The Embassy of Chinese People’s Republic to Warsaw on 22th February organized the official ceremony on Celebration of Chinese New Year. Małgorzata Bonikowska Ph. D., director of the CIR participated in this event. This year’s celebration of Chinese New Year began on 15th February and lasted seven days. That is why banks, offices and shops were closed at that time. Despite the fact that Chinese calendar which was launched on 2nd century BC, was replaced by the Gregorian Calendar in 1912 - Chinese New Year is still one of the most important feasts for residents of “Middle Kingdom”. Each of the twelve animals belonging to the zodiac’s signs symbolizes are given a year, which is also influenced by one of the five Chinese elements. This New Year for Chinese people will be the year of Yang Earth Dog!

Nowadays, India is today one of the emerging powers that will exert growing influence on global economy and policy - said experts during the seminar organized by Polish Institute of International Relations combined with the presentation of the report: “India in the reform process: opportunities for Poland”. Prof. Piotr Kłodkowski (Jagiellonian University, former Polish Ambassador to India), Małgorzata Bonikowska Ph. D. (president of the CIR), J.J Singh (Polish-Indian Chamber of Industry and Commerce), Patryk Kugiel (Polish Institute of International Relations). The meeting was moderated by Justyna Szczudlik (Manager of Asia-Pacific program in Polish Institute of International Relations).

The 54th Security Conference in Munich took place on 16-18 February. It gathered political leaders and experts from around the world. Poland was represented by its Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki. They were talking on the meeting inter alia about the role of European Union in the world and its relations with USA and Russia, threats to the global world and armed conflicts. The Center for International Relations was represented there by Janusz Reiter, chairman of the Council of the CIR Foundation.