Polish President's visits in the first half of 2016
Brussels, Germany, Italy and the U.S. are among foreign destinations to be visited by Polish President Andrzej Duda in the first half of 2016, Presidential Minister Krzysztof Szczerski told reporters on Tuesday.
In 2016 Poland will host important international events like the NATO summit in Warsaw, WYD in Krakow and celebrations marking the 1,050th anniversary of Poland's baptism, minister Szczerski added.
"The NATO summit in Warsaw should be seen as the number one political event. World Youth Day in Krakow comes second as far as Poland's global promotion is concerned. And celebrations marking the 1,050th anniversary of Poland's baptism will also be an international event," Krzysztof Szczerski said at a press conference at the Presidential Palace.
According to Szczerski, in the first half of 2016 the president will focus "on building both agreement within NATO and decision-making potential" which is to be worked out during the summit.
The president wants "to visit all NATO components to connect all kinds of sensitivity and all points of view present in NATO". In connection with this, the president will visit Norway, Denmark, Italy and one of the countries on the Iberian Peninsula, Szczerski said.
"Planned is a visit of the Polish president to Germany on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Polish-German Treaty on Good Neighbourhood and Friendly Relations," minister Szczerski said, adding that such a visit was agreed upon with German President Joachim Gauck last year.
"We are waiting for the French side to announce the date of a Weimar Triangle summit which should take place in the first half of the year before the NATO summit," Presidential Minister went on.
Also planned are the president's visits to the Czech Republic and Hungary as well as to the U.S. where the Polish head of state will attend a nuclear summit.
Before the NATO summit in July in Warsaw the Polish president will deliver speeches in Munich, Washington and Rome, Krzysztof Szczerski announced.
President Duda is expected to address a security conference on February 13-14 in Munich where he will "host a European security panel". In late March in Washington the Polish president will address U.S. think-tanks and in May in Rome the NATO Defence College.
"The three speeches will focus on ways designed to build agreement and consensus during the NATO summit in Warsaw," Szczerski said, adding that in the first half of the year the Polish head of state would focus on steps aimed at achieving this goal.
Summing up the president's plans for the first half of 2016, Krzysztof Szczerski said it would be a "very intensive six months" crowned with the NATO summit in Warsaw and WYD in Krakow in July when "Poland will host the two most significant global events".
On January 18 in Brussels the Polish president will meet with EU Council President Donald Tusk and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and in Mons with NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Philip Breedlove.
In the second half of the year the president will focus on promotion of Poland's economic interests worldwide, minister Szczerski added.
Source: PAP