POLISH NEWS BULLETIN
July 2005
Association of Polish Jews in Israel on property restitution draft
Warsaw, July 4: The Association of Polish Jews in Israel has found "serious moral and business-like errors" in a government property restitution draft, according to a statement sent to Prime Minister Marek Belka and handed to PAP on Monday. The statement stressed that the attitude presented in the draft towards the Jewish property could not be accepted. If the question of Jewish property (...) will be treated in the same way as nationalisation, agricultural reform or other forms of unjustified seizure of property of Polish citizens by Polish authorities after World War Two, it will mean that the Nazi seizure of Jewish property was "legal", the statement said. In late June the World Jewish Congress (WJC) published a report "The Restitution of Jewish Property in Poland" calling on the Polish government for a full restitution of the Jewish property seized during the war and after the war.
Pietras: Great Britain takes over responsibility for Europe
Warsaw, July 1: Great Britain that on Friday took over the EU six months rotating presidency accepted responsibility for Europe's development and reforms, believes Minister for European affairs Jaroslaw Pietras. Poland expects Great Britain presidency to be conducive to a compromise on the EU budget, Pietras told PAP on Friday. He assured PAP that Poland was ready to support the British reform effort "provided certain effort is made to conclude budget
negotiations." The minister underscored the extreme importance of the compromise on the future EU budget saying that any delay in reaching it would considerably hamper new EU members' preparations for absorbing EU funds in 2007 with "Poland being mostly harmed." He also stressed that the debate on reforming the EU should in no way be made dependant on the EU budget plans.
Poland may get more than 3 bn euros for transport from EU
Warsaw, July 1: Poland may get 3 bn 250 mn euros from two EU programmes for transport development between 2004 and 2006, deputy Infrastructure Minister Marek Chalas said Friday. Means may come from the EU Sectoral Operations Programme for Transport and the Cohesion Fund transport programme. The infrastructure ministry is responsible for the implementation of these programmes. Poland is to add 1 bn 240 mn euros to the EU funds, Chalas told a conference infrastructure financing in Warsaw on Friday. Between 2007 and 2013 the two programmes may give Poland a total of 17.3 bn euros, Chalas said but warned the amount might be changed as the EU budget for 2007-2013 was not passed. Chalas presented also forecasts concerning road traffic and commodity shipping. According to estimates in 2020 between 1 bn 748 mn to 2 bn 142 mn tons of commodities will be shipped inside or through Poland compared to 1 bn 329 mn tons at present) and the number of vehicles on Polish roads will go up from the present 11.2 mn as much as 19.4 mn passenger cars.
SLD supports Cimoszewicz as presidential runner
Wroclaw, July 3: The Democratic Left Alliance SLD, at its Sunday convention, supported Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz as a presidential candidate. However Cimoszewicz announced he would not get involved in the SLD parliamentary campaign. "We will not be a burden for you," assured him SLD leader Wojciech Olejniczak. The convention, organised in a U.S.-like style, was attended by some 3,000 people. Olejniczak said the SLD managed to overcome the crisis and would be running for parliament as a better party. "Join us. Together and only together we may overcome all problems," he called on the Social Democracy of Poland SdPl and the Union of Labour UP. Cimoszewicz said Poland had enough of hostility, hatred in public life, rudeness and aggression. He stressed that Poland needed internal agreement, solidarity of people and future-oriented way of thinking. "I am asking all who think in the same way to help me. Everything I do I do in your name, for each of us and for everybody," Cimoszewicz said. "There is not another way to bring out good than doing good," he spoke to the delegates. At the same time he announced he could not get involved in the parliamentary campaign of the SLD for he had picked up a slightly different way devoid of party interests and directed to the future of Poland.
Piekarska to head Cimoszewicz's election headquarters
Warsaw, July 1: Katarzyna Piekarska of the Democratic Left Alliance will head the election headquarters of presidential candidate Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz. The Sejm Speaker said Friday that the headquarters is in a phase of formation. Piekarska added that in several days time she plans to hold a meeting with the press to present her concept of work of the headquarters.
Tusk: EU should have common eastern policy
Warsaw, July 4: Deputy Sejm Speaker Donald Tusk believes that the main task of the Polish foreign policy is to convince the EU to build a common eastern policy. The leader of the Citizens' Platform (PO) stressed that the EU should hold a serious discussion on the subject. Tusk told Radio One on Monday that too little was being said about the way France and Germany acted having accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin's invitation to attend ceremonies marking the 750th anniversary of Kaliningrad. "This invitation is an attempt to break European solidarity towards Russia," Tusk stressed. "I am concerned about the fact that President Putin does not show too much respect for President Kwasniewski (...), and I am worried by the fact that France and Germany are using every opportunity to show that they have their own policy towards Russia. And this is the main task of the Polish foreign policy to convince the EU that it should build a common eastern policy,"
PiS will not accept 15 percent flat tax
Warsaw, July 4: Law and Justice (PiS) presidential candidate Lech Kaczynski said Monday PiS would not accept a 15-percent flat tax. "Of course we will not accept a programme designed to introduce a 15-percent flat tax," Kaczynski said referring to a Sunday statement by leader of the Citizens' Platform (PO) Jan Rokita who said PO would not join a future government which would not introduce this tax. Lech Kaczynski told reporters that a flat tax was bad for the majority of Poles. "This has been a consistently implemented PO plan for the rich. This is not a solution for Poland," he stressed.
Miller wants last place on SLD list
Lodz, July 1: Former PM Leszek Miller told activists of the Democratic Left Alliance SLD in Lodz on Friday that he would like to run for the Sejm as the last candidate on the SLD list. "I understand that as far as I am concerned the first place could not be accepted by everybody and this is enough for me to accept this," Miller said. He added that if he fails to win a seat in the Sejm he will leave politics and find something else to do.
Intellectuals sign open letter to Frasyniuk
Warsaw, July 4: More than one hundred Polish intellectuals have appealed to leader of Democrats.pl Wladyslaw Frasyniuk not to defend Marek Belka as, according to them, the Prime Minister lied when saying he had not signed documents on cooperation with the communist-era secret services. "We are the advocates of transparency and truth even if they are difficult and politically uncomfortable," they wrote in an open letter addressed to Frasyniuk.
Army: shorter service, more recruits
Warsaw, July 1: >From July 1, 2005 basic military service in Poland will be cut from the present 10 to 9 months, recruits will also be offered specialist courses. According to the Polish defence ministry shorter military service will result in better-trained recruits. In 1989 military service in Poland was cut from 24 months (36 months for navy recruits) to 18 (24). About 36,000 Poles will be recruited for basic military training this year.
Brussels, July 1: Sixty-two percent of Poles have no trouble in travelling in the EU, the EC's Eurobarometer agency reported Friday. The most frequent travel problems encountered by Poles result from failing information and financial shortages. Over 50 percent declared they would use travel services in other EU countries. 68 percent supported the introduction of combined travel tickets covering rail and air travel.
Budget deficit to stand at 50.5 pct of plan after June, FinMin
Warsaw, July 4: The budget deficit after June will not exceed 50.5 percent of the annual plan of 35 billion zlotys, deputy Finance Minister Elzbieta Suchocka-Roguska said Monday. According to my estimates, the deficit after June will not exceed 50.5 percent, the deputy minister told PAP. According to earlier FinMin reports on the budget implementation, the deficit after June was to stand at 62.8 percent of the plan. The budget deficit after May reached 18 billion and 290.6 million zlotys or 52.3 percent of the annual plan of 35 billion zlotys.
Warsaw, July 4: Law and Justice (PiS) presidential candidate Lech Kaczynski presented during a press conference Monday documents concerning his life found by the National Remembrance Institute in seven files. Kaczynski stressed this was not his dossier as it disappeared in obscure circumstances. Kaczynski stressed the documents prove that secret service was not well informed about his work in the opposition. This is just a very small part of the socio-political system which was functioning for 44 years in Poland and which is trying to defend itself even today, Kaczynski said.
Lepper: Samoobrona wants to rule Poland and will do this
Warsaw, July 3: Samoobrona leader Andrzej Lepper told his party election convention in Warsaw on Saturday that Samoobrona wanted to rule Poland and that it would do this. Contrary to those "damned liberals" it would not let down and cheat the Polish nation, he stressed. Lepper said that after its victory Samoobrona would reform the state finances, change the law on the National Bank of Poland NBP, cut the size of public administration and ensure a minimum welfare money. He stressed the party would support small and medium-sized business, lower CIT rates and ZUS insurance premiums. He vowed not to raise any taxes. Lepper repeated the EU Accession Treaty should be renegotiated.
Warsaw, July 1: Poland's Batory Foundation has published a catalogue of anti-curruption tasks for parties running in the autumn parliamentary elections. Among the proposed anti-corruption measures are: strengthening the civil service, the inclusion of anti-corruption clauses in party statutes, the appointment of an ethical standards commission and the restoration of parliamentary control over foundation and agency funds. The catalogue was prepared by the Anti-Corruption Coalition of Non-governmental Organizations, an umbrella organization over a number of NGOs, including the Batory Foundation and the Helsinki Human Rights Foundation.
NIK on 2004 budget
Warsaw, July 4: The Supreme Auditing Board (NIK) will recommend that the Sejm should approve the 2004 budget implementation. At the same time NIK believes that the budget implementation could be better and bring more budget savings, NIK president Miroslaw Sekula told reporters on Monday. All the budget law basic indices have been met but this is a
budget of a lost chance to effectively improve public finances, Sekula said. It is not good that the budget is not task-oriented which means that outlays are not planned to cover definite tasks as this could considerably rationalize all spending, he added.
Warsaw, July 1: Poland's trade with Russia may soon reach 13 billion USD a year, Russian transport minister Igor Levitin said at a Friday press conference in Warsaw following talks with Polish economy minister Jacek Piechota. Levitin and Piechota discussed cooperation in transport, gas supplies via the Yamal pipeline, military supplies and exports of Polish goods to Russia. Levitin said that last year's trade between both countries reached 9 billion USD, Polish exports to Russia amounting to 2.8 billion (an 88-percent rise on 2003) and Russian imports to Poland 6.4 billion (23-percent rise on 2003). Poland's exports to Russia mainly include machinery and equipment (24 percent of total exports), chemicals (23 percent), food (20 percent), and paper and wood products (12 percent). Russia chiefly exports oil and gas (84 percent), chemicals (5.6 percent) and metal products (5 percent) to Poland. Piechota said that cooperation between both countries will again be monitored by working groups called up within a Joint Commission. The Commission, which held its last sitting in June 2003, had until now been suspended for procedural reasons. Although the Commission was not working, our enterprisers showed that Russia is our strategic trade partner, Piechota said. Levitin informed that Russia and the EU had signed a veterinary accord under which Russian vet services will treat Poland like other EU countries when admitting Polish food to sale in Russia. Both sides also signed a memorandum on cooperation between Polish and Russian SMEs.
Warsaw, July 1: Italy's Selex Sistemi Integratian consortium will supply Poland with an automated radar control system to protect the country's territorial waters. Selex, which also embraces the Polish companies Computex Telecommunication and the Industrial Telecommunications Institute, won a tender for the project against rivals like Bumar, Edas Deutschland, Alcatel and Atem.
Arequipa, July 1: The exhibition "25 years of Polish archaeological and anthropological research in Latin America" has been opened in Arequipa, Peru by Poland's Ambassador to that country Zdzislaw Sosnicki.
"Successful research projects put Poles in the group of scholars most merited for this region of the world, Professor Mariusz Ziolkowski told PAP on Friday. The exhibition has been organised by scholars from the Andean Archaeological Mission of Warsaw University in cooperation with the Polish foreign ministry. On display are 32 posters illustrating achievements of Polish archaeologists and anthropologists in Peru, Colombia, Equador, Bolivia, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico and the Easter Island.
Legnica, Warsaw, July 3: Over 7.5 thousand Jehovah's Witnesses gathered at a stadium in Legnica on Saturday afternoon to witness the baptism of more than 100 new members of the congregation. The meeting in Legnica was one of 22 meetings usually organised in July all over Poland. A similar meeting took place in Warsaw on Sunday where the attendance exceeded 13,000 faithful. According to estimates there are some 130 thousand Jehovah's Witnesses in Poland and 6 million around the world.(id/km)
Sejm not to discuss EU Constitution referendum
Warsaw, July 5: The Sejm on Tuesday decided not to discuss a draft resolution on holding a referendum on the EU Constitution in Poland. There were 189 votes for not including the draft in the daily agenda, 180 votes for its inclusion and 2 abstentions. Deputies of Law and Justice (PiS), the Citizens' Platform, the Polish Peasant Party, Samoobrona, the League of Polish Families and right-wing circles were for not including the draft in the daily agenda whereas deputies of the Democratic Left Alliance, the Socialdemocracy of Poland and the Union of Labour voted against such position.
Kwasniewski for good EU-Russia cooperation
Tallinn, July 5: President Aleksander Kwasniewski who met on Tuesday with his Estonian counterpart Arnold Ruutel said that both countries are interested in good cooperation between the EU and Russia. The Polish president declared Warsaw's support for Tallinn in Estonian dispute with Russia over the border. Estonia may count on Polish support in issues related to the Estonian-Russian border because it also is the EU-Russia border, Kwasniewski said and added that Russia failure to ratify the border agreement with Estonia was a problem. According to Kwasniewski the European Union should listen to the voice of Estonia and should talk with Russia so that the two agreements, namely between Russia and Estonia and Russia and Latvia, could be finalised. He stressed this was in the interest of the EU and Russia. According to Kwasniewski the EU policy towards Russia would not be effective if opinions of states neighbouring Russia like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland were not taken into account. "Neither Poland nor Estonia want to centre exclusively on issues related to history, we want to talk about important projects like gas, crude oil or road infrastructure," the president assured. He also said that as far as crude oil was concerned both countries were interested in the common European policy so that "neither of our countries be left out on political grounds." The meeting also covered issues related to the ratification of the EU Constitutional Treaty and the EU budget for 2007-2013. Kwasniewski stressed that Poland counted on the budget adoption under the British EU presidency. Both presidents agreed that mutual relations were perfect and opted for fostering economic and cultural cooperation. President Kwasniewski stressed the need for the development of mutual investments and added that in the 1st year of both countries' membership of the EU mutual trade exchange went up. Ruutel thanked Poland for support granted during his country's strivings for NATO and underlined the importance of bilateral cooperation within the alliance and the EU. On Wednesday the Polish President will leave Estonia for Latvia.
Prime Minister visits Malaysia, discusses economic cooperation
Kuala Lumpur, July 5: Prime minister Marek Belka met Tuesday with Malaysian senior government officials and the royal couple to discuss ways to boost cooperation between the two countries.The Polish PM met his Malaysian counterpart Abdullah Badawi and deputy prime minister, defence minister Najib Razak. Marek Belka and his wife were received by the Malaysian royal couple. Talks with Malaysia's prime minister were dominated by military and armaments industry projects. Also discussed were educational services export and cooperation in education. The Malaysian defence minister was briefed on the completion of a contract for the delivery of 48 tanks to Malaysia. The first Polish tank will arrive in Malaysia to undergo tests on September 15. The 380 million dollar contract comprises the delivery of tanks, military vehicles, bridges for the Malaysian army. The Polish Likon company signed a 30 million zloty contract to build a car tyre recycling plant in Malaysia. On Tuesday the prime minister wraps up his Malaysian visit. On Wednesday morning he leaves for the Philippines which is the last stage of his visit to south-eastern Asia.
Cimoszewicz & Kaczynski on recent poll results
Warsaw, July 5: A recent survey published by Rzeczpospolita daily on Tuesday shows that Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz may count on 28 percent of votes and Lech Kaczynski on 19 percent. The two are followed by Samoobrona's Andrzej Lepper who may win 17 percent of votes, Zbigniew Religa who may count on 15 percent, Donald Tusk of the Citizens' Platform PO with 11 percent and Marek Borowski of the Social Democracy of Poland SdPl with 5 percent of supporting votes. According to the survey Cimoszewicz would also win the 2nd round of elections irrespective of who his rival would be. Also the newest TNS OBOP poll commissioned by Polityka weekly, to come out on Wednesday, shows that if Cimoszewicz met with Kaczynski in the 2nd round of elections he would gain 46 percent of votes and Kaczynski 31 percent. Law and Justice PiS (right-wing) presidential candidate Lech Kaczynski attributes the outcome of the recent polls, which are favourable for his opponent Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, to a huge media campaign organised for Cimoszewicz with the assistance of the Presidential Palace. Kaczynski, who is also Warsaw President, told PAP results of next polls might be different and added thathe would stick to his election campaign plan. Cimoszewicz, the Sejm Speaker of the Democratic Left Alliance SLD, said he was convinced he would win the elections. "I will do everything to show Poles what I believe in, namely that I am able to be a good president," he stressed. I know that results of polls will mobilise my rivals and I have no doubts I may face increasingly brutal attacks," the left-wing candidate for the president said.
Warsaw, July 5: Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said Tuesday that our times would be one day described as "a n epoch of files"s. If we continue to accept this situation our times will be marked by sensations and scandals and Poles will be more and more convinced that they are surrounded only by communist-era secret agents. The more years pass the bigger will be the number of secret service agents, Cimoszewicz told reporters in the Sejm when asked about a document on Andrzej Przewoznik. Earlier in the day Cimoszewicz told Radio One that he would not prevent the National Remembrance Institute (IPN) from publishing his dossier. Cimoszewicz stressed that the Vetting Court ruled he had not been a collaborator of communist-era secret services.
Foreign minister to visit Serbia and Montenegro
Warsaw, July 5: Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld begins a two-day working visit in Serbia and Montenegro on Wednesday to discuss issues relating to the country's cooperation with NATO and the EU and the situation in the region. He will meet Polish soldiers from the NATO KFOR force in Kosovo. The visit is paid following an invitation from Serbia's and
Montenegro's Foreign Minister Vuko Drashkovich. In February 2003, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was renamed Serbia and Montenegro, and the two republics formed a loose federation. During his two-day visit Rotfeld will meet the presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers of the two republics and with the Kosovo provisional authorities. On Thursday the Polish minister will meet deputy head of the UN mission in Kosovo Larry Rossini. He will also meet Serbian minority representatives and special envoy of the UN Secretary General ambassador K. Eide. At the conclusion of his visit Rotfeld will meet Polish troops from the NATO KFOR force in Kosovo.
Governmentt on therapeutic centres in rural areas
Warsaw, July 5: The Government on Tuesday passed a resolution to implement a programme titled "Day-care centres and jobs - sociotherapy in rural communities". Under the programme it will be possible to finance day-care centres for children from rural communities from many sources and offer jobs to young unemployed psychologists. Deputy social policy minister Cezary Mierzejewski said these day-care centres should provide socio-therapeutic programmes and have qualified specialists who could help young people solve their family and school problems. The programme will be financed by communes, provincial local governments, the social policy minister and the Labour Fund. The programme is planned to start in the first eight provinces that declared their readiness join in late 2005 and early 2006.
