President's letters to defence minister routine - national security head - News - National Security Bureau

23.03.2017

President's letters to defence minister routine - national security head

The president's letters to the defence minister are routine correspondence, National Security Bureau (BBN) head Paweł Soloch told PAP Thursday commenting President Andrzej Duda's recent letters to Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz.

In the letters, sent to A. Macierewicz last week, A. Duda demanded explanations concerning vacancies on Polish military attache posts, among others in the US and UK, and a progress report on the formation of a multinational army division in Elblag, north Poland.

In his Monday reply A. Macierewicz wrote that candidates for the vacant attache posts have already been selected and assured that the Elblag division will be combat ready according to schedule or with a minor delay.

Commenting the correspondence, seen by some as a sign of the president's discontentment with A. Macierewicz, P. Soloch said that it was a routine exchange of documents which took place in the past and will take place in future.

"This is an exchange of documents and that's how it should be seen", Paweł Soloch said. He added that the president communicated with the defence minister either directly or through him. Asked if Andrzej Duda planned further letters to Antonii Macierewicz, Mr. Soloch said the president usually communicated with the government by letter in security matters.

On Wednesday Mr. Soloch invited Mr. Macierewicz for a meeting on the president's behalf. Also present were the military chief of staff and the armed forces commander.

Source: PAP, BBN