BBN head on NATO meeting in Brussels
Defence spending, consolidation of transatlantic ties and struggle against terrorism will be in the focus of a meeting of NATO leaders in Brussels this week, PAP has been told by National Security Bureau (BBN) head Pawel Soloch.
Soloch stressed that President Andrzej Duda would declare Poland's readiness to participate in anti-terrorist operations and added that all detailed plans regarding Poland's commitment would be presented in a year - during preparations for a NATO summit and in the course of work on the allied strategy of struggle against terrorism.
The BBN head reminded that this week's NATO meeting in Brussels would be a working meeting and not a summit.
According to Soloch, the implementation of decisions taken by the last NATO summit in Warsaw will be another subject of talks.
Soloch said that "the point was to make NATO's forward presence be accompanied by the strengthening of NATO's deterrence and defence abilities and at the same time by the reform of allied commands".
"Poland is most interested in the commitment of NATO and allied countries to security of the eastern flank", Soloch said, adding that President Duda would surely declare Poland's readiness to increase security-related spending.
He added that Poland had already decided to gradually increase its defence spending from 2 percent GDP to at least 2.5 percent. According to Soloch, Poland's example can increase pressure exerted by the US on other European allies to increase their defence outlays.
NATO heads of state and government will meet in Brussels on May 25.
While in Brussels, President Duda is planned to meet his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
Source: PAP