Sarkozy wants Poland to join G-5 group
Paris, July 5: French Internal Affairs Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday that he would want to transform the present G-5 group into a G-6 group to include Poland, the biggest newcomer to the EU. The G-5 group is composed of France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy
and Spain. Minister Sarkozy stressed that the French-German tandem cannot be the only driving force of the enlarged European Union. According to the French minister new, big (as regards population) EU countries should take over the initiative, find concrete projects and push the EU forward. Sarkozy believes the EU was wrong while saying that all countries were equally important as, in his opinion, countries with the number of citizens ranging between 40 and 80 million have a bigger say in the union that states with several hundred thousands of
citizens.
Polish veterans to march in London victory parade
London, July 5: Over 250 Polish war veterans will take part for the first time in the London victory parade marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two. Majority of Poles to take part in the Sunday parade live in Great Britain. Only some 20 war veterans will travel to Great Britain from Poland. According to the Association of Polish War Veterans in Great
Britain, represented at the parade will be all formations of the Polish army which fought under the British command.
Unemployment rate to fall to 18.0 pct in July
Warsaw, July 5: The Economy and Labour Ministry estimates that the unemployment rate will fall to 18.0 percent in July from expected 18.1 percent in June, deputy Economy Minister Jacek Mecina has said. Mecina upheld an earlier forecast speaking of a 17.5-17.6 per cent unemployment level at the end of 2005. The minister hopes that through intervention steps on the part of the Labour Fund the growing tendency in unemployment will be slowed down at the end of the year.
LOT: More regional flights from September
Warsaw, July 5: Polish national air carrier LOT will resume service from Warsaw to Zielona Gora and Lodz and will offer more flights from Warsaw to Bydgoszcz and Katowice in autumn, LOT representatives said Tuesday. LOT said that new connections will be launched thanks to cooperation with Jet Air Sp. z o.o. that will lease it two Jetstream 32 planes.
Odratrans signs 71.4 USD worth contract for coal transport
Warsaw, July 5: Odratrans, a customs and freight company, has signed a 240 mn zloty (71.4 mn USD) agreement with Kogenracja SA Group and Energokrak for coal transport, the company reported in a statement issued on Tuesday. The agreement will end on June 30, 2021. It is estimated that until that date some 9 million tons of coal will be delivered, the company wrote. At the end of June Odratrans postponed its public offer without giving any reason. The company wanted to earn some 31 million zlotys on the public issue of shares. Kogeneracja is Lower Silesia's biggest unit of power and heat generating plants and Energokrak is Poland's biggest coal receiver.
Steven Spielberg Patron of Culture Cracow 2004
Cracow, July 5: American film director Steven Spielberg was awarded the honorary title of Patron of Culture 2004 in absentia in a ceremony held in Cracow on Tuesday. The statuette will be conveyed to the artist at a later date. Spielberg was awarded for promoting the protection of historical monuments. In 2004 the filmmaker donated 40 thousand USD for the renovation of an old pharmacy situated at the site of the former Jewish ghetto in Cracow, and continues to support it. The idea of the competition for the title is to promote cooperation of economic circles with Cracow artistic circles and cultural institutions and groups active in the field of protection of ancient monuments of architecture. The pharmacy "Pod Orlem" in the Jewish ghetto in the Nazi-ocuppied Cracow was run by a Pole, Tadeusz Pankiewicz who supplied the Jewish fellow countrymen in the ghetto with medicines and food. The fate of the Cracow Jews was depicted in Spielberg's film Oscar-winning film "The Schindler's List". In 1983, a museum was created in the old pharmacy. The project was supported by filmmaker Roman Polanski, the Polish-born Cracow ghetto survivor. At his request Spielberg offered his donation, which made it possible to open an exhibition in the pharmacy museum in 2004.
Foreign artists to perform at Int'l Organ Festival in Lowicz
Lowicz, July 5: The composition of Georgiy Agratin of Ukraine, the Suite "John Paul II in Memoriam" will inaugurate the Johann Sebastian Bach International Organ Festival in Lowicz, central Poland, on Wednesday. Concerts will be given in the cathedral basilica in Lowicz by organ players from Ukraine, France, Norway, Italy, Hungary and Belgium. This year's festival will last two months, and will be longer than the previous events. One concert a week is scheduled, the Lowicz municipal office spokesman said Tuesday. The programme of the festival includes, apart from J.S. Bach's music, also pieces by Haendel, Liszt and Mendelssohn.
Zycie Warszawy: Wave of attacks against gays
Warsaw, July 5: Zycie Warszawy daily reporting on a growing wave of physical attacks against gays stresses that minorities are feeling less and less secure, even in their favourite bars. The daily describes a number of incidents involving gays adding that there is no reaction on the part of police as such incidents are not reported by victims who feel intimidated. Gays are afraid of acts of revenge and new acts of violence. Szymon Niemiec, head of the Gays and Lesbians Association, thinks that the present wave of hatred is a result of verbal abuse of gays by LPR and PiS politicians - a behaviour, in his opinion, left unpunished.
Polish-Latvian relations are very good
Riga, July 7: President Aleksander Kwasniewski summing up his visits to Latvia and earlier to Estonia said they were very successful. Kwasniewski speaking to reporters on Thursday stressed that Polish-Latvian relations are very good - both countries are in NATO and the EU, also the Polish minority is doing well in Latvia. Kwasniewski describing Latvia's President Vaira Vike-Freiberga stressed she is "a real friend of Poland". The Latvian president stressed that her country has welcomed and is satisfied with the visit paid by the Polish leader. "Latvia can feel very safe having such strong, firm and supportive neighbour as Poland, she added."
President Kwasniewski thanks Latvia for support for Polish minority
Riga, July 7: President Aleksander Kwasniewski has thanked the Latvian authorities for their understanding and support for the Polish minority in that country. The Polish president and his Latvian counterpart Vaira Vike-Freiberga met at a Polish high school on Thursday with its
students and Polish minority representatives. President Kwasniewski said he was glad there was a growing striving to renew links with the national culture. One can be both a Polish and Latvian patriot. One can love Poland and Latvia and build together a common Europe, the Polish president said. The Latvian president stressed that Polish high schools graduates have a promising future because of their bilingualism. According to the Polish minority, cooperation between Poles and Latvian authorities is very good. According to various estimates, there are 60,000-100,000 Polish-Latvians living in Latvia. There are five Polish schools in Latvia (three high schools and two primary schools).
Polish President: I am shocked by London blasts
Riga, Warsaw, July 7: President Aleksander Kwasniewski said in Riga on Thursday he was shocked by what happened in London. He added he was determined to continue struggle against terrorism. "We must show determination in the struggle against terrorism," the President told a press conference in Riga. He expressed the hope that Poland was safe. He added he had a series of phone talks on the matter with respective ministers. We can't agree on innocent people being victims and we can't justify it. We have to show international solidarity and get involved in decisive struggle against terrorism, the president said. He added that every country may fall victim to terrorism, which was a serious disease of the contemporary world. The same opinion was voiced by Latvia's President Vaira Vike-Freiberg.
Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld, now on a visit to Serbia and Montenegro condemned terrorist blasts in London as an act directed against all people in Europe and the world. At a joint news conference with Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova, Rotfeld said that condolences had been sent to London on behalf of the president of Poland, the PM and his own. Rotfeld also said that the Polish Humanitarian Action expressed readiness for immediate assistance to Great Britain. Help was also offered by the Polish authorities. According to the Polish minister tragic developments in London will surely mobilise the international community to seek ways for counteracting the blind attacks of terror.
Poland to help and support Britain
Warsaw, July 7: President Aleksander Kwasniewski said Thursday night that Poland will grant all kind of assistance and support to Britain affected by terrorist attacks. "Terrorism feeds on despise for a human being and strives for destabilisation and intimidation at all cost. The struggle against it requires determination and solidarity," the president said. On behalf of his own and all Poles the president offered heartfelt condolences to British citizens. "Today we are with you, we are together with the Londoners," the president said.
No signals on any threats in Poland, authorities
Warsaw, July 7: Deputy defence minister Janusz Zemke said there were no signals on any special threats in Poland. Zemke explained that after such tragic events as the series of explosions on London buses and the underground railway "all security systems have been checked". "All the services know what to do in such situations. They follow routine procedures and check all sources of potential threat," Zemke said. The interior and administration ministry wrote in a statement issued to PAP that all services of the interior and administration ministry have been put on high alert and are in touch with the Internal Security Agency and their British partners.
Prime Minister: Poland should be active in Asia
Manila, July 7: Prime Minister Marek Belka said that after joining the EU Poland should be active and visible in Asian countries, but especially in south-eastern Asia. We want to be active and Poland is the most visible among the ten new EU members. We believe that in this way we may shape the EU policy in the region which is also in agreement with our interests, Belka told reporters summing up his week-long visit to south-eastern Asia Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are 350 million people. Even if they are not very rich their markets are very big. They need modern technologies, Belka said. Belka is the first Polish Prime Minister who visited the Philippines. The most significant projects discussed here include deliveries of military equipment, including aviation equipment. In 2003 Poland declared to open a credit line, Belka said but added that his visit made the Philippines decide to finally conclude the deal. Talks in Manila also focused on a construction of a 400-km railway line in the south of the Luzon island. On Wednesday Bumar's CEO and head of local railways signed a letter of intent on starting the project, Belka said. There are possibilities of establishing cooperation in mining, power engineering and shipyard industry. We want to invite Polish businessmen to come here to get acquainted with these possibilities, Belka said and added that plans provide for organizing Days of Polish Business in November.
Marek Belka on his candidature for OECD post
Manila, July 7: Prime Minister Marek Belka admittedon Thursday that his candidature for a post in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) had been put forward. The Foreign Ministry was seeking candidates and it has asked me. There are also questions from other countries if Poland wants to nominate its candidate, Belka told reporters in Manila. "Yes, there is an open position at the OECD. (...) It's true, there is such a candidature, but it's awkward for me to discuss it," Belka said and stressed that any questions should be directed to the Foreign Ministry. On Wednesday the Rzeczpospolita daily wrote that Belka has applied for an OECD post.
Sejm Speaker: Polish policy vis a vis Ukraine will remain unchanged
Vilnius, July 7: Polish policy vis a vis Ukraine will remain unchanged regardless of the presidential elections outcome in Poland, Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said Thursday during his one-day visit to Vilnius. He declared, he wants to win the elections. Cimoszewicz said Poland's policy towards Ukraine "will continue to be based on the idea of support for the European aspirations and the assumption that Poland should support all what serves independence and positive changes in Ukraine," Cimoszewicz told a press conference in the Lithuanian Sejmas (parliament).Answering a Ukrainian reporter's question about presidential elections in Poland, Cimoszewicz declared that "it's me who wants to win the elections" and stressed that he treats all his rivals in the run "very seriously". Speaking in the Sejmas earlier on Thursday Cimoszewicz referred to the problems of national minorities living in both countries. "We have done together and continue to do a lot for them, but we know that there are still important things that need to be solved, Cimoszewicz said and asked the Lithuanian deputies for reciprocity in relation to Poles in Lithuania.
Cimoszewicz receives high Lithuanian distinction
Vilnius, July 7: Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz received on Thursday the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Lithuania from Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus. The ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius. "I am very grateful to President Adamkus for awarding me with such a special distinction," Cimoszewicz said after the ceremony. He added the Cross will have a special place among all foreign distinctions he has received. Cimoszewicz received the Cross for his supporting Lithuania's Euroatlantic and European integration. The Polish Sejm Speaker said he backed Lithuania in "its strivings for the good future" with pleasure and satisfaction.
Rotfeld on necessity of prospect of EU entry for Balkan states
Podgorica, July 7: Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld said in Podgorica on Thursday after talks with the authorities of Montenegro that the Balkan states should be given a clear prospect of their EU entry as this can ensure peace and stability in the region. Rotfeld, on a working visit to Serbia and Montenegro, met Wednesday evening with Montenegro's PM Milo Djukanovic and on Thursday with Foreign Minister Miodrag Vlahovic and President Filip Vujanovic. The Polish foreign minister said that though the EU was in a difficult situation after the rejection of the treaty in France and the Netherlands and the failure to adopt a budget it should not close prospects of its membership for new countries.
Senate speaker: stop annoying Polish Union in Belarus
Warsaw, July 7: Senate speaker Longin Pastusiak on Wednesday appealed to Belarussian authorities to stop annoying Polish Union activists in Belarus and let them publish their lawful weekly Glos znad Niemna". "Public opinion in Poland expresses growing concern at and disapproval of the actions of the Belarussian authorities," Pastusiak said in a statement issued Thursday. He stressed that actions and steps against Poles are incompatible with generally accepted international standards and bilateral agreements on the Polish minority rights in Belarus. Recent steps taken by the Belarussian authorities are also incompatible with press laws in force in Belarus. Pastusiak stressed that the detention of Polish journalists staging protest in defence of the Polish weekly in Grodno proves that repression against Polish organisations in Belarus intensify.
Truszczynski on future of EU and Constitutional Treaty
Warsaw, July 7: Deputy Foreign Minister Jan Truszczynski thinks that the Constitutional Treaty ratification process should go on. In his opinion the present EU crisis is of a political nature, rather than institutional. "Undoubtedly, we need the Treaty before 2009, that is before elections to the European Parliament and the European Commission," he declared. Speaking on the closing day of a conference on the political, constitutional and economic challenges in the European Union the year after enlargement, the minister warned that the situation in which refusal of one country may put in danger the realisation of the whole project would result in making EU actions ineffective. Truszczynski believes that the Treaty text should remain preserved in full because the division of the document into more or less important elements would lead to further divisions among EU members. A new contract is needed between the citizens of Europe and their leaders, one that would guarantee the possibility of holding social debates on EU economic priorities, the minister stated.
Vice President of the EP: Polish Eurodeputies want to have a say in eastern policy
Warsaw, July 7: Vice President of the European Parliament Janusz Onyszkiewicz believes that Polish Eurodeputies want to have a say in the EU eastern policy. According to him, they have contributed a lot to the activity of the EP over the first year of their presence there. "It is becoming evident that the EU cannot pursue its policy towards such countries as Ukraine according to the rule that Russia is always first and a policy towards Ukraine is but a derivative of a policy towards Russia," Onyszkiewicz told Polish Radio One on Thursday. He stressed that at the time of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine Poland was a political representative of the whole Union, and called it "a great success of Poland." He added that a lot is to be done as concerns questions of EU's eastern policy, towards Russia and Belarus.
Finance Ministry: Strategy of Poland's entering eurozone in late July
Warsaw, July 7: The Finance Ministry will present the strategy of Poland's entering the euro zone in the last week of July, deputy Finance Minister Grzegorz Stanislawski said on Thursday. Earlier Stanislawski said that the ministry wanted to present a technical strategy of Poland's joining the zone between July 5 and 7. According to ministry's reports, the strategy will be prepared on the basis of the convergence programme. The programme envisions the meeting of Maastricht criteria in 2007 and Poland's entering the euro zone in 2009. Finance Minister Miroslaw Gronicki believes Poland must enter the zone in 2009 or 2010.
Warsaw, July 7: The Sejm on Thursday passed an anti-usury law which makes it impossible to charge sky-high interest rates on credits. The law was authored by deputies of the Law and Justice (PiS) party and Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) who wanted "to protect Poles against exploitation by money lenders". There were 324 votes for, 63 against and two abstentions. Under the law a maximum interest on a credit cannot exceed a quadruple amount of NBP lombard rate. At present the lombard rate is 6.5 percent so interest on credits cannot exceed 26 percent.
WSE overall value goes up 44 percent to 232 bn PLN
Warsaw, July 7: The overall value of the Warsaw Stock Exchange WSE in the 1H of 2005 rose by 44 percent to 232.1 bn zlotys (68.3 bn USD). The number of registered companies rose by 18 percent from the 1H of 2004, WSE representatives said Thursday. By the end of June 2005 there were 244 companies registered at the WSE. In the 1st half shares in 19 companies were floated for the first time which gives Poland the fourth place in Europe as regards the number of debuts. Turnover reached 74 bn zlotys, up more than 47 percent on the comparable period of 2004. Turnover in futures rose by 120 percent and in options for foreign currency contracts by 73 percent. Futures on indexes rose by 18 percent. In total turnover on the futures market amounted to 88.4 bn zlotys. In the 1H of 2005 the average daily turnover on the share and bond market totalled 623 mn zlotys and was 200 mn zlotys higher compared to the 1H of 2004.
Sejm rejects government report on agriculture after EU entry
Warsaw, July 7: The Sejm on Thursday rejected a government report on the situation in agriculture after Poland's EU entry. The report was presented last Friday by Agriculture Minister Jerzy Pilarczyk. After Poland's EU entry Polish agriculture has been covered by Common Agricultural Policy instruments and the rural development policy.
Warsaw, July 7: The official reserve assets went up in June by 1 billion 351.9 million euros to 34 billion 153.6 million euros from 32 billion 801.7 million euros in May, the National Bank of Poland NBP announced on Thursday.
Poland to launch bond issue on U.S. market in September
Warsaw, July 7: Poland will issue bonds on the U.S. market in September, Pawel Kowalewski, the director of the finance ministry's dues and liabilities told PAP on Thursday. He did not elaborate on the value of the issue but said it was high time to appear on this huge and important market after a two-year absence. The decision follows a statement by Finance Minister Miroslaw Gronicki, who in June did not exclude the possibility of bond issues on foreign markets in 2005 denominated in euro or USD depending on market needs. In October 2003 the finance ministry earned 997.2 mn USD on the sale of 10-year bonds on the U.S. market. On Wednesday Poland sold 50-year bonds worth 500 mn euros for the first time ever to improve refinancing parameters of the budget needs. In June the ministry also sold 400 mn zlotys in bonds denominated in Swiss francs.
Telekomunikacja Polska SA cuts employment by 2.5 thousand
Warsaw, July 7: The ongoing employment restructuring process at Telekomunikacja Polska SA telecom monopolist has so far resulted in the liquidation of 2,503 job posts. TP SA CEO Marek Jozefiak holding a press conference on Thursday said that it is difficult to say how many more people will lose their jobs. According to him 2,221 people voluntarily resigned from work receiving compensations while 282 have been fired. According to TP SA officials the company's restructuring programme is to embrace a total of 2.7 thousand employees by the end of this year.
