Poland's prospective new PM says he wants improved ties with Russia, EU
Warsaw (AP): Poland's prospective Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, said on Tuesday that improving strained relations with Russia and the European Union will be vital for his incoming government.
``A change in Polish-Russian relations, I think, is the most important task of the future Polish government in foreign relations _ the most important in the sense that it's extremely difficult,'' Tusk said.
He also said there are ``issues to unblock'' with the European Union following the two years in power of Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who often clashed with Brussels and with other EU members.
Tusk said he plans to make his first visits to Brussels, Washington and Moscow after taking charge of a new government.
Tusk's Civic Platform party on Sunday ousted Kaczynski's socially conservative government, which had conflicts with the European Union over issues including voting rights in the new EU treaty, environmental protection and the death penalty.
Tusk campaigned on promises to build a more constructive relationship with the EU and to pursue the economic opportunities presented by membership in the bloc, which Poland joined in 2004.
``Europe is here _ not somewhere in Brussels,'' Tusk said.
Poland has blocked negotiations for a new EU partnership agreement with Moscow due to a Russian embargo on Polish meat, which Russia said it imposed because of health concerns. Poland has also been critical of plans for an undersea pipeline to bring Russian natural gas to Europe, bypassing Poland.
Warsaw (AP): Poland's prospective Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, said on Tuesday that improving strained relations with Russia and the European Union will be vital for his incoming government.
``A change in Polish-Russian relations, I think, is the most important task of the future Polish government in foreign relations _ the most important in the sense that it's extremely difficult,'' Tusk said.
He also said there are ``issues to unblock'' with the European Union following the two years in power of Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who often clashed with Brussels and with other EU members.
Tusk said he plans to make his first visits to Brussels, Washington and Moscow after taking charge of a new government.
Tusk's Civic Platform party on Sunday ousted Kaczynski's socially conservative government, which had conflicts with the European Union over issues including voting rights in the new EU treaty, environmental protection and the death penalty.
Tusk campaigned on promises to build a more constructive relationship with the EU and to pursue the economic opportunities presented by membership in the bloc, which Poland joined in 2004.
``Europe is here _ not somewhere in Brussels,'' Tusk said.
Poland has blocked negotiations for a new EU partnership agreement with Moscow due to a Russian embargo on Polish meat, which Russia said it imposed because of health concerns. Poland has also been critical of plans for an undersea pipeline to bring Russian natural gas to Europe, bypassing Poland.
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