His Most Eminent Highness the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Fra’ Andrew Bertie, will pay an official visit to Poland on 12 – 15 May 2007 on the invitation of the President of Poland, H.E. Lech Kaczynski. It will be the first visit of a Grand Master of the Order of Malta to Poland since 1931.

In his invitation addressed to the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, the President of Poland underlined the several hundred years’ tradition of the relationship between Poland and the Sovereign Order of Malta, noting that the visit of H.M.E.H. Fra’ Andrew Bertie will strengthen the bilateral relations and create an opportunity to draw up plans for further cooperation. The President of Poland also expressed hope for the activation of future projects, in particular in the area of humanitarian and medical assistance.

Among the most significant moments of the visit will be the meeting of the Grand Master with Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the signing of a Health Cooperation Agreement and a visit to the centre for Disabled Children which is run by the Polish Association of the Order in Krakow.