Visit of the Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, His Excellency Georges Faber

On opening of the Honorary Consulate of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Sopot with the seat in Gdynia, the Honorary Consul of Luxembourg Tomasz Kopoczyński was privileged to play host to the Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, His Excellency Georges Faber. The two-day visit (16–17 October 2014) abounded in meetings with Pomeranian officials and was crowned with the opening ceremony of the Consulate.

 
The first part consisted of the Ambassador’s and the Consul’s meetings with Basil Kerski, director of the European Solidarity Centre as well as with Julian Skelnik, director for international contracts and public relations of the Port of Gdańsk. Having visited the Centre, as well as the second latest Gdansk facility, the Shakespeare Theatre, the Ambassador and the Consul participated together in celebration of 40 years of the Northern Port.

The second day included meetings with the president of Gdańsk doctor Paweł Adamowicz, Pomeranian Vice-Voivode Michał Owczarczak and with the Vice-Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship Wiesław Byczkowski. The President of Sopot Jacek Karnowski prepared a walk through the city for his guests. Before the opening ceremony of the Consulate, the Ambassador managed to meet with the chairman of the insurance company STU ERGO Hestia S.A. Piotr Maria Śliwicki and with its vice-chairman Małgorzata Makulska.

The opening ceremony of the Honorary Consulate of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Sopot with the seat in Gdynia finally took place at 7 p.m. in the Gdynia City Museum. In response to invitation of the Ambassador of the Grand Duchy, His Excellency Georges Faber, the ceremony was graced with the presence not only of numerous consuls of other states, but also Polish and Pomeranian political elite as well as the most important entrepreneurs of the region and representatives of the world of science and culture.

Guests were welcomed by the Honorary Consul of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Tomasz Kopoczyński, who solemnly received the legitimacy of the Honorary Consul’s Association from the President of the Board of the Honorary Consuls’ Association in Poland and the Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Magdalena Pramfelt. His Excellency Georges Faber, in a speech delivered in Polish and English, expressed his joy regarding the fact that such a respected figure as Mr. Kopoczyński has been granted this honourable function, emphasizing his enormous trust with the Consul. He also mentioned how significant are honorary consuls in Poland for the Grand Duchy, bearing in mind the states’ multifaceted co-operation – from economy to culture. The undersecretary of state on legal, treaty and consular matters professor Artur Nowak-Far in turn pointed out qualities that should be essential for an exemplary consul. He added that Mr. Kopoczyński possesses all these qualities without exception. The shared speech of the president of Gdynia Wojciech Szczurek and the president of Sopot Jacek Karnowski contained important words about mission and vocation, as it is in these categories that Mr. Kopoczyński perceives his tasks.

After a friendly reflection by the Director of the Gdynia City Museum doctor Jacek Friedrich and a toast – in French and Luxembourgish – by the Consul, guests gave themselves over to social and diplomatic conversations at the cocktail party, to the accompaniment of a band named Take It Easy led by Przemek Dyakowski. The evening was finished with a dinner with participation of the Ambassador, the Minister and the Consuls.