Polish President receives NATO Secretary General
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg started his two-day visit to Poland by meeting with President Andrzej Duda in the Belweder Palace late on Friday. The Zapad military exercises and the security of NATO's eastern flank were on the agenda.
NATO's Secretary General first met President Duda for a one-on-one discussion, followed by a plenary meeting, where the president was joined by head of his cabinet, Krzysztof Szczerski, Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski and head of the National Security Bureau (BBN) Pawel Soloch.
Soloch told PAP that because of the Russian and Belarussian military exercises Poland expected NATO to demonstrate that "they are carefully watching the situation" to monitor whether the exercises "are exactly like the Russian official statements claim".
Soloch also said that during their meeting President Duda wanted stress the significance of the security and safety of NATO's eastern flank, and the importance of the constant presence of allied troops in the region.
According to the BBN chief, the President wished to use this opportunity to discuss the Polish expectations regarding next year's NATO summit. Amongst other topics, the current situation in Ukraine was also to be discussed.
On Friday, Stoltenberg will also meet with PM Beata Szydlo, who will be joined by Minister Waszczykowski and Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz.
The Secretary General will later on Friday visit the Orzysz proving grounds, where he will meet with soldiers from the NATO Battalion Battle Group. He will be accompanied by the minister of defence.
Source: PAP