Opposition attack government over Northern Gas Pipeline
Warsaw, July 7: The Sejm on Thursday debated plans on constructing the Northern Gas Pipeline connecting Russia and Germany. Opposition deputies stressed that the plans in question pose a threat to Poland's energy security and blamed left-wing governments for allowing it. Deputy Economy Minister Malgorzata Ostrowska rejected accusations and recalled that agreements with Russia on the delivery of gas to Poland continue to be binding. She added that northern project is a clear-cut economic venture and pointed out that the government has presented to the EC a concept of the construction of the second line of the Yamal gas pipeline, together with the so called Amber project. Kazimierz Ujazdowski of the Law and Justice stressed that these plans are of "fundamental significance for Poland's energy security," especially in light of the fact that the "left-wing government has voluntarily resigned from alternative access to gas (Norway, ed.) and has worsen Poland's position during the 2003 negotiations on the agreement on further implementation of the Yamal contract."
The Financial Times: Toyota may invest more in Polish plants
London, July 7: The Japanese Toyota concern is mulling over a construction of a new engine plant in Europe or expanding the existing plants in Poland, The Financial Times wrote on Thursday. We must take this decision still this year or in early 2006, Toyota Europe CEO Shichi Sasaki said in an interview for the daily and added that he himself supported the idea to invest in Poland. Toyota has plants in Jelcz-Laskowice and Walbrzych in Lower Silesia. By 2006 investment outlays in the Jelcz-Laskowice plant are planned to reach 200 million euros and employment is to grow from 350 to 900 people. The Walbrzych plant will increase its employment from 1,100 people to 1,800, with investments growing to 400 million euros.
Centralwings to offer Shannon-Warsaw connection
London, July 7: Low fare airline Centralwings will start to fly on the Shannon-Warsaw route as of November 2, Limerick Post, a local Irish newspaper has reported. Declan Power, marketing director at the Shannon airport said that the new air connection will have great influence on the development of Ireland's economic contacts with Poland and Central Europe.
Kompania Weglowa to distribute ecological coal
Katowice, June 7: Kompania Weglowa, together with producers of coal boilers, is preparing for the setting up of a network for the distribution of ecological coal. The company plans to deliver its coal, free of black and dirt, in paper sacks directly to the doors of individual customers and to municipal entities. The new ecological coal sold under the brand name Retopal, is specially prepared for the need of ecological coal boilers. The company plans to sell some 0.5 million tonnes of such fuel by the end of the year. Maksymilian Klank, the coal company's CEO, said that the new system will allow for finding new clients.
Kotani to build 15 million USD plant in Gliwice
Katowice, July 7: Kotani, a member of the Japanese Sumitomo Corporation Group, will build a 50 million zloty (15 million USD) plant in the Gliwice section of the Katowice special economic zone. The high-tech plant is to produce forgings for the automotive industries in Poland, Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic. So far this year's biggest investor in the Katowice zone is Italian maker of heaters and central heating boilers Ferroli which plans to invest some 120 million zlotys in a plant to be built in Sosnowiec.
Prime Minister Belka: terrorist threat remains unchanged
Warsaw, July 8: The London attacks have neither increased the existing terrorist threat in Poland nor reduced it. Such a threat does exist, Prime Minister Marek Belka said Friday after a meeting of the Government Crisis Management Team. he PM added Poland had not received any alarming signals from London concerning Poles living in Britain. Belka added that Poland had a crisis coordination system though he admitted that "its legal structure could be better."
Sejm Speaker Cimoszewicz tops list of presidential runners
Warsaw, July 8: If presidential elections had been held in July Sejm Speaker Wlodzmierz Cimoszewicz would have gained 31 percent of votes, indicate results of CBOS survey sent to PAP on Friday. Warsaw President Lech Kaczynski would have been 2nd with a 20 percent support, 5 percentage points less than in July. Cimoszewicz was not taken into account in the previous survey in June but in May only 14 percent was willing to vote for him. The two would have been followed by cardio-surgeon Zbigniew Religa who would have been supported by 13 percent of voters, down 6 percentage point from June), Samoobrona's Andrzej Lepper with 12 percent of votes (no change) Citizens' Platform PO leader Donald Tusk with 9 percent of votes, down 2 percentage points, Marek Borowski of the Social Democracy of Poland SdPL with 5 percent of votes, down 9 percentage points and Maciej Giertych of the League of Polish Families LPR and Jaroslaw Kalinowski of the Polish Peasant Party PSL with with 3 percent of votes (the rating of the 1st down 1 percentage point and the latter remaining unchanged).
Cimoszewicz refuses to testify in PKN Orlen case
Warsaw, July 10: Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz has accused seven members of the Sejm special enquiry committee for PKN Orlen of being biased and asked for excluding them from his hearing. After making the statement Cimoszewicz walked out from the committee meeting. According to Cimoszewicz, the hearing cannot be continued until motions for excluding the seven MPs are examined by the Sejm Presidium.
Foreign Minister to pay working visit to Italy
Warsaw, July 8: Foreign Minister Adam Rotfeld will pay a working visit to Rome on July 12 at the invitation of Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, the Foreign Ministry wrote in a
statement sent to PAP on Friday. The two politicians will discuss the future of the European Union, possible scenarios of overcoming the crisis after the rejection of the EU Constitutional Treaty by France and the Netherlands, bilateral issues and prospects for the development of political, economic and cultural cooperation. During the visit an agreement on cooperation in culture and education between the two governments will be signed.
Book of condolences at British Embassy
Warsaw, London, July 8: A condolence book was laid out in the British Embassy in Warsaw on Friday afternoon for all those who wanted to pay homage to victims of the Thursday's terrorist attacks in London. A similar book was placed in Gdansk city hall on Friday with the
first to convey their condolences being Gdansk President Pawel Adamowicz and chairman of the city council Bogdan Oleszek. The book will be available until Sunday. Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz sent a condolence letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons Mr. Michael J. Martin. Cimoszewicz wrote that this appalling act of terror was directed not only against the British nation but also against all peace-loving and human life respecting people. A mass for the victims at Warsaw's Field Cathedral on Friday evening was attended by President Aleksander Kwasniewski, Britain's Ambassador to Poland Charles Crawford and representatives of the diplomatic corps, Jan Osinski, the secretary of the Field Bishop said. Meanwhile, according to a statement from the British side the embassy received and conveyed to Britain more than 1,000 notifications of people asking for their relatives and friends. Spokesman for the Polish Foreign Ministry Aleksander Checko urged all Poles in Britain to contact their families in Poland to help them calm down. He said the Polish Embassy and the Consulate General in London were in touch with police, rescue services and hospitals seeking for 12-13 Poles still reported missing. Three Poles who suffered light injuries in the Thursday terrorist attacks will be hospitalised for 2-3 days, Aleksander Kropiwnicki of the Polish Embassy in London said. Embassy representatives visited them and confirmed they were in quite a good shape.
Internal Security Agency receives info on London attack
Lublin, July 10: Officers of the Internal Security Agency (ABW) are checking information on alleged links of a British citizen of Pakistani nationality staying in Lublin with the Thursday
terrorist attacks in London. Spokeswomen for the Lublin ABW office Agata Studenny the information was received from a Lublin resident on Friday.She added that ABW officers have undertook necessary steps aimed to check received information, including a search of the suspected person's quarters.
Muslim Religious Union condemns London attacks
Bialystok, July 8: The Muslim Religious Union in Poland condemns terrorist attacks in London and expresses sympathy for the families of the victims. Speaking on behalf of Polish Muslims the union is once again condemning any acts of terror and war, Head of the Council of Imams of the Muslim Religious Union in Poland Mufti Tomasz Miskiewicz said. Islam condemns terrorism, killings and injustice directed against innocent people. The men who authored this barbarous attack surely do not have any links with Islam, the statement said.
The Muslim Religious Union has some 5,000 members.
Foreign ministry: No statement on situation in Iraq
Warsaw, July 8: Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Aleksander Checko told PAP on Friday that the ministry would not issue a statement in connection with the situation in Iraq. On Thursday Al-Qaeda warned it would try to capture the biggest possible number of ambassadors to punish countries which support the present U.S.-sponsored Iraqi government. "For the time being our position remains unchanged," Checko added.
Polish soldiers leave for Iraq
Wroclaw, July 10: A group of 155 soldiers left for Iraq from Wroclaw airport on Saturday. This is the first group of soldiers of the fifth and last Polish shift to be sent to Iraq within the framework of the the Polish Military Contingent. According to Colonel Herbert Bucholc, the leading task of the fifth shift will be the training of Iraqi forces and participation in the stabilization mission. Soldier will also be responsible for transferring the base either to the Iraqi army or to Americans and to preparing Polish equipment for its transport to back to Poland. The command over the last shift of the Polish contingent has been taken by General Piotr Czerwinski.
Sejm passes law on Office of the State Attorney
Warsaw, July 8: With 367 to 1 and 5 abstentions the Sejm on Friday passed the law setting up the Office of the State Attorney, an institution aimed at legal protection of the state treasury interests in court proceedings if the value of a case exceeds 1 million zlotys (289.9 million USD) The Sejm adopted 3 amendments to the law out of the total 33 submitted, namely that the annual reports will be submitted to the Sejm not to the government, that the office cannot replay state legal entities. The 3rd amendment allows for financing its organisation from the state treasury means. The State Attorney's Office will represent the state treasury in property and non-property claims submitted by domestic and foreign entities. Deputy head of the treasury ministry's legal department Marcin Przychodzki told PAP that the office would employ 450 people and would be headquartered in Warsaw. It would have branches in 12 cities where courts of appeals are placed. The ministry estimates that in the first period of the office operations between 1.5 and 2 thousand cases may be presented to it. The office will be supervised by the state treasury minister and its head will be appointed by the PM. The law takes effect on January 1, 2006.
Unemployment to drop to 17.5 pct at year's end, says Belka
Warsaw, July 8: Prime Minister Marek Belka on Friday said that the unemployment rate should drop to some 17.5 per cent at the end of 2005 from the expected 18.1 per cent in June. Last Tuesday, deputy Economy Minister Jacek Mecina upheld ministry's forecast that end-of-the-year unemployment rate should fall to 17.5-17.6 per cent. In his opinion the July rate should go down to 18 per cent from the expected 18.1 per cent in June.
2004 inflation higher due to rise of food prices, Balcerowicz
Warsaw, July 7: Governor of the National Bank of Poland (NBP) Leszek Balcerowicz said that 2004 inflation grew from 1.6-1.7 per cent in the first quarter to 4.4-4.6 per cent in the next months of the year and was higher than the 2.5 pct inflation target due to an increased rise of food prices and oil. Balcerowicz presented to the Sejm a report on the implementation of the monetary policy in 2004 and a report on the NBP's operation in 2004 on Friday. The NBP governor stressed that according to assumptions for the 2004 monetary policy, passed in 2003, food prices were to increase by an average of 2.4 per cent where in reality they went up by almost 4 per cent. This was caused among others by an increased export of Polish food products what in turn triggered price growth on the domestic market. Balcerowicz also said that according to 2003 forecasts the price of oil was to reach an average of 25 USD per barrel in 2004 where in fact it reached 38 USD. The NBP governor stressed that the monetary policy has been implemented in a state of deteriorating public finances, with a high deficit and high budget spending bringing increased tax burdens. "The increasing public debt may be a source of strong flux of exchange rate which in return leads to inflation fluctuation." He stressed that the deficit grew to 4.9 per cent of the GDP in 2004 from 4.2 per cent of the GDP in 2003. "The budget gap draws foreign capital. Bonds worth 41 billion zlotys were in the portfolios of foreign investors in 2003, this figure went up to 62 billion zlotys in 2004," said Balcerowicz and stressed that the lack of a reform of public finances allows for the inflow of speculative capital. The NBP head once again called for the limitation of public spending and warned against the poor state of the country's finances. "A palpable cut of budget expenditures in relation to the GDP is a necessary condition to achieve a quick, long-term development of Poland," said Balcerowicz. He named Lithuania and Estonia as countries where the reform of public finances contributed to economic growth. He criticized high public spending which translates into high taxes. "A Polish employee who earns one thousand zlotys costs an employer some 1.8 thousand zlotys...Spending the earned money he will pay more taxes - VAT or excise. An if he manages to save some money and decides to put it in a bank, the fiscus is also waiting there," said Balcerowicz. Referring to foreign currency assets management, Balcerowicza said that foreign currency reserves reached 36.8 billion USD at the end of 2004 and were higher by 2.6 billion USD compared to the end of 2003. Income from foreign currency investments reached 3.9 billion zlotys, up 200 million on the previous year.
Modernisation of Lublinek airport to end in October
Lodz, July 8: The modernisation of Lublinek airport in Lodz will end this October. The airstrip will be made more longer and the taxiing route broadened. This fall the airport will start to service the Lodz-London connection. Board CEO of Lublinek airport Leszek Krawczyk told PAP on Friday that the modernisation which has so far cost 20 million zlotys
(5.97 million USD) will enable the landing of medium-size Boeing planes. Modernised will be also a passenger terminal. "For the time being this is the most important task. Time is running out and we do not have means for such modernisation," Krawczyk said. He added that a provisional terminal, which will service four times more passengers will replace the old ones for 2-3 years. The first Ryanair plane will take off to London on October 30. It aroused a huge interest and we have already sold all tickets, Krawczyk said. He added that talks with representatives of other low-fare airlines are underway and that soon regular connections with Praque, Rome and Paris as well as Ukraine and Germany will be launched.
Poland should back projects alternative to Baltic gas pipeline
Gdansk, July 10: Prime Minister Marek Belka taking part in a Gdansk seminar on energy security said Poland cannot blame anyone for the existence of plans to build an underwater gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany. Belka said Poland should take advantage of its position in the EU to support alternative to the Baltic connection projects. He explained that such alternative project may be a gas pipeline connecting Kazakhstan with western Europe. Economy Minister Jacek Piechota added that in 2004 the European Union at Poland's initiative decided to cofinance a study on the profitability of two alternative to the Baltic gas pipeline routes; second line of the Yamal pipeline and the so called Amber route leading through Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.
Donbas signs tentative agreement on Czestochowa mill
Czestochowa, July 10: Silesia financial association and Huta Czestochowa steelwork on Friday signed tentative agreements with the Ukrainian Donbas Industrial Union on the purchase of shares in the steelworks and its 12 subsidiaries. For all shares Donbas will pay 1,252 million zlotys (368.2 million USD). The price is 350 million zlotys higher than the one set during a tender in December 2004. The documents were signed in the presence of Treasury Minister Jacek Socha by Silesia CEO Tadeusz Wenecki, steelworks CEO Waclaw Korczak and Donbas representative in Poland Konstantin Litvinov.Donbas said it would invest 440 million zlotys in the steelwork in seven years and will repay 4 mn euros of public assistance granted to the steelworks by the state prior to the restructuring process, as required by the EU. Also a welfare package for workers was signed with 10-year employment guarantees and a number of perks much better that those offered by Mittal Steel who earlier had the exclusive negotiation rights.
Jarre's concert to mark 25th Solidarity anniversary
Gdansk, July 8: Jean Michel Jarre will give a concert in Gdansk on August 26 to lend lustre to ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of 1980 August workers' strikes and Solidarity formation, Stanislaw Plakwicz, the head of the Gdansk Foundation told PAP on Friday. "Jarre will play a piece composed especially to commemorate the workers' protests. The composition will include part of Jacek Kaczmarek's song "Mury" (Walls). The artist resigned from his royalties for a two-hour concert, Plakwicz said. The concert of the French composer will take place at the premises of the Gdansk shipyard. The scale of the event may be attested to by the fact that 111 people will arrive from France on August 11 to organise it. Attendance is estimated at 100,000 people, he said.
Foreign Minister: More missing in London attacks
Warsaw, July 11: Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld believes that the number of those missing after the London attacks will rise. Rotfeld recalled that the British rescue services are still trying to reach those trapped in the crashed train car where the temperature was so high that it is not possible to establish victims' identity. The fate of over ten Poles remains unclear. Rotfeld stressed that the number of missing Poles is "disproportionately high" compared to the total number of those missing in the London attacks. Rotfeld said that there is no confirmed evidence of terrorist attack plans against Poland. Seventeen people are on a London-based Polish Consulate General's list of missing persons .
Government: No signals of threats against Poland
Warsaw, July 11: We've got no signals that may confirm an increased probability of a terrorist attack against Poland, deputy Interior Minister Tadeusz Matusiak has said. However, he added related Polish services were still on stand-by. The minister made the statement after a meeting of the Government Crisis Team in Warsaw on Monday. Matusiak stressed the said services were put on stand-by due to "the international situation after attacks in London." "This state will be recalled after the analysis of events in Europe and in the country," he said. He also added that since last Thursday a few incidents had happened, for instance police checked luggage left unattended by careless passengers at Warsaw's international airport. Also head of the Internal Security Agency ABW Andrzej Barcikowski assured reporters ABW had received no signs indicating that Poland could be in peril. The level of the threat remained unchanged since two months ago or two weeks ago, he explained. He added however that in the long-term Poland will surely be the target for terrorists and "there is no way we can neglect it," he added. He recalled that ABW officers in Lublin had been checking "certain alarming signals" about a British subject of Pakistani origin living there and, uttering threats against Polish citizens, according to one of Lublin residents. "We've been checking it and we will check it. We do not neglect any signal. This one may be totally neutral but it may also carry something,"
Brussels, July 11: The European Commission accused Poland of breaking the EU port law by misapplying a relevant EU directive. The European Commission threatened to bring the matter before the EU's Court of Justice unless Poland corrected the legislation on ships landing in EU ports. Stefan de Rynck, spokesman for Jacques Barrot, commissioner for transport, charged Poland with too much bureaucracy. "The directive was designed to streamline formalities, but instead it complicated them in Poland," he noted.
Polish-Ukrainian cooperation agreement on civil service
Warsaw, July 11: An agreement on cooperation in the development of civil service and administration reform was signed between Poland and Ukraine here on Monday. Within the framework of the agreement Poland will run two training projects for Ukrainian civil servants, organised in Poland and Ukraine. Both projects will be financed by the Polish side.The agreement was signed by Civil Service head Jan Pastwa and Tymofiy Motrenko, head of the Main Civil Service of Ukraine.
GDP growth at 3.0-3.3 percent in Q2
Warsaw, July 11: Minister of Economy Jacek Piechota believes that the GDP rose by 3.0-3.0 percent in the second quarter against 2.1 percent in the first quarter. According to him, the unemployment rate will fall to 17.0 percent this autumn from 18.1 percent in June and it may stand below 17.0 percent by the year end. "We have expected a slightly lower growth of 3.0-3.3 percent," Piechota told PIN radio station on Monday. He confirmed the earlier forecast of his ministry of a 3.7-percent growth of economy this year. "The unemployment stood at 18.1 percent in June and it will be at 18.0 percent, or below 18.0 percent, at the end of July to fall to 17.0 percent in the autumn. By the end of the year the unemployment may go below 17.0 percent. We expect it to be at 17.0 percent at the end of December," Piechota said.
