Polish PM announces new health, foreign ministers

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Thursday announced that Adam Niedzielski would replace Lukasz Szumowski as the new health minister while Zbigniew Rau would replace Jacek Czaputowicz as the new foreign minister, reported Xinhua, quoting Polish Press Agency.

Szumowski announced his resignation on Thursday, saying that he wished to return to medical work. Czaputowicz handed in his resignation on Thursday.

Morawiecki said the two new ministers would be officially appointed to their posts in the coming days.

Morawiecki stated that Niedzielski would continue Szumowski's policies regarding measures against COVID-19 epidemic. He added that Niedzielski, an economist by profession and currently head of Poland's National Health Fund, is a "much needed" person in the health ministry, in view of the health service's modernisation needs pending a prospective second wave of the epidemic.

Introducing Rau as the new foreign minister, Morawiecki noted that he was broadly experienced in foreign affairs and currently headed the Sejm's (Polish lower house) Foreign Affairs Committee.

The prime minister also thanked Szumowski and Czaputowicz for their work.