Poland's PM: Lisbon Treaty Likely to Be Ratified Before July

Ljubljana, 20 March

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met his Slovenian counterpart Janez Jansa in Ljubljana on Thursday, with topical EU issues and relations between the EU and Russia high on the agenda. Talking to the press after the meeting, Tusk said he believed that Poland would ratify the Lisbon Treaty before July.

The Polish prime minister, who paid a one-day working visit to Slovenia, said he believed that the Lisbon Treaty would most likely be ratified in parliament, despite the gap between the opposition and coalition. The earliest possible date for this could be 3 May, said Tusk.
Jansa, the current chair of the EU council, said that Slovenia was also not concerned about the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty in Poland, since public support for the document was high there. Slovenia is more concerned about countries which might have less procedural complications, but struggle with lower support, Jansa stressed.
Discussing the veto Poland used to halt negotiations on a new strategic partnership between the EU and Russia, Tusk said that Poland received sufficient answers as regards the recent trade dispute with Russia. The country will also refrain from setting new conditions and will not hinder talks between the EU and Russia, Tusk explained.
Tusk said that talks with Jansa also included the energy and climate change package, and highlighted the wish of his country that the principle of solidarity be included both in the package and the European legislation. According to him, many European partners, including Jansa, expressed understanding for this view.
Jansa meanwhile underlined the importance of Poland's contribution to shaping relations between the EU and its eastern neighbours, saying that the European neighbourhood and enlargement policy was one of Slovenia's priorities, especially after the last EU summit, which reaffirmed Poland's initiative for strengthening relations with countries to its east.
Jansa also praised Poland's contribution in the Western Balkans, expressing his regret that more than 20 Polish members of Unmik had been hurt in the recent unrest in Kosovska Mitrovica. Tusk stressed that both Slovenia and Poland recognised the independence of Kosovo and were also in favour of a European future for all Western Balkans countries.
The pair moreover stressed the importance of expanding NATO with three new members - Croatia, Macedonia and Albania -, while also expressing support to include Ukraine and Georgia in the Membership Action Plan at the upcoming NATO summit in Bucharest.
Jansa and Tusk praised bilateral relations, Tusk even saying they were so good that they only played a side role during today's talks. Jansa pointed out that trade exceeded EUR 2bn last year, an increase of 20% over the year before.

Poland's PM: Lisbon Treaty Likely to Be Ratified Before July

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