Minister of Economy: president likely to veto bill on VAT compensating
Warsaw, July 11: Minister of Economy Jacek Piechota believes the president will most likely veto the bill on compensation for the raised VAT rates in housing building. "The bill has not been completed as far as legislation path is concerned; there is still the Senate and the president. The prime minister and finance minister have a lot of doubts in this respect. I think there can be a presidential veto," Piechota told PIN radio station on Monday. The Sejm on Friday adopted a draft law on compensating part of expenses for people building or renovating their flats that resulted from the raised VAT rates on building materials. All deputies voted for the bill.The amendments substantially reduce the size of originally proposed compensations and come as a compromise with the government that opposed the draft due to high budget expenditures. In line with the EU laws as of May 1, 2004 Poland had to introduce a 22 percent VAT rate on construction materials. The EC however agreed on maintaining the 7 percent VAT on construction services till the end of 2007.
Poland's aid plane leaves for Afghanistan
Warsaw, July 11: Poland's Caritas donated two tons of charity aid and 150 thousand zlotys to Afghanistan. On Monday Poland is sending the fourth batch of aid, mostly medicines and children's articles, for the Afghan population living in the vicinity of the Bagram base.
Gdansk, July 11: Jaroslaw Walesa, 29-year-old son of Solidarity legend Lech Walesa, announced Monday in Gdansk that he planned to run for parliament for the centrist Citizens Platform (PO). I'm very glad to be on this list. To me these are the most sensible people with the best programme, a programme that fits my political views, Walesa junior told reporters. He added that he had no intention of joining PO as this would entail "certain factors" he could not disclose. His chances are quite good and I'm going to vote for him, although I do have my doubts. My family always discouraged me from politics (...) but I became a politician anyway. This is why I neither encouraged or discouraged my own children, Lech Walesa said today. In 2004 Jaroslaw Walesa received close to 6.8 thousand votes in the EP elections.
Walesa to reapply to Nobel Committee for information
Gdansk, July 11: Lech Walesa will apply to the Nobel Committee for confirmation whether it received information on his alleged cooperation with the communist-era secret police. This will be Walesa's second application to the Nobel Committe on the issue. The Rzeczpospolita daily wrote Monday that the Committee rejected Walesa's first request. Walesa said he would reformulate his request.
Women's Congress want election parity
Warsaw, July 11: Participants in the 2nd National Congress of Women on Monday appealed to parliamentarians to draft a law on election parity to increase women's chances for equal representation in the politics. The congress, held in Warsaw on Monday, was organised by the
Association for Citizen's Initiatives and the Polish section of Soroptimist International and attended by several dozen persons from non-government organisations. The participants in the congress call on parliamentarians to launch actions creating friendly conditions for greater participation of women in the political life of the country. They want establishment of a special 15-year transition period (from 2005 to 2020) for the introduction of the election parity. The women also want establishment of the duty obliging all political parties and groupings which run in the elections to name at least 40 percent of women as their candidates to parliament.
NBP: No threats for financial system
Warsaw, July 11: Poland's financial system was stable in 2004 and is able to cope with potential unfavourable phenomena, according to a central bank report on financial system stability that was published on Monday. The situation of Poland's financial system considerably improved in 2004, mostly on better macroeconomic conditions, including the situation of financial institutions, the NBP report said. The report identifies alarming phenomena in the financial system, including growing competition between banks, chiefly with regard to household loans.
Polish airports service growing number of passengers
Warsaw, July 11: In the first five months of this year 12 Polish airports serviced more than 3.9 million passengers, up 37.9 percent on the figure reported in the comparative period of last year, the Civil Aviation Office ULC told PAP on Monday. According to ULC, in the same period of 2004 Polish airports serviced slightly more than 2.8 million passengers. The list of most popular airports starts with Warsaw-Okecie that serviced more than 2.5 million passengers between January and May 2005, up 23.2 percent. Next was Katowice-Pyrzowice airport with 354,000 passengers, up 248.2 percent on the comparable period of 2004. It was followed by Cracow-Balice airport with 515.5 thousand passengers, up 124.6 percent. Growing number of passengers were also serviced by Wroclaw-Starachowic, Poznan-Lawica, Lodz-Lublinek, Gdansk-Rebiechowo, Szczecin-Goleniow, Bydgoszcz, Rzeszow, Zielona Gora and Szczytno airports.
Israeli guides trained at Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum
Bielsko-Biala, July 11: Israeli teachers, guides of groups visiting Poland and workers of the Yad Vashem Institute are taking part in a seminar on the role and importance of remembrance about the Nazi-run Auschwitz extermination camp for Poles and Jews, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum spokesman Jaroslaw Mensfelt said Monday. The two-day seminar started in the museum on Monday for over 200 Israeli participants. It offers a programme of lectures by museum historians discussing various aspects of the German and Soviet occupation of Poland, Poles in the Auschwitz camp and the resistance movement in the camp and outside. Also the political background of the anti-semitic campaign in Poland in 1968 and the contemporary Jewish life here will be discussed, the spokesman said. The participants in the seminar will take part in workshops on the conservation works and other activities of the museum. The seminar is organised by the International Auschwitz and Holocaust Education Centre operating at the museum. It is the first event prepared by that institution called into being at the end of May.
Law and Justice for new expressways
Kielce, July 11: The construction of 5,000 kilometres of expressways and the completion of the A-1 motorway from Poland's Baltic coast to the south of the country are major points in the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) Party's election programme presented Monday in Kielce. According to PiS infrastructure minister candidate Jerzy Polaczek large-scale road and rail projects could draw foreign investment and speed up Poland's economic growth. He noted, however, that this will require better laws and more flexibility on the part of investment-involved institutions. The planned road projects will be financed from government and local government funds as well as from EU funds.
Polsat and TVN top ad income list
Warsaw, July 11: With respectively 798.7 and 863 million zlotys (239.1 and 258.3 mn USD) the Polsat and TVN TV stations booked the highest earnings on commercials on the media market in the first half of this year, the AGB Polska market research agency informed Monday. Runners up were the national broadcasters TVP1 and TVP2 (529.7 and 377.6 mn zlotys). TVN is Poland's second-highest commercial earner for the second year running. Last year the station grossed 724.1 mn zlotys.
Treasury sells Polmos Bialystok for 309 million USD
Warsaw, July 11: CEDC, the U.S. alcohol distributor will pay 1.063 billion zlotys (309 million USD) for 61 percent of shares in Polmos Bialystok. One share will cost CEDC 146.5 zlotys. Treasury Minister Jacek Socha said the price offered by the U.S. company was the highest out of all offered and besides, the company pledged to invest 77.5 million zlotys in Polmos Bialystok in five years. CEDC also vowed during the five years Polmos Bia ystok will not be liquidated, will not change the scope of its operations, will not sell trademarks and will not shift production to another company. CEDC also said nit would preserve the margins and profitability on the level of 2004. The agreement is tentative in nature as it still has to be approved by the president of the Office for the Protection of Competition and Consumers and get a permit of the Securities and Stock Exchanges Commission for transferring shares' ownership outside the regulated market.
ProLogis opens park near Wroclaw
Warsaw, July 11: By the end of October the ProLogis industrial floorage rental company will open the first two buildings of its 100-million-dollar ProLogis Park in Bielany Wroclawskie by Wroclaw. When complete, ProLogis Park will consist of eight buildings comprising an area of 165,000 sqm. ProLogis Park is to be ready in 5 years' time. Prologis already has over 350,000 sqm of distribution floorage in six Polish cities.
Eurobarometer: Poles hardly interested in new technologies
Brussels, July 11: Poles are hardly interested in new technologies, indicates a Eurobarometer poll presented in Brussels on Monday. As many as 30 percent of Poles are not at all interested in new technologies or discoveries. Only 21 percent expressed the opposite opinion against 54 percent of Cypriots, 46 percent of Malteses, or 42 percent of Dutchmen. The EU average is at 30 percent. Smaller interest that that of Poles was shown only by Portuguese, Italians and Lithuanians. The poll was run in 32 European countries on a representative sample of the 570 million European population.
My Nikifor: Massive victory of Polish film at Karlovy Vary
Prague, July 11: A massive victory of the Polish cinema, is what Czech media said commenting on the awards announced at the jubilee 40th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival which ended last weekend. The festival's Grand Prix, the Crystal Globe, was awarded to the Polish film My Nikifor (Moj Nikifor). The Best Director Award was won by Krzysztof Krauze for My Nikifor, and the Best Actress award went to the Polish actress Krystyna Feldman, who starred in this picture.The Grand Jury of the festival, chaired by Michael Redford of U.K. passed its verdict unanimously for "the originality of the story and the execution of the film". The Polish film was also awarded the Don Quixote Prize of the FICC. Critics said the decisive victory of the Polish film is well-deserved, all the more valuable that scored in the competition of 14 international productions sent to this prestigious festival. Among international stars present at the festival were Robert Redford, Sharon Stone and Catherine Deneuve. All in all, 242 long-length films and 10 short films were screened to the festival audience of over 142 thousand. "My Nikifor" tells the story of the Polish naive painter called Nikifor (1895 - 1968) from the mountain resort where he created his innumerable pictures that now can be found in many world museums. The 80-year old Krystyna Feldman as Nikifor was praised for her "astonishing transformation and outstanding performance."
Comic book on Solidarity union underway
Warsaw, July 11: A comic book on Solidarity will be published to mark the 25th anniversary of the first free trade union set in communist Poland. The book titled "Solidarnosc - 25 lat: Nadzieja zwyklych ludzi" (Solidarity. 25 Years: Hope for Ordinary People) containing images linked to the milestone events in the activities of the union between 1980 and 1989. "We make this book to recall people who had enough courage to say "no" and unite under the banner of Solidarity to lead to the liberation of Poland from under the Soviet domination," script author Maciej Jasinski said. The book will be composed of five stories told in five sets of comic drawings, each set drawn by different artists. The stories will relate to the creation and registration of the Solidarity, imposition of martial law in Poland, a visit to Poland of Pope John Paul II, the killing of opposition priest Father Jerzy Popieluszko, the round-table conference and the fall of communism in Poland and Eastern Europe.
Prime Minister Belka meets with General Ricardo Sanchez
Warsaw, July 12: Prime Minister Marek Belka on Tuesday received Lieutenant General Ricardo S. Sanchez, V Corps Commanding General, the government press office reported. The key issue discussed during the meeting was Polish-U.S. military cooperation, including the stabilization mission in Iraq. This is the first visit paid by General Sanchez to Poland. During the visit the general will be decorated with the Gold Medal of the Polish Armed Forces in recognition of his contribution to the development of Polish-U.S. military cooperation.
Prime Minister: PGNiG pre-election debut possible
Warsaw, July 12: Poland's Polish Oil & Gas concern (PGNiG) could debut on the stock market before this autumn's parliamentary elections, believes PM Marek Belka. The possibility exists but I can't promise anything, Belka said. PGNiG planned to emit 900 million shares in June to raise at least 1.5 bn zlotys (0.4 bn USD) in investment funds. The treasury ministry decided to postpone the issue until autumn for capital market reasons.
Rotfeld, Fini on labour market, EU constitution
Rome, July 12: Polish and Italian Foreign Ministers Adam Daniel Rotfeld and Italian deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini met in Rome on Tuesday to discuss labour market, the European constitution and a common budget for 2007-2013, apart from terrorism related issues. Following the meeting Rotfeld said Italians were not enthusiastic as to the Polish proposal to open their labour market though they shared views on the EU Constitution and the budget for 2007-2013. The Polish minister expressed the hope the budget crisis would be solved in 3-4 years. "Italians were more optimistic but assured me no solutions regarding the budget would harm Poland and other new EU members. Rotfeld also said that Polish-Russia crises did not negatively affect Polish-Italian relations and explained that the Italian side welcomed the Polish proposal of organising joint meetings of the two countries governments once in a year. The first is to be organised at the end of the year after elections in Poland, the minister said."The Italians asked us not to make any important decisions without them," Rotfeld said.
Rotfeld against extraordinary anti-terrorist laws
Rome, July 12: There is no need to pass extraordinary anti-terrorist laws in Poland similar to those now being discussed in Italy, Foreign Minister Adam Rotfeld has told PAP. Rotfeld, in Rome for talks with his Italian counterpart Gianfranco Fini, said that a threat of a terrorist attack in Poland is significantly lower than that existing in Italy. "In my opinion extraordinary laws aimed to combat terrorism are not a priority issue or a necessity at the moment. This type of laws limit the functioning of an open civic society and strike at citizens' liberties and freedoms. I do not think that this is the best and most efficient way to overcome such threat," said Rotfeld. He stressed that the present type of terrorism endangering the West demands above all the mobilisation of all those countries, nations and millieus where terrorism has its roots.
Foreign Ministry: Seven Polish citizens in London still missing
Warsaw, London, July 12: Five more Polish citizens who have been missing since the Thursday terrorist attack in London reported at the Polish consulate in London on Tuesday, but whereabouts of seven other missing Poles are still unknown, the Foreign Ministry here said in a communique on Tuesday. Police procedures are underway concerning three young Polish women who are most probably among those killed in the underground blasts. The Polish consulate in London is still looking for 10 persons with whom relatives have lost contact since the Thursday blasts, PAP learned at the consulate in London. In recent time the consulate established contact with two out of 12 persons whose names are still on the list of missing Poles.
Moment of silence to commemorate attacks' victims
Warsaw, July 12: The cabinet declared a two-minute silence on Thursday at 1300 hrs to pay tribute to the victims of terrorist attacks in London. A related proposal was presented to all EU countries by the British government. In Thursday's blasts of 3 bombs in London tube and a bus claimed the lives of at least 52 people and some 700 were injured.
Warsaw underground evacuated following false bomb scare
Warsaw, July 12: Fire fighters and police evacuated the city's underground on Tuesday afternoon following a bomb alarm that later proved a hoax. The decision on evacuation was taken by Warsaw mayor Lech Kaczynski. An anonymous caller phoned an emergency ambulance service around 1300 hrs local time informing about a bomb on the underground to go off in 15 minutes. Police spokeswoman Alicja Hytrek said the phone call had been made by a man who sounded Polish and who refused to give his name. According to the underground spokesman, Grzegorz Zurowski some 20 thousand people were travelling on the subway before the evacuation. Warsaw police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski told PAP there was no panic and the evacuation was quiet. Police officers and bomb squads with sniffer dogs checked all underground stations but found no explosives. Warsaw mayor Lech Kaczynski told an ad hoc press conference he suspected the threat was a false alarm, but said no such signal could be ignored. "It looked like a false alarm, but there was no guarantee at the time," he added. He confirmed the evacuation went efficiently, practically in 10 minutes, he stressed. The city authorities organized alternative transport means. After last week's London attacks Poland heightened security at train and bus stations, airports and the Warsaw underground.
Polish distinctions for Ukrainians
Kiev, July 12: Two Ukrainian political activists merited for Polish-Ukrainian cooperation were awarded with the Commander's Cross of Merits by President Aleksander Kwasniewski. On behalf of the Polish president the distinctions were presented in Kiev by Poland's Ambassador to Ukraine, Marek Ziolkowski on Tuesday. Those distinguished are Ukraine's former deputy Prime Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk and former Culture Minister Juriy Bohutski. "The distinctions are an expression of gratitude of Poland and Poles for assistance and cooperation in organising the Polish Year in Ukraine, Ambasador Ziolkowski told PAP. Polish Year in Ukraine held in 2004 was a vast programme to bring the contemporary Poland, its culture and society closer to Ukrainians. Polish theatre companies visited Ukraine, and exhibitions and conferences were organised. 2005 is the Year of Ukraine in Poland. Ambassador Ziolkowski also conveyed a badge of the Polish minister of culture to Ukraine's former culture minister Tymofiy Kokhan.
Cimoszewicz for debate with voters, not Tusk
Warsaw, July 12: Sejm speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz Tuesday rejected a debate challenge by presidential rival Donald Tusk, who earlier today invited him to a discussion on "decency in political conduct". Tusk's proposal came in response to Cimoszewicz's Saturday could-shouldering of a parliasmentary commission dealing with corruption in the national PKN Orlen oil corporation. I want to talk with voters and not argue with my rivals. It's the public that'll decide who will compete with whom in this ballot, Cimoszewicz said. Commenting his abrupt departure from a hearing by the Orlen commission last Saturday, Cimoszewicz disagreed with Tusk's opinion that it had been "indecent and against good customs". I was acting within the law, Cimoszewicz assured.
Finance minister Gronicki: Poland successful in money-laundering battle
Brussels, June 12: Poland is doing well in its battle against money-laundering, finance minister Miroslaw Gronicki opined Tuesday after a Brussels meeting of EU finance ministers. Poland is viewed as a country that is managing the money-laundering problem well. I cannot disclose any details for obvious reasons, Gronicki told reporters. Earlier today British finance minister Gordon Brown mentioned "some non-EU countries who were not doing enough to combat money laundering". According to Gronicki Brown had meant "countries on the Union's fringes", however he declined to name them.
Finance Ministry pays off interests on foreign debt in June
Warsaw, July 12: In June 2005 the finance ministry paid 11.8 mn USD and 12.8 mn euros of interests on Poland's foreign debt and 89.3 mn USD and 12.2 mn euros of principal, the finance ministry wrote in a statement. The repayment of Poland's foreign debt influence the sum on the balance of payments' current account.
Current turnover deficit in May at 724 mn euros
Warsaw, July 12: Deficit on the current turnover account in May was at 724 mn euros against the 647 mn euro of surplus in April, the National Bank of Poland NBP reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile analysts surveyed by PAP expected an average of 41 mn euros surplus in May. The NBP also said that deficit in commodity turnover in May was at 386 mn euros against the surplus of 107 mn euros in April. In May experts calculated in euros rose 9.9 pct y/y and imports 11.9 pct.
Trade deficit after May falls to 2,291.9 mn euros
Warsaw, July 12: Foreign trade deficit after May fell to 2,291.9 mn euros from 5,807.9 mn euros after May 2004, the Central Statistical Office (GUS) reported Tuesday. Foreign trade deficit in USD fell to 4,307.8 mn USD from 7,154.6 mn USD after May 2004.
Government discusses offset agreements' implementation
Warsaw, July 12: Minister for Science Michal Kleiber said after the government meeting on Tuesday that the government already had an initial estimates of offset programmes. He explained that the implementation of 7 programmes accelerated last year and their value exceeded that of 2003 which means that delays from previous years had been made up for. The minister said that the government also had initial estimates of offset agreements as regards employment. He explained that owing to new deals 200 people found jobs in the General Motors' plant in Gliwice and between 5,000 and 8,000 with the plant suppliers. Kleiber added that some projects proved to be hardly real and profitable so the need aroused for re-negotiating them. According to the minister, from all offset projects in peril was the implementation of Tetra system (a communication system uniform for all services which would ensure data transmission in real time). He said its implementation would not start under this parliament as the need was to prepare long-term programmes of co-sponsoriong Tetra. According to the economy ministry Lockheed Martin declared to meet offset agreements worth 1.28 bn euros in 2004 against 912 mn USD predicted in the offset timetable. The most important offset projects implemented in 2004 include Opel Zafira, the setting up of the Aviation Institute and investments and purchases in aviation plant in Rzeszow. The total value of offset agreements to be implemented in 10 years amounts to 6.028 bn USD, of which 3 bn in the first three years, 2 bn in the successive three years and 1.028 bn USD in the last four years.
