POLAND/FILE: Polish PM in-waiting Donald Tusk discusses future foreign policy, and relations with Germany and Russia

Polish prime minister in-waiting, Donald Tusk address foreign policy issues including Polish-German relations, the building of a new gas pipeline under the Baltic's and the future for Polish troops in Iraq. Polish prime minister in-waiting Donald Tusk outlined on Tuesday (November 6) his future government's foreign policy, including critical issues in relations with Germany and Russia. Tusk has already signalled he would rebalance Poland's foreign policy further towards the European Union, although he stressed the United States remained a strategic ally for the ex-communist nation. "Regarding our relations within the European Union, and especially Polish-German relations, they don't require a radical breakthrough but more mutual trust, more openness. And I offer this kind of openness and trust from the future Polish government to all of our European partners," Tusk said at a meeting with foreign media. Many European leaders gasped with relief after the centre-right Civic Platform party led by Tusk won parliamentary elections last month. He made sure to outline a pro-European course of policy throughout the recent election campaign as well as before elections won by the Kaczynski twins in 2005. Tusk vowed to clean up Polish - German relations, which suffered during defeated prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski's rule, but said he would not tolerate altering history. He referred to an organisation run by German Erika Steinbach, which many Poles believe seeks to portray Germans as victims of a war they started. The organisation represents Germans evicted from eastern part of the defeated Third Reich after the war, and was involved in a show commemorating such deported Germans. "If I will become the prime minister of the Polish government we will not accept the project of the Centre Against Deportations as it is run and organised by Erika Steinbach and her environment, and with all the points which she consequently presented in Poland and Germany. I hope for a very serious, open and honest discussion about joint projects. I was one of the supporters of a different project for remembering the deportations, but deportations which victimized all of the nations in this part of the world," Tusk said. "I think I have good reasons to guarantee the best and truly friendly Polish-German relations, but every element of dishonesty regarding history will really make this task difficult. I will try to guarantee full honesty and transparency as to the intentions of the Polish side. But I will expect the same from the German side," he added. Tusk strongly criticized a joint German-Russian plan to run a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea. The undersea pipeline has been one of main areas of friction between EU neighbours Poland and Germany in recent years and Poland insisted on alternative routes for the link. "Today this heritage, the result of wrong decisions of the previous Chancellor is becoming a serious problem, not for Poland, but for Germany itself. The practical, financial and international circumstances regarding not only Poland, but all Baltic states prove that this initiative, this project has not been prepared well," he said. The pipeline is being built by the Russian-led NordStream consortium including Russia's Gazprom and German firms, including E.ON with strong support from the Kremlin and Berlin. It has been strongly criticised in Poland and the ex-Soviet Baltic states, fearing that it would cut them off from Russian supplies. Other Baltic-rim countries have also voiced concerns, saying the pipeline may damage the environment Analysts say Tusk faces a tightrope walk as under the Polish constitution he will have to cooperate on foreign policy with the EU-sceptical and staunchly pro-U.S. president, Lech Kaczynski, whose term does not end until 2010. Kaczynski is due to nominate Tusk for prime minister this week but they have already aired their differences on foreign policy issues such as keeping Polish troops in Iraq. "In agreement with our main ally the Unites States, we will aim at reformulating the terms of our presence in Iraq. In our view this should mean the ending of a military mission in 2008," Tusk pledged, while the Kaczynskis have argued against setting a rigid deadline.

ITN Source | November 7, 2007

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