Visit to Białystok - September 2025

Ambassador Haughey visited Białystok 9-10 September.

In meetings with Mayor Tadeusz Truskolaski and Voivode Jacek Brzozowski the Ambassador highlighted the strong relations between Ireland and Poland, including our close cooperation in the European Union, and growing trade and investment links. They discussed the challenges posed by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and the instrumentalisation of migration at the border with Belarus.

Mayor Tadeusz Truskolaski kindly hosted the Ambassador at Jagiellonia Białystok’s impressive Stadium, the Chorten Arena. Ambassador Haughey enjoyed a tour of the stadium, including seeing memorabilia from Jagiellonia’s 2024 title triumph.

The Ambassador visited the Medical University of Białystok, and met the Rector, Professor Marcin Moniuszko. Currently around 25 Irish students study medicine in Białystok, joining several thousand Irish students across Poland. The Ambassador discussed the Embassy’s role on consular support for students, as well as interesting research being carried out by the university, including the potential to create food products with particular medicinal benefits.

The Sybir Memorial Museum opened in 2021, and tells the story of some of the hundreds of thousands of people deported to the Soviet Union. Speaking following a visit to the museum, the Ambassador said: “These powerful exhibits show the vast scale of oppression, with over 300,000 people deported. They also show the very personal stories of those affected, the terrible choices people faced, and the vicious conditions they were subjected to. It was a deeply moving experience to hear their stories.”

The Podlaskie region is a major centre for the dairy industry, and Białystok annually hosts the International Dairy Community Forum. The Ambassador attended the Forum on 10 September, along with colleagues from Bord Bia.