Iraq: Zoellick commends Polish troops
Al-Hillah, July 12: In future Iraqis will be thankful for the effort put in today by Polish-led stabilization forces, U.S. deputy secretary of state and ambassador in Iraq Robert B. Zoellick said Tuesday during an inspection of the Polish-commanded south-central Iraqi stabilization force. What you are doing in Iraq is instrumental for this country's future. There will come a time when the Iraqis will hold you in their memories as friends who came to help build democracy and freedom, Zoellick said. 1,400 Polish troops are currently preparing for a 6-month tour on the stabilization force in the unit's 5th shift.
FAZ: Kaczynski on German claims
Berlin, July 12: A possible victory of Lech Kaczynski in the forthcoming presidential elections may visibly change Polish-German relations, writes German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Tuesday. The daily stresses that the Law and Justice presidential candidate is demanding from the German government the passing of a law which would annul all claims which have been forwarded by Germans expelled from Poland after World War Two. The daily's Warsaw correspondent adds that if such legislature is not passed, Kaczynski plans to demand, in case he becomes Poland's president, the payment of damages for losses suffered by Poland as the result of World War Two. Speaking to the daily, Kaczynski described his policy as a "defence move" against claims forwarded by the private Prussian Claims organization. "We have to have certainty that such claims will not be raised," Kaczynski said adding that as there are no such guarantees at present the German government should pass a "special law to exclude such claims."
Celinski resigns from work in PKN Orlen Sejm Committee
Warsaw, July 12: Andrzej Celinski of the Democratic Left Alliance in a letter the Sejm Speaker has informed on his resignation from the work in the Sejm Committee for PKN Orlen. Celinski wrote in the letter of which a copy was sent to PAP on Tuesday that he no longer wants to legitimize the unlawful decisions of the committee. He stressed that the commission activities dishonor the Polish parliament. According to him, the commission does not observe the basic standards defined in the Penal Proceedings Code while committee experts are biased.
PKE & Enion to present merger plans in month-time
Jaworzno, July 12: The Southern Power Concern (PKE) and Enion power company will present the state treasury and economy ministries as well as their workforce plans of a capital merger in a month time, PKE CEO Jan Kurp said. He added that had the plan be approved by the Office for the Protection of the Competition and Consumers and social partners the undertaking could be started off at the beginning of next year. Boards of PKE and Enion presented their plans to deputy Treasury and Economy Ministers Krzysztof Zyndul and Piotr Rutkowski in Jaworzno on Tuesday. They hope for the merger to be possible still before parliamentary elections and a new government. Rutkowski did not rule out that of the plan was good decisions may be taken quickly. The construction of a consolidated fuel-power group with a distribution company is one of PKE priorities this year apart from preparations for privatisation. PKE is Poland's 2nd biggest power-generating company with 8 power plants and power and heating plants southern Poland of the total capacity of nearly 5 thousand megawatts. In 2004 the company posted profit of 297.2 mn PLN (87.4 mn USD) against 83.4 mn PLN in 2003. In the 1Q of 2005 profit was at 125.9 mn PLN. The plan for the entire year provides for some 250 mn PLN of net profit.
Nokia to supply UMTS gear to Centertel
Warsaw, July 12: Nokia will supply UMTS systems to the Centertel operator, Centertel spokesmen said Tuesday. Centertel plans to launch a 3rd-generation UMTS network in Warsaw and north Poland in the second half of this year.
Brown-Forman to promote Finlandia vodka
Warsaw, July 12: Brown-Forman Poland, the distributor of Finlandia vodka, plans to raise its Finlandia sales in Poland. Poland is our second-biggest Finlandia market after the U. S. and we want to boost this brand in Poland, said Brpown-Forman Internation vice-president Phoebe Wood. In 2004 Brown-Forma Poland raised its sales 44 percent against the preceding year.
Polish agri products underpromoted in China
Warsaw, July 12: Poor promotion is the main reason behind Poland's low agricultural trade with China, believes former Polish ambassador in China Ksawery Burski. Burski recalled that in 2003 and 2004 Poland imported respectively 197 and 208 million dollars' worth of agricultural products from China, at the same time selling only 6.6 and 8.6 million dollars' worth of its own agri products on the Chinese market. According to Burski there existed many ways to boost Poland's agri trade with China, among others by raising exports of sought-after products like yoghurt, cheese, mineral water, sweets, smoked meats and alcohol. Deputy agriculture minister Wieslaw Zapedowski said Poland could also raise grain and seed sales to China.
Ewa Minge to show her fashion collection in Rome
Rome, July 12: Polish fashion designer Ewa Minge, whose 100 thousand euros worth collection was seized by order of a court in Rome at the motion of the National Chamber for Italian Fashion, managed to bring from Poland another collection to present it at a fashion show in Rome on Tuesday, PAP learned. Ewa Minge press spokeswoman in Rome informed that the Polish fashion designer strives to regain her seized collection so that it could be presented at a prestigious Alta Moda fashion show on Tuesday. According to unofficial sources the seizure of the collection is connected with a firm which Minge had once represented and which has some financial obligations towards the Chamber for Italian Fashion. "This is a misunderstanding, this affair has nothing to do with me," Ewa Minge told PAP.
Witold Gombrowicz Museum to be created
Warsaw, July 12: A Witold Gombrowicz Museum is to be created at Wsola, a locality near Radom, central Poland. It will be situated in a palace surrounded by a park. The museum will be completed by the end of 2006 as a branch of the Warsaw-based Adam Mickiewicz Museum of Literature. It will be financed and run jointly by the Ministry of Culture and the provincial government of Mazowsze. Wsola, located some 10 kilometres from Radom, once belonged to the writer's older brother Jerzy Gombrowicz. Witold Gombrowicz used to come there for summer vacations and write. Witold Gombrowicz Year was marked in Poland and abroad in 2004 in connection with the outstanding writer's birth centenary. The anniversary was also among those celebrated by the UNESCO. All this has considerably boosted international interest in the writer's output.
Gazeta Wyborcza: Polish churches renovated thanks to EU funds
Warsaw, July 12: Polish parish churches are receiving millions of euros from the European Union, Gazeta Wyborcza writes on Tuesday. The daily writes that parish priests have found a financial source thanks to which they can renovate destroyed historical churches and equip them with various protection systems. "The Union is a real treasure. Never before has the Church received such a financial shot," father Zbigniew Walkowiak from Chelmno told the daily. Gazeta Wyborcza writes that although the EU does not finance religious activities of the Catholic Church still the Integrated Regional Operational Programme richly supports the renovation of attractive historical sites.
Prime Ministers of Visegrad Group discuss EU budget
Budapest, July 13: Prime Minister Marek Belka has said Visegrad Group of States resolved to "make" the European Union to adopt the budget for 2007 and 2013 as soon as possible. The PM made the statement after a meeting of the group of PMs which centred on European Union issues including the new budget for 2007-13 and the fate of the European constitution. Heads of governments of Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia declared that they advocated economic and social reforms in the EU. But, as Mr Belka told journalists, reforms cannot be identified only and exclusively with the shape of the future EU budget. He stressed that the question was much broader and comprised changes in the social policy, pension system, labour market policy. These issues belong to national governments, he stressed. We cannot replace reforms necessary on the European continent with an appropriate shape of the budget, he underlined. To carry out reforms there is a need for political willingness of separate EU countries. Belka announced that at successive meetings and consultations the Visegrad Group states will embark on joint actions for the new EU budget but did not want to elaborate. According to to-date budget predictions Poland could count on at least 60 bn euros in 7 years (2007-2013) which will make it the biggest beneficiary of the EU.
Foreign Minister on missing Poles in London
Warsaw, July 13: According to Foreign Minister Adam D. Rotfeld it is highly probable that three Poles were killed in the Thursday terrorist attacks in London. The minister on Wednesday also confirmed reports that one Polish citizen was found. Aleksander Kropiwnicki of the Polish Embassy press office in London told PAP that Jakub Husaim, another person of those on the list of missing Poles in London has been found. At present there are eight names on the list of Poles unaccounted for since the attacks. Among them are three young Polish women who were in the area of the blasts. Rotfeld added that families of two persons which probably had been killed are in London already.
Poland wants greater exchange of information on threats
Brussels, July 13: Polish Deputy Interior Minister Pawel Dakowski has proposed the intensification of exchange of information between countries who have suffered from terrorist attacks and countries potentially threatened by such acts. Dakowski came out with the proposal at an extraordinary meeting of internal affairs ministers of EU countries.Asked if Poland is among countries potentially threatened by attacks Dakowski said: "We have no signals on planned attacks against Poland and this is good news. However, we cannot stop thinking that Poland may also be a target of a terrorist attack."
ABW probe in connection with London attacks underway
Lublin, July 13: Lublin branch of the Internal Security Agency ABW on Wednesday started an investigation to determine whether a British subject of Pakistani origin who lives in Lublin was an active member of an organised crime ring of terrorist nature and whether there is a connection between him and terrorist attacks on London. Spokesowman for the ABW Lublin branch Agata Studenny told a news conference here on Wednesday that no charges had been pressed against the British subject but refused to elaborate.
Two-minute silence commemorates London victims
Warsaw, July 13: The cabinet declared a two-minute silence on Thursday at 1300 hrs to pay tribute to the victims of terrorist attacks in London, the Government Information Centre recalled on Wednesday. President Aleksander Kwasniewski announced the lowering of the Polish national flag to half mast on Thursday. The government also called on the press, radio and TV stations to join in the tribute. A related proposal was presented to all EU countries by the British government. Warsaw city authorities decided to switch on civil defence alarm sirens and stop traffic for several minutes. Last week blasts in London claimed the lives of at least 52 people.
Minister Rotfeld: No change in Poland's decision on Iraq
Warsaw, July 13: Poland's decision on the presence of its troops in Iraq remains unchanged, Foreign Minister Adam D. Rotfeld said Wednesday. The Trybuna daily wrote on Wednesday that Rotfeld appealed for Poland's troops not to be withdrawn from Iraq, as this could be interpreted as the victory of terrorists from London, despite the government decision to end Poland's presence in Iraq at the end of this year."The thesis that I believe that our decision to withdraw the Polish troops from Iraq should be changed after (London) terrorist attacks is a total misunderstanding," Rotfeld stressed.
Defence Minister, ambassadors discuss Iraq mission
Warsaw, July 13: Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski on Wednesday met with ambassadors of countries whose military contingents form the multinational Centre-South Division in Iraq. The ambassadors highly assessed the engagement of the division's soldiers in the stabilization mission in Iraq and the efficiency of the division's command. The meeting was also attended by deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Switalski, deputy Chief of Staff, General Mieczyslaw Cieniuch. The talks also focused on the course of the stabilization mission in Iraq and the preparations for the 5th rotation of the coalition forces.
Iraqi army's training improving, says Polish general
Diwaniya, July 13: Iraqi soldiers are better trained and equipped but they lack a unified communications system, commander of the Multinational Centre-South Division in Iraq, General Waldemar Skrzypczak said Wednesday. Skrzypczak said that "incredible progress" has been made since the start of the 4th rotation of Polish soldiers. The Iraqis have formed integrated, well trained and equipped units allowing them to carry out mission on their own, said the commander. The commander of the 4th shift said that the multinational force focuses its efforts on training soldiers of the 8th Iraqi Division. He added that the problem with communications is true for the entire Iraqi armed forces. "All armies should have a unified communications system, this is a strategic issue and the Iraqi government should select and purchase a single system for the entire army, he said."
Gold Medal of Polish Army for general Sanchez
Warsaw, July 13: Commander of the U.S. V Corps in Europe Lieutenant General Ricardo S. Sanchez was decorated on Wednesday with the Gold Medal of the Polish Army in the recognition for his contribution to the development of Polish-U.S. military cooperation. Sanchez, who was head of the Coalition Forces in Iraq till early July 2004, is completing his mission as the Commander of the U.S. V Corps in Europe. "General Sanchez was an excellent commander in Iraq, he was head of the forces that included the Multi-National Division under the Polish command. He created proper conditions for the division to complete its tasks, and for soldiers who understood one another perfectly and managed to successfully solve many problems linked with the multi-national character of the forces," Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski told journalists upon the ceremony of decorating general Sanchez with the medal.
PSL complains on Polish government to EC
Warsaw, July 13: The Polish Peasant Party (PSL) will lodge a complaint with the European Commission on the Polish government, which according to the PSL, has not been implementing an EU directive on bio-fuels, PSL deputy Marek Sawicki said Wednesday.PSL also accuses the government of not implementing provision included in the law on the production of bio-elements in liquid fuels.The directive, which according to the PSL is not observed by the Polish government, states that the share of bio-fuels in the total of sold liquid fuels should not be lower than 2 per cent in 2005 whereas the "Polish government set this year's limit at 0.5 per cent," the PSL stated.
PiS calls to raise funds for Polish weekly in Belarus
Warsaw, July 13: The Law and Justice (PiS) party in cooperation with the "Wspolnota Polska" Association has created the fund to aid Poles oppressed in Belarus and appealed for donations. The money raised will help pay off the fines imposed by the court in Grodno on members of the editorial staff of the Polish weekly "Glos znad Niemna". The fund was started on Tuesday, PiS deputy chairman Adam Lipinski told a press conference. He appealed to institutions, organisations and individuals to make donation to the account opened at Bank BPH Warsaw. The court in Grodno last week sentenced journalists participating in a protest in defence of "Glos znad Niemna" to fines from 250 USD to 1,200 USD. "Glos znad Niemna", the paper of the Union of Poles in Belarus is the only paper of the Polish minority in Belarus. It was seized by Grodno authorities and Belarussian special service.
Public offer of PGNiG in September unfeasible
Warsaw, July 13: Public sale of PGNiG before parliamentary elections in September is practically unfeasible, Treasury Minister Jacek Socha told reporters on Wednesday. "Theoretically it would be possible but disadvantageous. Odds for an offer at that time are slim, practically non-existent," Socha said.On Tuesday PM Marek Belka said the company shares could be floated still prior to elections. PGNiG planned to sell up to 900 mn shares via a public issue. It wanted to earn at least 1.5 bn PLN (445 mn USD) for investments. The ministry postponed the issue for this fall owing to the situation on the capital market.
Poll: 76 pct dissatisfied with country's situation
Warsaw, July 13: Over three-fourths of Poles or 76 percent believe things in Poland are going in the wrong direction, according to the newest poll run by OBOP, while only 14 percent claim the opposite. The biggest number of optimists are among supporters of the Citizens Platform. Thirty two percent of the respondents think the Polish economy is in deep crisis while 66 percent of those polled think the economy is not growing.Thirty seven percent of Poles fear that their material situation will worsen in the coming three years, 17 percent hope it will improve. The survey was conducted on July 1-4 on a representative sample of 1,005 Poles.
Balcerowicz: political populism hampers economic growth
Warsaw, July 13: If Poland's economic growth is to be quick and of lasting nature privatisation should be concluded, among other things, believes central bank governor Leszek Balcerowicz. Addressing a conference devoted to 15 years of ownership transformations in Poland in Warsaw on Wednesday Balcerowicz named other conditions for lasting and quick growth as the decrease of the budget spending in relation to GDP, the removal of legal barriers on the labour market and the strengthening of the justice system. Explaining why Poland lacked such conditions Balcerowicz blamed political populism in different economic periods which blocked fiscal reforms and privatisation.
Miller: Eureko aroused "unhealthy" interest
Warsaw, July 13: Former PM Leszek Miller on Wednesday told the Sejm enquiry committee for PZU Orlen scam that international institutions have showed an "unhealthy" interest in PZU investor that means Eureko company. Miller stressed that "multiple factors" in the European Parliament and the European Commission had shown interest in solving the conflict surrounding Eureko. As a result of interventions of different governments' representatives and ambassadors with the authorities the PM had to sent a written statement of the Polish government on PZU privatization to then EC President Romano Prodi. Testifying as a witness Miller said he had often been approached by European politicians eager to know why the Polish government did not lend a hand to Eureko. He added that talks to this effect were held during accession negotiations between the EU and Poland at the December 13, 2002 EU summit in Copenhagen. "It is a reason for satisfaction for me, as the former prime minister, that the PZU remained in Polish hands," Miller said and recalled that no agreement on PZU privatization was signed while he was a PM. Related agreement had been signed by the Jerzy Buzek Government, he said. In November 1999 Eureko-BIG Bank Gdanski consortium (at present Bank Millennium) purchased 30 percent of shares in PZU. Annexes to the privatisation agreement were signed on April 3 and October 4, 2001. Under the annexes Eureko was to buy additional 21 percent of shares in PZU in 2002 but the Polish government decided to retain the control over the then biggest Polish insurance company. The Miller government was formed on October 19, 2001. "One cannot resist the impression that the outgoing AWS (Solidarity Election Action) government was keen on creating faits accomplis in the situation in which it was obvious they lack social and political support for making such decisions. In 2002 Eureko sent a letter to Miller expressing the willingness resign from PZU in exchange for a compensation but did not received a reply. Miller then said Eureko "cornered" Poland but said his government was in no position to break agreements.
BAT to move part of production from Southhampton to Poland
London, July 13: British American Tobacco has announced plans to close production at its plants in Southampton and Dundalk and move it to Poland, Romania and Switzerland. BAT is present on the Polish market since 1991 when it took over a 65 per cent stake in the Augustowtobacco plant. At present BAT Polska SA holds a 96.35 per cent stake in the plant. BAT Polska's share in the Polish tobacco market reached 14.8 per cent in 2003.
Macro Molds to invest over 5.5 m USD in Tychy zone
Katowice, July 13: Canadian Macro Molds will build an injection molds factory in the Tychy part of the Katowice special economic zone. The 19 million zloty (5.6 million USD) plant, to employ some 120 people will also produce machines for the treatment of rubber and plastic products. Macro Molds offers its products to companies from the automotive industry and makers of household appliances.So far the Katowice zone, the biggest such zone in Poland, has attracted investment capital exceeding the level of 7 billion zlotys.
Precise Technology to build plant in Lodz
London, July 13: U.S. moulder Precise Technology is to set up a new plant in Lodz which will house 14 injection moulding machines. The Lodz plant is to support a major existing Precise Technology customer. Located in the Diamond Business Park, the new plant will employ 130 people. The Pennsylvania-based company is looking to expand its medical business in western Europe with a possible investment in Ireland.
