Gordon Brown (photo source: Wikipedia)
He was the first of many European leaders to come to Poland this week, on the eve of the 5th anniversary of Poland’s entry into the European Union.
Click on the audio icon to listen to the report by Michał Kubicki
Mr Brown had talks with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk and President Lech Kaczyński early in the day before travelling south, to the site of the former Nazi German concentration camp of Auschwitz. At a press conference after the talks with Mr Tusk, he said Britain would contribute to an international fund for the preservation and maintenance of the Auschwitz Museum. But, naturally, current issues dominated the agenda. The Polish Prime Minister described Anglo-Polish relations as excellent.
He told a press conference: ‘I am sure that our cooperation will continue to be very good in shaping a new political order in Europe after the elections to the European Parliament. Poland and Britain have common views on most of the European issues.
The British Prime Minister also spoke of ‘common ground’ in bilateral contacts. He referred to several important anniversaries observed this year in Poland, such as the 10th anniversary of joining NATO and the fifth anniversary of entering the EU, stressing that Poland has made a significant contribution to these two organizations.
Mr Brown arrived to Poland from Afghanistan and the situation in central Asia was one of the main issues under discussion. He spoke of Britain and Poland ‘sharing the burden in Afghanistan’ and stressed that Poland’s mission of 1, 600 soldiers – to be reinforced by an additional 400 troops – is one of the strongest contributors in the region.
For the Polish Prime Minister, this is a very busy week. Mr Brown is followed by Mr Berlusconi with several of his ministers, and tomorrow, the first day of the congress of the European People’s Party, Mr Tusk will have a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts in several countries, including France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.