Current goals and priorities of municipal foreign policy

The Krakow City Council has established the following goals and priorities of municipal foreign policy:

Thematic goals and priorities:

1. Building Krakow’s metropolitan status on the European scene;
    
2. Encouraging Krakow’s economy with special focus on high technologies and tourism services sectors;
    
3. Attracting foreign investment;
    
4. Increasing tourism flows;
    
5. Acquiring EU funding in the framework of international programmes co-financed by the European Union;
    
6. Consolidating Krakow’s political position of a link between Western and Central&Eastern Europe by taking advantage of its status of a “europolis”;
    
7. Capitalizing on Poland’s membership in the EU to promote Krakow as Poland’s most representative city, immediately identifiable with the entire country;
    
8. Stimulating Krakow’s political involvement in the boosting of the influence which Polish cities exert on the division of structural funds in the framework EU’s regional policy (Committee of the Regions);
    
9. Improving Krakow’s position on the international scene by promoting Central European heritage and the region’s cultural values;
    
10. Boosting Krakow’s scientific potential by means of international internships and professional exchange programmes;
     
11. Shaping Krakow’s role as a potential seat of international organizations and institutions, especially those representing the European Union;
     
12. Shaping Krakow’s image as an attractive location for international conferences, thematic meetings and seminars, as well as cultural and promotional events. Positioning Krakow as a strong competitor of other cities in this part of Europe with regard to the above-mentioned aspect;
     
13. Maintaining traditional cultural relations in Central and Eastern Europe including bonds with Polish community abroad;
     
14. Implementing efficient solutions and experiences of foreign cities on the local soil. The solutions are to be related to broadly defined city management, fixing growing social problems, as well as spatial planning for Krakow’s sustainable development;
     

15. Fostering and supporting relations between young people from Krakow with their foreign counterparts.

Geograpic goals and priorities:

• Treating European Union as the area of primary focus in Krakow’s international relations;
   
• Stimulating and supporting contacts in Central and Eastern Europe (Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania) and shaping Krakow’s status as one the regions major centers, taking into consideration the city’s “europolis” status;
   
• Promoting Krakow worldwide by using all arising opportunities. Disseminating and increasing among foreign partners and tourists the awareness of Krakow as a city of distinct identity and well-rooted metropolitan functions. Boosting Krakow’s brand.