Apsys to invest 200 million euros in Poznan shopping mall
Poznan, July 13: French Apsys Groupe will invest over 200 million euros in a shopping mall to be built in the centre of Poznan, the group's deputy CEO for trade and marketing Frederic Laloum announced at a Wednesday press conference. The commercial part of the centre will have a floor space of 120 thousand square metres. The new centre will be ready for business in 2007. Similar projects have been already implemented in nine other Polish cities. The Poznan centre is expected to employ some 2.8 thousand people.
Ryanair to launch two new connections with Poland
London, July 13: Europe's biggest low-fare air carrier Ryanair said on Wednesday it is launching eight new connections, including two with Poland. A special bargain price of one ticket is around one pound. Ryanair planes will fly from Stansted to Cracow as of October 30,
2005 and from Prestwick near Glasgow to Cracow as of November 2005. The company has serviced the Stansted-Wroclaw connection since last March.
Sixteeen investors interested in buying four chemical plants
Wizz Air wants higher share in Polish market
Warsaw, July 13: Wizz Air plans to increase the number of flights from 31 to 63 a week till December 2005 to improve its position on the Polish low-fare air carriers market. Josef Varadi, Wizz Air CEO, told a news conference on Wednesday that his firm wants to control 42 percent of the Polish market instead of the present 38 percent. "We are planning to become the leader on the Polish market of cheap airlines. I am sure that the market will soon undergo a consolidation and one or two air carriers will operate there," Varadi said. Wizz Air will launch new connections as of December 1, 2005, namely to Kaunas, Budapest and Dortmund. There will be also more flights on the presently serviced connections. The plans envision also new flights between Gdansk and Stockholm. Wizz Air is a low-fare air carrier operating in Central and Eastern Europe.
Hellena juice producer declared bankrupt
Poznan, July 13: A district court in Kalisz declared bankruptcy of Hellena SA juice and water producer. The court decision envisages a chance for a settlement with creditors, deputy head if the court Anna Kruk said. Hellena's CEO Zenon Sroczynski blamed bad weather and too high employment for the company's problems. Hellena is one of Poland's biggest water and juice producers. Its sales were worth 200 million zlotys in 2004 but it also incurred a several million zloty loss. According to Helena's owner Zenon Sroczynski, the company's assets are much higher than its debts.
Finnish designer of Museum of Polish Jews visits Warsaw
Warsaaw, July 13: Rainer Mahlamaeki, member of the Finish team which won the competition for the design of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews said Wednesday that the architects had known little about the history of the Jewish population in Poland at the start of their work on the project. We cared for the functional aspects, rather than historical connotations, Mahlamaeki told journalists at a meeting at the residence of the Finnish ambassador in Warsaw. The museum designed by Mahlamaeki and his partner Ilmari Lahdelma will be erected next to the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes Memorial located at the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto. The Finnish team won in the competition with such famous designers as Daniel Libeskind of the USA and Kengo Kuma of Japan. We have chosen the design of a rather modest building, but very functional. We were captured by the interior of the building, Jerzy Halberasztadt, director of the project said.
Sailor Songs Shanties & Sea Songs Festival in Gizycko
Olsztyn, July 13: Sailor Songs Shanties & Sea Songs Festival, the biggest in its kind in Poland and one of the biggest in Europe is starting Thursday in Gizycko, the popular tourist locality in the Warmia and Mazury region rich in lakes and forests. "Szanty w Gi>ycku" is held in the amphitheatre at the 19th century tower Boyen situated over the creek linking Lake Niegocin and Lake Mamry.The festival takes place at the height of the tourist season in Poland when tens of thousands tourists and sailors come for holidays to the Great Mazurian Lake region. The event usually attracts the audience of over a dozen thousand. Among performing groups are the greatest stars of sailor songs and sea songs, Mariola Jorzak of the Gizycko Cultural Centre of Culture, the festival organiser, told PAP. The festival will run till Saturday.
Poland marks London tragedy with two-minute silence
Warsaw, July 14: Poland came to a standstill for two minutes at 1300 hrs on Thursday to remember the victims of the London bombings. Warsaw residents laid flowers in front of the British embassy. Present were Prime Minister Marek Belka and head of the Presidential Chancellery Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz. On Wednesday the Cabinet announced there will be two-minute silence across Poland, following Britain's appeal to all EU countries to honour those who lost their lives in the London attacks.
Poll: Cimoszewicz ahead of Kaczynski and Lepper
Warsaw, July 14: If the presidential elections were held in July Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz would win with the support from 31 percent of voters, according to a survey PAP received from TNS OBOP on Thursday. Lech Kaczynski (PiS) would come second (16 pct) followed by Samoobrona leader Andrzej Lepper (15 pct..) Next on the ranking list are Zbigniew Religa (14 pct) and PO leader Donald Tusk (8 pct), followed by SdPl leader Marek Borowski and Maciej Giertych of the League of Polish Families LPR, with 4 pct each. Peasant Party PSL candidate Jaros aw Kalinowski enjoys support of 2 percent and so is Lech Walesa. The survey was conducted between July 1 and 4 on a representative
random sample of 945 persons over 18.
Sejm speaker: president needs social council
Warsaw, July 14: The Polish president needs an advisory council of public representatives to advise him on social matters, Sejm speaker and presidential candidate Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said at a Thursday meeting with pensioners. Speaking to about 50 members of the Polish Union of Retirement and Disability Pensioners and Invalids, Cimoszewicz said such a council would advise the head of state about public needs. Union head Elzbieta Arciszewska said her organization would back Cimoszewicz in this autumn's presidential election. According to Arciszewska Cimoszewicz had a chance to improve the situation of pensioners, and was also "well-versed in international relations and experienced". We don't expect paradise right away but at least this is someone who will talk with us. We hope that together, step by step, we will manage to better our standing, she remarked.
Poles see EU as political and economic community
Warsaw, July 14: Poles perceive the European Union as predominantly an economic and political community, rather than the community of culture and value. They know little about the European Constitution, according to a PENTOR survey. The survey on "What is Europe and the European Union for Poles" commissioned by the Office of the European Integration Committee was carried out among 1,000 Poles in the first half of June. Over 70 percent of Poles see the EU countries as linked by common economic and political interests, over 60 percent as linked by history, 40 percent as linked by culture and values. Over 50 percent Poles expect the EU to even out living standards in individual EU countries. 43 percent expect EU membership to ensure peace in Europe and create the common labour market. EU membership is expected to raise safety and development potential. The biggest threat on the part of the EU was identified as exploitation of weaker countries by the stronger and the "brain drain." Poles know little about the European Constitution with television being the main source of information about the document for 93 percent of those surveyed.
Gazeta Wyborcza: Roza Thun to head Warsaw EC Representation
Warsaw, July 14: Roza Thun, head of the Robert Schuman Foundation, will most likely be named head of the European Commission Representation in Warsaw, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily has learned. Roza Thun canvassed support for Poland's EU entry in the 2003 referendum. Since the early 1990s she has been organising annual European meetings and the Schuman Parade.
Ambassador of Estonia pays farewell visit
Warsaw, July 14: Aivo Orava, the Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to Poland paid a farewell visit to Minister Andrzej Karkoszka, undersecretary of state for defence policy, on Thursday. The Polish official and the Estonian diplomat who winds up his mission to Poland discussed to-date military and defence cooperation between Poland and Estonia. Minister Karkoszka stressed Estonia's role and significance for the development of cooperation between the two countries. He also pointed out that Ambassador Orava's Polish tenure was an
exceptionally interesting time because it coincided with Estonia's joining the North Atlantic Alliance and accession of Poland and Estonia to the European Union.
Minister signs e-invoice regulation
Warsaw, July 14: Polish science and IT minister Michal Kleiber Thursday signed a regulation on e-invoicing legalizing electronic invoices and signatures in Poland. Klieber told PAP that the regulation will probably be officially published next week. The introduction of e-invoicing was a major goal. I'm convinced this regulation will encourage many peopl
RPP to cut interest rates to keep pace with EU
Warsaw, July 14: In the 12 coming months interest rates will be cut by 150-200 base points to decrease the disparity between the interest rates of the EU and Poland, Stanislaw Nieckarz of the Monetary Policy Council said Thursday. "There is a need for systematic cuts of interest rates," Nieckarz told PAP. In his opinion such a difference between real interest rates in Poland and the EU is totally unjustified. Nieckarz believes that interest rates should exceed inflation by no more than 1 percentage point. He added that interest rates in the EU, in real terms, are at the level close to zero, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are at the level of 0.5 percent and in Poland - 3.5 percent. After the last cut the reference rate is no less than 5 percent and the monetary policy bias is easy which increases the likelihood of next cuts.
Protest against privatisation carried out by French firms
Warsaw, July 14: Some 500 trade unionists from companies sold to French investors protested in Warsaw on Thursday against lay-offs, lack of investments and deteriorating working conditions. Representatives of trade unions operating in Telekomunikacja Polska SA, Orbis, Wyborowa SA and companies of the power sector presented a petition to the French Ambassador to Poland Pierre Menat. Unionists stressed in the petition that "French investors'
activity in Poland stands in contradiction to our hopes. It is a great disillusionment to all of us." They said that instead of promised capital, new tech and training the French pursue a policy of mass lay-offs and limiting investments. They demanded a stop to processes of restructuring based on lay-offs and cutting wages. Solidarity activist Elzbieta Pacula coming out from a meeting with the French Ambassador said that unionists hoped that today's protest will not be seen as a demonstration against France as a state or the French people. According to police the manifestation passed peacefully.
Katowice, July 14: The Council of Europe's Development Bank will grant Poland a 14-million-euro loan for development projects in the southern Silesia industrial basin. The money will be used for infrastructure and SME projects under a programme to ease the effects of mine closedowns in the region. The first funds will flow into Poland early next year. 96 investment projects were launched in Silesia and 21 million zlotys' worth (6.19 mn USD) in loans granted to Silesian SMEs under a similar scheme in 2004.
July inflation at 1 per cent, Finance Minister says
Warsaw, July 14: July inflation is to reach some 1 per cent and fall to 0.8-0.9 per cent at the end of the year, Finance Minister Miroslaw Gronicki told PAP on Thursday. Commenting on June inflation data published Thursday Gronicki said that encouraging news is the fact that inflation fell below the bottom line of the inflation target. Another promising information is the falling prices of food products. Bad news is the growing price of fuels.
GDP up 3.8 per cent in fixed prices from 1995 - Eurostat
Warsaw, July 14: Eurostat has announced that Poland's GDP in the 1st quarter not adjusted seasonally and in fixed prices from 1995 grew by 3.8 per cent. The data corresponds with earlier estimates by Poland's Main Statistical Office released on May 31.
Business newcomers to pay lower social security premium
Warsaw, July 14: The Senate on Thursday passed an amendment to the law on the social security system. In tune with the change persons starting a business will have the right to pay lower social security premiums for the first two years of their operation. According to the passed law premiums will amount to 30 per cent of the minimal wage. According to government calculations a starting businessmen will pay less than half of the 700 or so zloty
premium.
Environment: Natura 2000 no problem for farmers
Warsaw, July 14: The establishment of natural preserves under the European Natura 2000 programme will cause no problems or difficulties for farmers or foresters, deputy environment minister Zbigniew Witkowski said Thursday in Warsaw. Natura 2000 is an EU-sponsored scheme to protect rare wildlife and plant species and natural biotopes. Local governments fear Natura 2000 reservations could burden them with additional work and disenable local economies. This is not the case. Protected species that inhabit such areas will just continue as to date and there will be no need for changes, Witkowski said. He added that the EC has not yet stated clearly whether Poland will receive EU funds for Natura 2000 projects. The Commission's stand on the matter was and remains somewhat enigmatic. This is an important issue which will have to be discussed, Witkowski insisted. In 2007-2013 Natura 2000 will be financed from several EU funds, the total costs are estimated at several billion euros annually.
Samar: Car production on the rise
Warsaw, July 14: A total of 48,061 passenger cars were produced in Poland in June, up 35 percent from May, and down only 0.5 percent from last June, the automotive market monitoring firm Samar has reported. In the first six months of 2005, a total of 258,806 passengers were produced, down 5.7percent year-on-year.Polish cars are popular in Western Europe. Over 93 percent of passenger cars and over 90 percent of delivery cars produced in June were sold abroad. Fiat continues to be a leader in Poland's car production with a 54.2 percent share in passenger car production in June. Runner up was Opel with a 22.7 percent share, followed by Volkswagen - 17.4 percent, FSO - 5.6 percent, Intrall - 0.1 percent. The biggest delivery car producer in Poland is Volkswagen Poznan - 84.5 percent share in total delivery car production, followed by Fiat - 13.7 percent.
Unionists protest against privatisation carried out by French firms
Warsaw, July 14: Around 500 trade unionists from firms sold to French investors are protesting in Warsaw on Thursday against "privatisation carried out by French firms that results in lay-offs, lack of investments and deteriorating working conditions. "Representatives of trade unions operating in Telekomunikacja Polska SA, Orbis, Wyborowa SA and companies of the power sector met at noon in front of the Telekomunikacja Polska office to march to the French Embassy.
Police detain bomb threat hoaxer
Warsaw, July 14: Police have apprehended a man responsible for Tuesday's bomb alarm in the Warsaw underground, local police head Ryszard Siewierski reported on Thursday. Jacek K., 40, former policeman sacked in the 90-ties, lives in Warsaw. He made a call using a prepaid one day phone card, Siewierski said. Anyone convicted of making the threats could face up to eight years in prison. A 150,000 zlotys reward offered by Warsaw Mayor Lech Kaczynski for help in catching a bomb threat caller will go to police, Kaczynski said. "The reward will go to those who caught the offender," Kaczynki told a press conference on Thursday.
61st anniversary of Warsaw Rising coming soon
Warsaw, July 14: The 61st anniversary of Warsaw Rising will be celebrated for four days starting July 29. The programme envisages ceremonies at the Warsaw Insurgents' Memorial, the insurgents quarters at Warsaw cemeteries, and cultural events, the Warsaw Rising Museum director Jan Oldakowski said Tursday. The most important ceremonies will take place at the Gloria Victis Memorial at Warsaw Powazki Military Cemetery, scheduled for 5:00 PM of August 1, to mark the day and the hour the rising broke out. An open-air show "Wola, August 1944" will be staged at the site of former garrisons of the German SS formations, and a concert of youth titled "Remembering 1944". Historian Professor Norman Davies, the author of the monograph "Rising' 44" will receive the title of a honorary member of the Warsaw Insurgents' Union. Oldakowski said, many private firms offered donations for the anniversary budget. Last year's 60th anniversary celebrations had a singular character and were attended by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, American Secretary of State Colin Powell and British vice Prime Minister John Prescott, among other personages. The inauguration of the long-awaited Warsaw Rising Museum in Warsaw was the highlight of the event. The Warsaw Rising of 1944 was the biggest armed effort for independence and the biggest armed action of the underground army in the Nazi-occupied Europe. It lasted 63 day, from August 1 to October 2, 1944.
Kwasniewski and Schroeder: bilateral relations perfect
Frankfurt (Oder) July 25: President Aleksander Kwasniewski and Chancellor Gerhard Schroder of Germany evaluated Polish-German relations as perfect. At a meeting at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt am Oder on Monday they also stated that bilateral political and economic contacts also give grounds for satisfaction. "Polish-German relations are very friendly," Schroeder stated at a joint press conference. He added that also trade contacts are very friendly. In his opinion Poland and Germany have common interests in international and EU politics. The German chancellor believes that the EU budget for 2007-2013 should be adopted during the British presidency. Kwasniewski said that much has been achieved in Polish-German relations during his 10-year tenure as president. Both states are NATO allies and both are EU members. He pointed to good trade, economic and political contacts. "Strong foundations for Polish-German relations have been created, which should be used by those who will come to power after elections," he stressed. Kwasniewski added that both Poland and Germany and united Europe need good-neighbourly relations between the two countries. The two leaders also spoke in favour of common struggle against terrorism. According to Kwasniewski coopertion between Polish and German institutions guarantee their citizens "as much security and possible." A joint statement on Polish-German cooperation on the Europesan University Viadrina was signed in the presence of the two leaders. From Frankfurt am Oder the Polish president and the delegation were scheduled to go to Berlin to take part in the World Congress of the German Society for Knowledge on Eastern Europe.
Poland high on list of threatened countries
Warsaw, July 25: President Aleksander Kwasniewski believes that Poland is high on the list of the countries threatened with terrorist attacks but that the level of threat has not changed recently. In an interview for Radio Three the president said that the attacks in London and the Egyptian holiday resort confirm that there is no place in the world that we can regard as truly safe. He believes that very close cooperation between intelligence services of all countries is the most effective way of increasing security. "The existing cooperation proved to be insufficient," Kwasniewski said. The president appealed to Poles to remain alert and report all
strange events to the police. The president added that the terrorist threat for Poland was not directly related to the presence of Polish troops in Iraq. "Terrorism is a grave disease of the beginning of the century and it has been realising its goals," he said. Asked about a decision concerning a possible withdrawal of Polish troops from Iraq the president said that it should be left for the future government. "Our presence in Iraq has been connected with our participation in the anti-terrorist coalition. We have been implementing tasks very seriously. (...) We want to implement the plan that has been agreed upon with our coalition partners," Kwasniewski said.
Warsaw, July 25: Saturday's terror attacks in Sharm el-Sheik had a discouraging effect on Poles planning vacations in Egypt, however not many have decided to resign earlier bookings. Travel agencies have reported a slight fall in Egypt bookings but resignations are scarce due to the costs involved. Many queries concern destination changes. Earlier today the Polish foreign ministry warned Egypt-travelling Poles to maintain caution during their stay.
Prime Minister Belka pays visit to Kuwait
Kuwait City, July 25: Prime Minister Marek Belka paid a one-day working visiting to Kuwait on Monday to discuss the development of Polish-Kuwaiti economic, cultural and military cooperation. The Polish delgation met with Kuwait's Prime Minister Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah. PM Belka was also scheduled to meet with Kuwaiti deputy PM and Defence Minister Jabir al-Hamad Al Sabah and with Foreign Minister Muhammad Al-Sabah al-Salim Al Sabah. Poland is trying to restore its previously good economic relations with Kuwait to which it chiefly exports machines and equipment as well as household appliances. Kuwait's exports to Poland is minimal. The Polish PM was accompanied in Kuwait by Foreign Minister Adam Rotfeld, Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski and Culture Minister Waldemar Dabrowski.
Belarussian attacks on Poland are an organised action
Warsaw, July 25: President Aleksander Kwasniewski believes that Belarussian attacks on Poland are an organised action aimed at provoking the Polish side to undertake steps "controversial from the point of view of the European Union." He added that Poland would not resign from protecting its own minority in Belarus. Speaking to Radio Three the president said Poles should be very firm, cool and patient. He said he was convinced that the "European Union will support us and hold talks with partners in Belarus." "We must not get involved in rowdy campaigns aimed at showing that Poland is not a carrier of peace and stability," the president stressed. On Sunday the Channel One of the Belarussian TV broadcast a 12 minute program on alleged Polish spies operations under the cover of the Polish embassy in Minsk.
