• Poland’s foreign minister makes unexpected trip to Libya
  • 11.05.2011

Rebels fight for control of Libya; photo - EPA

Poland’s foreign minister Radek Sikorski has made a previously unannounced trip to the Libyan rebel-controlled city of Benghazi.

 

Though Poland is not directly involved in the NATO-led military operation to protect civilians in the country, the government in Warsaw says it will be making contributions to humanitarian aid.

 

Yesterday at a press conference at the Foreign Ministry journalists were told to expect news of an “unexpected trip” Sikorski would be making today but they would not specify where.

 

Earlier, Minister Sikorski wrote on his Twitter micro-blogging site: “The CASA military plane is circling above Palermo. The sun is warming from the south. We're going where it is even hotter. Twitter may not work.”

 

The trip was agreed with the head of EU diplomacy Catherine Ashton and NATO, and is an expression of political support for democratic forces in the country, currently fighting what has become a civil war with Gadaffi’s regime in Tripoli.

The head of the Polish Foreign Ministry is to meet with representatives of the rebel Provisional National Council. (pg)