Visit of Haakon, heir to the Norwegian throne, to Poland
On 22–23 April, heir to the Norwegian throne, Haakon, visited Poland. His visit began in Gdańsk, where he visited, among other places, the National Maritime Museum and familiarised himself with economic cooperation projects, including offshore wind power engineering.
The next day, he visited Warsaw, where the key point of the visit was the ceremonial signing of intergovernmental agreements with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein by Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Polish Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Martin Eyjólfsson, Secretary of State of Iceland and Pascal Schafhauser, Ambassador of Liechtenstein to the European Union. The agreement was concluded at the Centre for Contemporary Art – Ujazdowski Castle with the participation of the heir to the Norwegian throne, Haakon, and Marta Cienkowska, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Poland will receive nearly four billion złoty (925 million euros) as part of this allocation, which is the largest investment pool among the 15 beneficiary countries. Nearly 106 million euros will be allocated to cultural projects. Poland is the first EU country to sign the Memorandum of Understanding, and the aim is to launch the first programmes in early 2026.
The visit ended with a reception organised by the Norwegian Embassy at the Palace of the Commonwealth, the modernisation of which was also financed with the Norwegian and EEA Funds. The heir to the Norwegian throne was welcomed by the director of the National Library of Poland, Dr. Tomasz Makowski. Representatives of Norwegian-Polish cooperation in Poland were invited to the reception, including Henryka Mościcka-Dendys, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Marta Cienkowska.
The aim of the project "Modernisation and interior design of the Palace of the Commonwealth" was to change the functionality of the Palace, restore the monument to its former glory, provide a deserving venue for collections of historical and cultural heritage and strengthen cultural functions for the residents of Warsaw, as well as guests from other regions of Poland and abroad visiting the capital.
Thanks to the reconstruction and new interior design of the Palace of the Commonwealth, it has become possible to:
- make the facility and the most valuable collections of the National Library available to visitors
- create conditions for comprehensive functioning of the facility, so as to meet the expectations of all social groups from different environments, of different ages and with different experiences
- adapt the Palace to the requirements of modern technologies and standards of cultural institutions, thanks to which it has become an important space of socio-cultural life and a unique tourist attraction on the map of Warsaw
- create an interactive exhibition space presenting the unique collections of the National Library (exhibition of historic objects, temporaryv exhibitions; presentation of the history of the National Library, the Palace of the Commonwealth, books and print, European literary heritage, as well as historical and contemporary reading practices)
- create an open space of education and information, intended for educational classes and workshops for children, school youth, adults and seniors
The project "Modernisation and interior design of the Krasiński Palace (Palace of the Commonwealth) at Plac Krasińskich 3/5 in Warsaw" was co-financed from the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA FM) 2014–2021 and the state budget.