Foreign Ministry summons Belarussian ambassador
Warsaw, July 25: Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Zalucki has summoned Ambassador of Belarus to Poland Pavel Latushka on Monday to inform him on the decision of Polish authorities on the necessity to leave Poland by the counselor of the Belarussian Embassy in Warsaw, the Foreign Ministry announced in a Monday communique. Today's decision is a reaction to an earlier, completely groundless expulsion of the head of the Polish Consular Office in Minsk, the ministry wrote. The Polish Foreign Ministry wrote that it continues to be ready to search for a compromise and improvement of relations with Belarus which would bring benefits to societies of neighbouring countries. The ministry said that in the near time the Polish side plans to lower the level of visa fees paid by Belarussian citizens and take steps aimed at the development of crossborder cooperation, turnover and cultural and scientific exchange.
Strategy of joining euro zone in August
Warsaw, July 25: The Finance Ministry will probably present a strategy of Poland's joining the euro zone in August, Anna Adamkiewicz of the ministry said Monday. "The document is ready but consultations are still under way" Adamkiewicz added. At the end of June the Finance Ministry said it would present the strategy in early July and then it said it would be done in late July. The strategy is to define concrete technical decisions that must be taken to enable Poland to join the euro zone in a specified time. According to the government plans Poland is to join the euro zone in 2009 after meeting the Maastricht criteria in 2007. The government also plans that Poland's budget deficit will fall below the required 3 percent of the GDP and that in 2009 Poland will join the euro zone.
Warsaw, July 25: Poland's achievements over the past 6 years are impressive but the uneven development of Polish regions and economic differences between urban and rural areas are alarming phenomena, outgoing EU Mission head Bruno Dethomas said Monday in Warsaw. Dethomas, ending an almost 6-year mission in Poland, stressed that none of the pre-accession fears voiced with regard to Poland proved justified and admitted that Poland had "achieved impressive results over the past 15 years". He added, however, that EU funds alone will not suffice to alleviate regional differences. He added that the biggest discrepancies were visible between Poland's eastern and western territories. The three eastern districts not only failed to approach the EU average but even lost some ground in this respect, Dethomas said.
Warsaw joins Solidarity union anniversary celebrations
Warsaw, July 25: Warsaw will join the celebrations of the Solidarity Free Trade Union 25th anniversary. The main events will be held between August 29 and September 4, Warsaw Mayor Lech Kaczynski told journalists Monday. The programme of the celebrations was prepared jointly by the City and Solidarity of the Mazowsze Region. Kaczynski stressed Solidarity was a movement of great significance for entire Poland and the world outside it. He said he had "an idea to create a research centre engaged in the studies of the Solidarity phenomenon between 1980 and 1981, and next the union operating in the underground," The Mayor said. The programme in Warsaw envisages an open-air multimedia show on August 29, and a concert at Grand Theatre, to be attended by Solidarity prominent activists on Sept. 2.
Poland losing significant numbers of doctors
Warsaw, July 25: Anaesthesiologists, specialists in internal medicine and surgeons represent the biggest group among Polish doctors seeking work in the West. This is an alarming phenomenon given that these specialities are scarce in Polish hospitals. From May 1, 2004 to end of June, 2005 over 3,400 doctors and over 1,000 dentists applied for professional qualifications certificates to the Main Doctors' Council, the Council's spokeswoman Iwona Raszke-Rostkowska said. From May 1,500 anaesthesiologists, 320 internists, 216 surgeons,
133 obstetricians and gynaecologists, 108 radiologists and 40 cardiologists applied for the certificates. Doctors are leaving Poland because of low salaries. The career structure also poses problems, effectively preventing many doctors from specialising.
GUS: Unemployment down to 18.0 in June
Warsaw, July 25: The unemployment rate in June 2005 fell to 18.0 percent from 18.3 percent in May 2005, the Central Statistical Office GUS reported on Monday. The number of the unemployed in Poland stood at 2,827,400 in June, down by 39,900 people or 1.4 percent from May. It went down by 7.9 percent from June 2004.
Warsaw, July 25: The Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) will channel an additional 44 million euros from the EU's Phare 2003 pre-accession programme to aid the SME market. The aid application deadline is early August. The funds will be used for business counselling, innovation and investments. A novelty in the programme is an innovation-geared credit line for newcomers to the SME market and a charge-free infoline about the programme and other aid forms for SMEs. The maximum aid tranche for investors is 50,000 euros.
Warsaw, July 25: The Israeli company Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will lay out 7.4 billion USD for the U.S. Ivax Corporation. Ivax shareholders have been offered 26 USD per share or 0.8471 Teva shares for one Ivax share. The takeover is planned to strengthen Ivax' position as a generic drug manufacturer and broaden its product range. The takeover will take place at year's end or in early 2006. Ivax took over Polish Polfa Kutno drug maker last fall and is quoted on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
Mostostal Export concentrates on foreign contracts
Warsaw, July 25: Mostostal Export does not expect 2005 to see a much better situation in the building industry and that is why it will continue to focus on foreign contracts, Mostostal's CEO Michal Skipietrow said. Currently 80 percent of Mosotstal's revenues come from foreign
contracts, chiefly in Russia. "I do not expect any major improvement in the building industry in Poland this year, and operations on foreign markets give us a chance," Skipietrow said. The value of Mostostal's all Russian contacts is USD 48 million, of which orders worth USD 18 million are being carried out now. Mostostal Export's sales reached 137 million zlotys in 2004, up from 72.4 million zlotys in 2003. In 2004 Mostostal Export made 1.35 million zlotys in net profits, agains a loss of 49.35 million zlotys in 2003.
Volvo to open financial services centre in Wroclaw
Warsaw, July 25: Volvo is planning to invest 26 million zlotys (7.7 millin USD) in a financial and IT services centre in Wroclaw within the coming five years. On Monday, two agreements were signed to this effect between the economy ministry, the City of Wroclaw and Volvo Polska. At least 500 people will find jobs in the centre, chiefly young people. Volvo Polska head Tom Jorning said that the investment will get government support of 1,923,900 zlotys for new job creation. Volvo president Anders Johannesson said that his company is planning to build a lorry service station, the Volvo Polska Centre, in Nadarzyn, near Warsaw. The station will employ 65 people. Volvo is planning to invest 32 million zlotys in the project.
Coal Company's net profits up 20 percent
Katowice, July 25: Kompania Weglowa (Coal Company) increased its net profits by over 20 percent in the first six months of 2005 from the corresponding period last year. Gross profits rose from 148.7 million in the first six months of 2004 to 242.5 million zlotys in the first six months of this year. Net profits rose by 24.1 million zlotys, from 107.6 million zlotys to 131.7 million zlotys. The result was better due to the Coal Comapny's selling a 5 percent stake in the Przyjazn coking plant. The company earned less on coal selling (268.8 million zlotys against 308.3 million zlotys in 2004). Despite better results in the six months the Coal Company expects its net profits to be lower in 2005 than the 450 million zlotys earned in 2004. The Coal Company is the biggest mining concern in Europe. It groups 17 mines and employs 71.4 thousand workers.
Warsaw, July 27: In the coming days Poland will transfer documentation on Edward M., a suspect in the 1998 killing of police chief Marek Papala, to the U.S. in connection with a motion to extradite M. to Poland. Andrzej Kepinski from the Polish justice ministry said the documents contained among others Papala's post-mortem results and details concerning his death.Edward M. is sought under an international arrest warrant since February. General Marek Papala was shot outside his Warsaw home by an unknown gunman on June 25 1998.
Marek Belka visits Iraqi Kurdistan
Irbil, July 27: Prime Minister Marek Belka visiting Irbil (Iraqi Kurdistan) on Wednesday expressed the hope that the new Iraqi constitution will define due role and competence of Iraqi regions. He did not rule out that a Polish consulate might be opened there in the future. Belka and ministers accompanying him were the first official government delegation from a European country to visit the Kurdistan Autonomous Region in Iraq. The delegation was greeted at Irbil airport by Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan Nechirwan Idris Barzani. Talks then followed with President Masud Barzani of Iraqi Kurdistan at the seat of the regional government. Belka told a press conference afterwards that he counts on economic cooperation between Polish regions and Iraqi Kurdistan. The PM spoke respect about President Barzani's and his father, the late Mustafa Barzani, role in the struggle against Saddam Hussain regime and their contribution to the building of the modern Iraqi state. Masud Barzani stressed the political aspect of Belka's visit. Asked by Kurdi journalists about the possibility of opening a
Polish embassy in Kurdistan Belka said it is normal to set up diplomatic missions in various regions of a given country and did not rule out that a Polish consulate might be opened in Kurdistan. Belka, on a Middle East tour since Monday, left the Polish-led Multinational Division Centre-South at Divaniyah earlier on Wednesday. Before flying to Irbil the Polish PM met in Baghdad with the American commander of the Multi-National Force-Iraq, General George Casey and US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visiting the Iraqi capital.
Truszczynski: cabinet position on Belarus on Thursday
Warsaw, July 27: On Thursday morning the Foreign Ministry will discuss the situation connected with Poland's relations with Belarus and will present its position concerning the issue, deputy Foreign Minister Jan Truszczynski told reporters in the Sejm on Wednesday. Prime Minister Marek Belka and Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld are returning to Poland on Wednesday evening. According to Truszczynski, one cannot speak about a diplomatic war between Poland and Belarus. This is something different. This is a violation of human rights in another country, and testifying to this is the way the Belarussian authorities are behaving in relation to the legally elected authorities of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Truszczynski said.
Politicians want int'l reaction to Belarussian moves
Warsaw, Brussels, July 27: Politicians of all shades agree that Poland should make international public opinion aware of and interested in developments in Belarus where the state authorities apply reprisals to the Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB). On Thursday morning, the Foreign Ministry will discuss the situation connected with Poland's relations with Belarus and will present its position concerning the issue, deputy Foreign Minister Jan Truszczynski told reporters in the Sejm on Wednesday. Prime Minister Marek Belka and Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld are returning to Poland on Wednesday evening. According to Truszczynski, one cannot speak about a diplomatic war between Poland and Belarus. This is something different. This is a violation of human rights in another country, and testifying to this is the way the Belarussian authorities are behaving in relation to the legally elected authorities of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Truszczynski said. The third Polish diplomat was expelled from Belarus on Tuesday. Three activists of the UPB were detained by police on Tuesday and arrested for 10 to 15 days on Wednesday. UPB leader Andzelika Borys was expelled from the Union on Wednesday. Sejm speaker and former foreign minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said the situation of Poles in Belarus was scandalous. He said the issue should be moved to international forum, to the Council of Europe and the UN Commission for Human Rights. "Belarus must be condemned not only by Poland, other countries should also react," he added. The leader of the Citizens Platform (PO) parliamentary caucus Jan Rokita believes that the EU should exert pressure on president Aleksandr Lukashenka and defend Poles and the UPB. Another PO politician Bronislaw Komorowski said that the situation of Poles in Belarus and of the UBP resulted from a concept agreed on with Russia and president Putin. The same opinion was voiced by Marek Bucko, former Polish diplomat in Minsk who had been expelled last May. He told PAP that Lukashenka and the Belarussian nation were instruments of Russian policy. Deputy speaker of the Sejm Kazimierz Ujazdowski (PiS) called for firmness and resistance to Lukashenka's blackmail. He added that PiS would support a government decision to severe diplomatic ties with Belarus. The EU should be included in solving the Polish-Belarussian affairs, he said. A similar opinion was voiced by SdPl leader Marek Borowski who said that the only effective way to solve the Polish-Belarussian tensions was involvement of the EU and the USA. "This is a complex game and should be played very carefully," Borowski said. According to spokesman of the EU Commissioner for development and humanitarian assistance Poland could table the problem of tensions in its relations with Belarus during a meeting of the EU foreign ministers scheduled for early September.
Polish reporters apprehended on way from Grodno to Lida
Warsaw, July 27: A Belarussian militia patrol on Wednesday apprehended two Gazeta Wyborcza reporters Waclaw Radziwinowicz and Robert Kowalewski while on their way from Grodno to Lida for a trial of three members of the Union of Poles in Belarus, the paper wrote on its website. The militiamen stopped us when we were leaving Grodno. We were paying a fine when they received a phone call after which they took away our registration plates and forbade us to go any further, Radziwilowicz was quoted as saying. The reporters changed the car and are on their way to Lida. The situation in Grodno is tense. Police summoned head of the Union of Poles in Belarus Andzelika Borys for a hearing but she had to refuse due to health problems.
Sejm committee recommends candidates for ambassadors
Warsaw, July 27: The Sejm Committee for Foreign Affairs on Wednesday recommended candidates for Poland's ambassadors in the United States, China, Latvia and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. Janusz Reiter, former Poland's ambassador to Germany (1990-1995), the founder and the president of the Centre for International Relations, is a candidate for Poland's ambassador to the United States. Michal Czyz, former attache in the embassy in Copenhagen (1982-1987), consul in Chicago (1990-1993), is a candidate for the ambassador to Sweden. Maciej Klimczak, culture ministry's employee of many years' standing, at present undersecretary of state, is a candidate for the ambassador in Latvia. Krzysztof Szumski, former ambassador in Manila (1991-1992), Bangkok (1992-1997) and Djakarta (2000-2004), currently head of the Office for International Affairs in the Sejm Chancellery, is a candidate for the ambassador to China. Piotr Switalski is a candidate for Poland's permanent representative at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. He worked at the foreign ministry for many years, in 1999-2002 was counselor at the embassy in Nairobi.
Sejm proclaims October 16 as John Paul II Day
Warsaw, July 27: The Sejm on Wednesday proclaimed October 16 as John Paul II Day to "pay tribute to the greatest authority of the 20th century, the man who was teaching us solidarity, courage and humility, firmness and understanding, wisdom, reaching to the roots of Christianity," according to a Senate- and Sejm-approved resolution. On October 16, 1978 Karol Wojtyla was elected the pope and the "pontificate of John Paul II changed the course of the world's history in its every dimension," the resolution reads. October 16 will not be a public holiday.
Warsaw, July 27: August 31 will be celebrated as Solidarity and Freedom Day and will be a national holiday, the Polish Sejm decided Wednesday. The decision coincides with this year's 25th anniversary of the foundation of the Solidarity Union, whose protests and strikes against Poland's communist regime gave the beginnings to Poland's 1989 overthrow of communism.
Solidarity anniversary to be marked in Brussels
Brussels, July 27: An exhibition "The Road to Freedom" to be mounted in the European Parliament on August 30 will inaugurate a series of events marking the Solidarity union 25th anniversary in Brussels. "We want above all to underline that historical aims can be achieved and be people can be affective without bloodshed and resorting to violence and terror," Janusz Lewandowski, the initiator of the celebrations in Brussels, told PAP Wednesday. The organising committee includes two Polish EP vice-presidents, Janusz Onyszkiewicz and Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, and MEPs Dariusz Rosati and Wojciech Roszkowski. The programme of the celebrations envisages concerts, film shows, a conference with the participation of Solidarity icons Lech Walesa, Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Bronislaw Geremek, and other events. It is likely that the "The Road to Freedom" exhibition will be opened by EP President Josep Borrell. The display was prepared by Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The exhibition will stay in the European Parliament till September 2, and next be moved to Universiti Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) from September 20 to October 5. A gala concert in the Brussels La Monnaie opera house, to be broadcast by Polish Television, will be the highlight of the jubilee programme. Walesa will decorate distinguished European personages engaged in collecting and delivering gifts for Poland in the 1980s. The Polish events in Brussels will be crowned by the European Parliament's .the resolution commemorating the Solidarity 25th anniversary.
Special TVP programme to mark Solidarity anniversary
Warsaw, July 27: Polish television TVP has prepared nearly 100 programmes including 50 documentaries and a concert by Jean Michel Jarre to mark the 25th anniversary of the birth of the Solidarity trade union. On Wednesday the TVP presented a special framework programme
prepared in connection with the August ceremonies. According to TVP CEO Jan Dworak, strikes that spread all over Poland 25 years ago were important not only for one generation but also for the entire Poland, Europe and the world. He added that TVP joined the anniversary ceremonies to instil the August 1980 events in the consciousness of Europeans. The proposed programmes include an 18-part calendar of the strike in Gdansk shipyard to be broadcast by Channel 2 every evening after Panorama news bulletin from August 14 to 31, a documentary about Lech Walesa and a feature movies "Solidarnosc", Solidarnosc" made up of 13 short-films shot by the best Polish movie directors, including Andrzej Wajda, Jan Jakub Kolski and Malgorzata Szumowska. The concert by Jean Michel Jarre entitled "The Space For Freedom" will be broadcast from the Gdansk shipyard on August 26 at 1030 hrs. On August 15 TVP3 will broadcast a documentary on the first pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II to Poland. On August 21 TVP2 will broadcast a movie about one of the Solidarity heroes Wieslaw Chrzanowski, an anti-communist activist, former Home Army AK soldier and close collaborator late Primate of Poland Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski. TV Polonia will show the film entitled "How did we tear down the Iron Curtain." A week later TVP2 and TV Polonia will broadcast a movie on Karol Modzelewski, a historian and activist of the anti-communist opposition twice imprisoned by the communist police.
EU auditors probing Agriculture Restructuring and Modernisation Agency
Warsaw, July 27: EU auditors are probing whether the Agriculture Restructuring and Modernisation Agency meets accreditation conditions for paying out EU funds to farmers. So far there have been no reservations to the presented documents, the Agency's deputy president Daria Oleszczuk said. Oleszczuk said that the present audit is very important for the Agency with not only EU auditors taking part in it but also the auditors from the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg. "This is the most important audit for the Agency, summing up its functioning over the last two years," she said.
Ex-GROM troops to train antiterrorists
Warsaw, July 27: Former soldiers of Poland's GROM elite task force will help train antiterrorist teams under an agreement between the Polish defence ministry and a foundation grouping onetime GROM members. GROM veterans will also help the ministry with NATO exercises and prepare Polish troops for UN peace mission. In today's difficult time the experience offered by ex-GROM members must be put to use, said deputy defence minister Maciej Gorski.
Breweries expect 3-4 percent rise
Warsaw, July 27: Poland's breweries expect the warm summer weather will raise beer sales 3-4-percent. The weather is warm with less rainfall than last year, which means more beer sales. Also beer prices have been frozen, said Danuta Gut from the Brewery Employers' Union. In the second quarter of this year Poland's beer sales rose to 8.890 million hectolitres from 8.480 million in the same period of last year.
