David Cameron and Donald Tusk. Photos: PAP/EPAUPDATED - Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited his British counterpart David Cameron in London, Monday, where he urged the necessity to carry on with Poland’s efforts with countries to the east of the European Union.
The comments come after earlier concerns that the Polish-Swedish-backed initiative in the European Union may fall on the wayside in lieu of the growing troubles presented to the bloc by troubles in North Africa.
At a press conference after the bilateral meeting, Prime Minister David Cameron said that “ we agree that Europe should make a strong and welcoming response to the Arab Spring, but of course this shouldn’t reduce in any way in the important work Europe does with its Eastern neighbours and partners to encourage democracy and development there as well.”
Donald Tusk responded to Cameron’s statement by saying “What was very important for me was the declaration of the British Prime Minister when he talked about the necessity of the continued investment in the future of Eastern partnership.”
“For both of us it is very clear that those two dimensions are not competitive but they are complementary,” Tusk continued, echoing the words of Andrzej Cieszkowski, Poland’s plenpotenitiary for Eastern Partnership matters, in an interview with thenews.pl in March.
Tusk and Cameron also spoke about financial matters concerning free trade in the EU, with the British Prime Minister saying “we agreed to work together very closely in the European Union where we share a similar perspective about the need for greater competition, greater deregulation and a real push to make Europe a high growth rather than a slow growth area of the world.”
After his meeting with David Cameron, Donald Tusk talked to journalists at the Economist magazine.
Tit-for-tat
According to the magazine's Eastern Approaches blog, Donald Tusk and David Cameron were in fact bargaining over the EU’s next long-term perspective, a topic which, according to MEPs in Brussels in conversation with thenews.pl, may begin to make headway during Poland’s presidency of the Council of the EU.
Edward Lucas, international editor of the The Economist told thenews.pl that one Polish official remarked to him that the UK’s insistence that the EU budget should be cut – which would reduce revenue coming into Poland from structural funds and other projects – is akin a ‘Yalta’ sized betrayal.
Edward Lucas also says that Poland’s pet project, the Eastern Partnership, which aims to bring ex-Soviet states closer to the European Union, is in danger of turning into a diplomatic damp squib.
Poland's EU presidency begins on 1 July. (jb/pg)