of success.

On their side of the deal, krai administrators said that they would give assistance such as tax breaks only to companies interested in certain areas of Primorye’s economy, Kvichak said. For example, Polish investors building a new hotel in the region wouldn’t get any favors, but Polish businesses seeking partnerships with Russian timber companies might.

Kvichak stressed the need for direct connections between the Far East and Poland. “All of Russia can’t be governed from Moscow — regions must decide on projects themselves,” he said.

To strengthen ties, Kvichak plans to sign a agreement with Far Eastern administrators at the end of the month, promising cooperation and increased trade in the area. Poland has already signed 37 such agreements with other regions in Russia.

This week’s visit was a learning experience, Kvichak said.