Angela Merkel seeks to forge closer ties with Poland
Warm welcome: German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) being greeted by Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski at the Warsaw airport yesterday. Merkel is hoping to forge closer ties with Poland. Picture: Reuters German Chancellor Angela Merkel is welcomed by Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski at the Warsaw military airport March 16, 2007. Merkel arrived in Poland on Friday hoping to forge closer personal ties with President Kaczynski as she discussed the EU
Saturday, March 17, 2007
GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Poland yesterday hoping to forge closer ties with President Lech Kaczynski as she discussed the EU constitution and other divisive bilateral issues.
Relations between Berlin and Warsaw are still coloured by Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland in World War II and have grown strained in recent years despite efforts by Merkel to reach out to her eastern neighbours.
"The Polish president and I want to get to know each other better on a personal basis, to have a comprehensive exchange," top-selling Germany newspaper Bild quoted Merkel as saying in an interview. "This includes the different concerns in our countries about European integration."
Merkel, who was met at Warsaw airport by the president's twin, Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, hopes to convince the Poles during the two-day visit to soften opposition to the EU treaty she wants to revive as president of the 27-nation bloc.
She said in a brief and conciliatory statement at the airport that her visit to Poland was designed to send a signal.
"First about how important relations with our neighbour Poland are for me as the German Chancellor. But also, in my role as EU president, that we as a community of European nations will handle any problems together and that Poland's opinion in this process is of the utmost importance."
The Kaczynski twins are deeply euro-sceptical and are resisting core elements of the EU treaty, including proposals on a new voting system for the policy-making Council of Ministers.
The Polish president acknowledged differences on the treaty, which he said would be the main topic of their talks, and said he expected an open exchange with Merkel. "Poland has a different approach to this issue from the German side," he told the daily Rzeczpospolita.
Warsaw fears a new "double-majority" voting system, backed by Merkel and most other EU leaders, would shift the balance of power within the bloc towards big countries like Germany, diminishing Poland's influence.Reuters
Relations between Berlin and Warsaw are still coloured by Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland in World War II and have grown strained in recent years despite efforts by Merkel to reach out to her eastern neighbours.
"The Polish president and I want to get to know each other better on a personal basis, to have a comprehensive exchange," top-selling Germany newspaper Bild quoted Merkel as saying in an interview. "This includes the different concerns in our countries about European integration."
Merkel, who was met at Warsaw airport by the president's twin, Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, hopes to convince the Poles during the two-day visit to soften opposition to the EU treaty she wants to revive as president of the 27-nation bloc.
She said in a brief and conciliatory statement at the airport that her visit to Poland was designed to send a signal.
"First about how important relations with our neighbour Poland are for me as the German Chancellor. But also, in my role as EU president, that we as a community of European nations will handle any problems together and that Poland's opinion in this process is of the utmost importance."
The Kaczynski twins are deeply euro-sceptical and are resisting core elements of the EU treaty, including proposals on a new voting system for the policy-making Council of Ministers.
The Polish president acknowledged differences on the treaty, which he said would be the main topic of their talks, and said he expected an open exchange with Merkel. "Poland has a different approach to this issue from the German side," he told the daily Rzeczpospolita.
Warsaw fears a new "double-majority" voting system, backed by Merkel and most other EU leaders, would shift the balance of power within the bloc towards big countries like Germany, diminishing Poland's influence.Reuters
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