JAKARTA, 2 April 2026 – A newly-appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to ASEAN, H.E. Barbara Szymanowska, today presented her Letter of Credence to the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat, marking the assumption of her post as the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to ASEAN.
Secretary-General Dr. Kao congratulated Ambassador Szymanowska on her new role and reaffirmed the ASEAN Secretariat’s readiness to work closely with her and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Jakarta to further strengthen cooperation between both sides. He encouraged Poland to explore cooperation opportunities with ASEAN in areas of mutual interest, including education and people-to-people exchanges, digital economy, green transition, parliamentary cooperation, tourism, and trade and investment.
Ambassador Szymanowska highlighted the growing significance of ASEAN in Poland’s foreign policy, as manifested in its diplomatic presence and parliamentary cooperation in the region. She expressed Poland’s readiness to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) under the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship this year, which will further signify Poland’s commitment to enhancing its partnership with ASEAN and its Member States.
Poland appointed its first Ambassador to ASEAN in 2012. Ambassador Szymanowska succeeds Ambassador Beata Stoczyńska, who concluded her tenure in June 2024.