Forest acreage grows in Poland
Warsaw, July 27: The acreage covered by forests is growing steadily in Poland, according to a report from Lasy Panstwowe (State Forests) presented here Wednesday. Forests cover 28.7 per cent of Poland's area, i.e. over 8.9 million hectares. This places Poland 6th in Europe, after Sweden, Finland, France, Germany and Ukraine. 680,000 hectares more are to be afforested by the year 2020 when 30 per cent of Poland's territory will be covered by forests, the report says. 82.5 per cent of all Polish forests are owned by the state and 78.4 per cent of those are managed by Lasy Panstwowe. The firm made a profit of 68.7 million zlotys (ca. 30 million USD) and employed almost 26,000 people last year.
Warsaw, July 27: A total of 81,942 used cars were imported to Poland in June, down 5.5 percent from May, the Samar company monitoring the automotive market has reported. From the start of the year until the end of June 441,821 used cars were imported to Poland. "June saw the anticipated changes in the numbers of second-hand cars imporend to Poland. The fall is not high compared to May, but it gives a chance for a trend to be established that should continue in the next months," Samar's head Wojciech Drzewiecki said. Volksvagen cars are the most popular second-hand vehicles imported to Poland (99 thousand imported from the beginning of the year), followed by Opel and Ford cars (83 thousand and 53 thousand, respectively). Cars produced in the 1990s accounted for 82.6 percent of the imported cars.
IBnGR: consumption, investments to boost economy
Warsaw, July 27: Economic results in the next quarters of 2005 should be better due to increased consumption, growth of investments and good export results, representatives of the Gdansk Institute for Market Economics (IBnGR). The Institute experts expect that the economy in the entire 2005 will develop at a pace of 3.6 percent due to worse results in the 1Q though the 2Q brought a visible improvement. In the 2Q of 2005 GDP growth was at 2.7 percent of GDP owing to the growing demand for construction and assembly production as well as a higher dynamics of industrial production than in the 1Q, the experts wrote in materials prepared for a Wednesday press conference. They also predict that consumption and investments will grow. Lower GDP stems from the slower economic development pace in the 1Q. In 2Q we expect a higher home demand which should be at 2.3 percent, IBnGR expert Krzysztof Lapinski told PAP. "Consumption growth should be accompanied by a growth of pays in real terms which in 2005 will be at 2 percent and in the next two years it will be at 3.1 percent and 3.5 percent respectively, experts wrote. They predict that the Monetary Policy Council RPP will cut interest rates by a maximum of 100 base points by the end of the year. They also mentioned threats to the development of the economic situation including a hard-to-predict economic program of a new victorious coalition, the escalation of terrorist attacks, sudden changes in international financial markets and protracted crisis concerning the EU budget plans for 2007-2013.
NIK praises mining sector's money spending in 2004
Katowice, July 27: The hard coal sector spent money assigned to it by the government in 2004 in a wise way and without major irregularities. The 2004 funds were assigned for restructuring and liquidation of coal mines, the Supreme Auditing Board NIK has found. "This is the first inspection in years carried out in the sector that ended with a positive result. The quality of the implemented tasks visibly improved though not all recommendations from previous inspections have been realised," NIK head Miroslaw Sekula told a news conference in Katowice on Wednesday. Last year the sector spent 565 mn PLN (166 mn USD) for social
cushions for miners and 237 mn PLN for pits' closure from credits drawn by the government from the World Bank.
Poland recalls ambassador from Belarus for consultations
Warsaw, July 28: Poland on Thursday recalled its ambassador Tadeusz Pawlak from Belarus for consultations, Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld said Thursday and added that Pawlak will not return to Minsk until the situation in Belarus changes and repression against the Union of Poles in Belarus stops. Rotfeld said that the Polish-Belarussian relations were in "severe crisis" but stressed that this was not Poland's intention to worsen these relations. Rotfeld added that the Foreign Ministry condemned the actions of the Belarussian authorities against the Union of Poles in Belarus. Poland considers the decision to annul the congress of the union as incompatible with international standards. The foreign minister also said that Poland authorized its consuls in Belarus to issue at their discretion free-of-charge or reduced-fee visas to Belarussians who want to come to Poland. Rotfeld added that the Foreign Ministry would be acting for opening an independent radio in Belarus. He said the ministry would ask the government for funds for the purpose. The Foreign Ministry has appealed to the European Commission to take decisive steps to help Poland protect the rights of the Polish national minority in Belarus.The foreign minister said that Poland would send letters on Friday to the EU authorities concerning the situation in Belarus."Tomorrow we will send letters to Javier Solana, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, and to British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. We will stress that the situation in Belarus is the problem of the entire EU and not only of Polish-Belarussian relations, Rotfeld said. Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Zalucki told a press conference the Belarussian side had granted a permit authorizing the Polish plane to fly over the Belarussian territory but that it did not arrive on time. The plane with a Polish delegation flying to Katyn to attend ceremonies marking the 5th anniversary of opening the war cemetery had to fly over Ukraine.
Polish-Belarussian relations in crisis - foreign ministry
Warsaw, July 28: The Polish-Belarussian relations are in a serious crisis, according to a statement of the Polish Foreign Ministry published Thursday afternoon. "The cause of the crisis is not problems or difficulties in bilateral relations, but actions taken by Belarussian authorities against their own citizens," reads the statement in part. The actions hit out at the Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB), the largest non-government organization that represents interests of the Polish community in Belarus, the document goes on. "The foreign ministry firmly condemns the actions," the statement reads. "By exerting inadmissible pressure on independent non-government organizations the Belarussian authorities not only break international agreements but also their own national laws," the statement points out. It says that the actions violate international obligations accepted by Belarus under the UN system (Covenants of Human Rights) and the OSCE (The Copenhagen Document of June 29,1990 and the Moscow Document of Oct.4, 1994).The actions "are a glaring contradiction of the Polish-Belarussian Treaty with regard to national minorities and are discordant with the accepted European standards," the ministry said. "We perceive this policy and illegal acts committed by the Belarussian authorities as violations of human rights and basic freedoms of all inhabitants of Belarus," the ministry said. In its resolution on the situation in Belarus the Senate voiced its "firm protest against the spread and intensification of the anti-Polish policy of the Belarussian authorities and violations of the rights of Polish minority in this country."The Senate asked the president and the government "to take effective action designed to secure the observance of the rights of Polish minority in Belarus."
Poland does not export revolution - Rotfeld
Warsaw, July 28: Any changes in Belarus must result from the will and strivings of the Belarussian society, foreign minister Adam Rotfeld told a press conference held here Thursday. "It is not us who will institute changes but the Belarussian nation," he went on. "Our task is to help Belarussians enjoy rights identical with those available in other countries," the minister said at a press conference devoted to the 25th anniversary of Solidarity trade union and held at the PAP Press Centre. President Aleksandr Lukashenka shows by his actions that "the Solidarity legacy still waits for its implementation in some parts of Europe, notably in Belarus," Rotfeld noted. "Poland does not export revolution," he stressed. Poland's main task at present is to help Belarussians get access to uncensored information. Rotfeld said he had asked the cabinet to help Belarussians get access to reliable information on the radio and electronic media. Also, he had instructed Polish consulates to reduce fees for their services to Belarussians planning visiting Poland.
Poland resorts to flexible visa policy vis-a-vis Belarussians
Warsaw, July 28: Poland authorised its consuls in Belaruss to issue free-of-charge or reduced-fee visas, according to their discretion, to Belarussians who want to come to Poland, Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld said Thursday. The foreign minister added he had called Tadeusz Pawlak, the Polish ambassador to Belaruss to Poland for consultations in view of the "cooling down" of bilateral relations.
Pickets in front of Belarussian missions in Poland
Warsaw, July 28: A group of sympathisers of the League of Polish Families LPR and the Polish National Youth staged a picket in front of the Belarussian embassy to Poland on Thursday, demanding that the headquarters of the Union of Poles in Belarus be returned to the legally elected authorities. On Wednesday night Belarussian special forces raided the headquarters and detained a group of people, including the union's head Angelika Borys. Also on Thursday a group of activists of the Citizens' Platform from Podlaskie province picketed the Belarussian consulate in Bialystok protesting against repressions against the Union of Poles in Belarus. Leader of the Citizens' Platform's Bialystok chapter Robert Tyszkiewicz said that the activists expect the Polish authorities to take decisive steps, not only diplomatic measures. They demanded that an independent radio station should be launched to broadcast to Belarus.
Wroclaw suspends partnership cooperation with Grodno
Wroclaw, July 28: Wroclaw suspended partnership cooperation with Grodno on Thursday, in connection with recent developments in Belarus. "We do not want to cooperate with the Grodno municipality and with part of its councillors who support actions against democratically elected authorities of the Union of Poles in Belarus," Wroclaw vice-mayor Jaroslaw Obremski said. Obremski added that the cooperation with Grodno will be resumed, once "we see democratisation in Belarus." He made it clear that the cooperation will be withheld only with the Grodno municipality and not with Grodno residents. Early in August a group of 40 polish children from the Grodno region is due to come to Wroclaw. Grodno has been Wroclaw's partner city from 2003.
Prime Minister Belka meets Turkish president
Warsaw, July 28: The Polish governmental delegation led by PM Marek Belka paid a short working visit to Turkey on its way back from Iraq, the government information office (CIR) reported on Thursday. The Polish PM met with Turkish President Ahmed Necdet Sezer in Istanbul to discuss the EU enlargement, Turkish-Iraqi and Polish-Turkish relations, said Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld following the meeting. It was very a very business-like discussion. The Turkish side expressed a number of doubts concerning a sudden shift in the position of certain European countries on the EU enlargement and on admitting their country to the union. We tried to explain Poland's point of view and assured the Turkish side that Turkey had the right to aspire to become an EU memeber and that Poland belonged to the group of Turkish bid supporters, the minister said.
Solidarity merit: changes without bloodshed
Warsaw, July 28: According to Foreign Minister Adam Rotfeld what started 25 years ago "today is still awaiting completion in some parts of Europe, especially in Belarus." The great of the Solidarity trade union lied in the fact that it was an authentic and spontaneous manifestation not only of solidarity but also the ability of carrying out fundamental, Rotfeld told a news conference devoted to the international promotion of the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity trade union and the signing of the August Agreements. He added that had it not been for the Solidarity the Berlin Wall would have been destroyed later and possibly with bloodshed. The conference, organised at the Polish Press Agency PAP hq. on Thursday was attended by organisers of the ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity trade union including representatives of the Lech Walesa Institute, Solidarity Foundation and Gdansk President Pawel Adamowicz. One of the main events of the Solidarity anniversary celebrations will be an international conference From Solidarity to Freedom to be held in Gdansk and Warsaw on Aug.29-31 and attended by 30 prime ministers, heads of state and other special guests from abroad, including EU Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso. The conference will be attended by former Czech president Vaclav Havel, Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko, former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, professor Zbigniew Brzezinski, Sergei Kovalyov. 450 foreign guests have confirmed their participation to date. The entire diplomatic corps has been invited to attend except for the ambassador of Belarus. Events celebrating the anniversary will be held all over Poland and abroad.
Cimoszewicz: Sejm, Senate to hold special meeting on August 29
Warsaw, July 28: Sejm deputies and senators will meet at a special session on August 29 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Solidarity, Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz told PAP Thursday. "We would like Lech Walesa to take part and address the meeting," Cimoszewicz said. He added, that former speakers of parliament's both chambers will probably also be invited. Cimoszewicz expressed the hope that parliamentarians would manage to draft an anniversary resolution acceptable for all and that it would be adopted unanimously. The proposal to hold a special meeting of the two chambers was addressed to the Sejm speaker by PiS and PO caucus leaders on Wednesday.
Lecha Walesa's Institute promotes Solidarity events
Warsaw, July 28: The Foundation of the Lech Walesa Institute has actively participated in preparations for ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity trade union co-organising international conferences and holding the patronage over the contest for the project of the European Solidarity Centre, program director of the foundation Artur Negri told PAP on Thursday. The foundation has participated in an international programme promoting the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity at www.solidarity.org.pl website in order to convey to foreign mass media information about the birth and role of the movement in political transformations in Europe and in the world. The program has been realised in cooperation with the Polish Press Agency PAP. The institute has cooperated with the American Enterprise
Institute, The New Atlantic Initiative in the organisation of the international conference 25 years of the Solidarity trade union - experience in the struggle for freedom," to be held in Gdansk on August 30. The conference will analyse experience gained by the Solidarity trade union and the opportunities to use it by the new democratic movements all over the world. Participants in the conference will try to answer a number of questions related to Solidarity leaders' achievements and errors which could have been avoided, Negri said and added that the conference will be attended by Solidarity legendary leader Lech Walesa, former adviser to U.S. President Jimmy Carter Zbigniew Brzezinski, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Borys Tarasiuk, Dan Fried of the U.S. Department of State and opposition activists from Cuba, Belarus, North Korea and Iran.
Solidarity anniversary to be marked worldwide
Warsaw, July 28: This year ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity trade union will comprise main ceremonies in Gdansk and a number of events organised by Polish diplomatic missions and Polish culture institutes abroad. Foreign minister representative for the ceremonies and former Ambassador to Costa Rica Ryszard Schnepf said the biggest events were planned to be organised in Brussels, the site of a number of European organisations. Ceremonies in Gdansk will start in mid-August and, according to Schnepf, "numerous representation" of foreign countries' leaders had confirmed their participation. In Brussels the organisational committee has been preparing scores of events including concerts, seminars and street spectacles, he said. The events will reach their climax on October 3 with a gala concert during which "outstanding Europeans" who "helped Poland in the most difficult times" will be handed over occasional distinctions. Major events will also be organised in Budapest, London, New York, Paris, Prague, Rome and Stockholm, Schnepf said and added that ceremonies will be held all over the world.
Roza Thun appointed European Commission Representation head in Poland
Brussels, July 28: President of the Polish Robert Schuman Foundation Roza Thun was appointed head of the European Commission Representation in Warsaw, Mikolaj Dowgilewicz, the spokesman for EU Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy Margot Wallstroem, told PAP on Thursday. Heads of European Commission Representations have a key role in contacts with Brussels. The main task of a representation is to inform a given country about a European Commission position on various issues and to inform the European Commission about what is going on in a given country, Dowgielewicz said.
Cracow, July 28: The last of 8 CASA C-295M military transport aircraft ordered from Spain was officially included into the Polish Airforce by defence minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski Thursday. The machines will fly for the Cracow-based 13th Air Transport Squadron. Szmajdzinski, who highly praised the CASA machines, said the airforce's next modernization stage will be the acquisition of new helicopters and the introduction of F-16 fighters and Hercules transporters into the force. The 2000-founded 13th Air Transport Squadron flies transport missions for Polish forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans.
Strasbourg: Poland violated human rights
Strasbourg, July 28: The European Human Rights Tribunal in Strasbourg Thursday ruled Poland guilty of violating human rights by holding murder and theft suspect under arrest for 5 years before sentencing him to 18 months in prison. Poland will have to pay Czarnecki 5,000 euros in compensation for moral damage suffered while in detention. Czarnecki was placed under arrest pending trial on January 5 1996, his detention was extended over 5 years to prevent his pressuring witnesses. In 2001 he was acquitted of the murder charges, sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment on a theft count, and released. In fact he had spent 5 years and 1 month in prison. According to the Strasbourg tribunal the Polish side's grounds for the prolonged detention period were "neither sufficient nor appropriate".
Fifth anniversary of Katyn cemetery commemorated
Katyn, Warsaw, July 28: Ceremonies marking the 5th anniversary of the opening of the Polish Katyn Cemetery were attended by more than 300 people including representatives of families of officers murdered there, scouts and local residents. Secretary General of the Council for the Preservation of Monuments to Struggle and Martyrdom Andrzej Przewoznik stressed the Katyn crime had to be explained. We cannot leave it unsolved until we know the names of all the murdered and the sites where they had been buried, he said. The ceremonies were also attended by deputy head of the National Remembrance Institute IPN Witold Kulesza and Polish Ambassador to the Russian Federation Stefan Meller. I came here out of the need of my heart, the son of Ryszard Szpilewski from the Gdynia-based Katyn Family said. It is all the more important for me that for many years I was not allowed to say that my father was murdered in Katyn, he added.The Polish War Cemetery in Katyn was opened and consecrated on July 28, 2000. Katyn is the necropolis of 4,400 Polish officers and intelligentsia. All of them were taken prisoners after the September 17, 1939 Soviet invasion against Poland. The Russian Prosecutor's Office dropped proceedings after 14 year-long investigation.
Armatura Krakow to increase share market to 40 pct
Warsaw, July 28: Armatura Krakow SA intends to increase sales by 10 percent within the coming years, raising its share in the market to 40 percent, Armatura's president Konrad Hernik said. At present Armatura Krakow, Poland's biggest producer of bathroom fittings, has a 33 percent share in the Polish market. Last year Armatura Krakow began restructuring that will cost over 40 million zlotys. Hernik said that Armatura's this year's sales revenues will be
over 102 million zlotys (against 101.2 million zlotys last year) and net profits over 2 million zlotys (against 2.7 million zlotys in 2004). Armatura is 90-percent owned by PZU Zycie SA life insurer, with Armatura's employees holding a 7.5 percent stake and the State Treasury a 2.5 percent stake.
EIB lends 500 m euros for motorway project
Warsaw, July 28: The European Investment Bank will lend 500 m euros to finance the construction of 90 km of A1 motorway from Gdansk to Nowe Marze, the bank said Thursday. The 30 year loan will go to Gdansk Transport Company SA which got the licence to build the motorway. EBI will cover 74 pc of all costs of the project. The Nordic Investment Bank will offer a similar loan to supplement the long-term financing of the project. A1 motorway is a part of the motorway route from the Baltic to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria. In Poland A1 links Gdynia and Gdansk harbours with Katowice.
Book on Jews in Oswiecim translated into German
Bielsko-Biala, July 28: The book "Juden In Oswiecim 1918-1941" devoted to the Jewish community in Oswiecim, south-west Poland,has been brought out by the State Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum publishing house, Museum spokesman Jaroslaw Mensfelt said Wednesday. This is the German, enlarged version of the Polish book written by Museum employee Lucyna Filip, +Zydzi w Oswiecimiu 1918-1941+ (Jews in Oswiecim 1918-1941) which appeared in 2003. It depicts the religious, social, political, cultural and economic life of
the Jewish community of Oswiecim and its tragic fate during the Nazi occupation, resettlements to ghettos and deportations to KL Auschwitz concentration camp," Mensfelt explained. The publication contains many photographs from the past and recent years, an index of synagogues, and names of rabbis and persons deported to the ghetto in nearby Sosnowiec. Unlike the Polish version, the publication in German has a chapter devoted to the post-war stories of Jewish survivors of Auschwitz. The Jewish community in Oswiecim, the town south-west Poland,at whose vicinity Germans located the Auscwitz death camp, constituted a majority of the town's residents. Only a handful survived the Nazi occupation, Szymon Kluger, the last Oswiecim-born Jewish resident recalled before he died in 2000. The State Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum publishing house, set up in 1957, has brought out over 400 publications in over 7.7 million copies in various language versions so far, among them popular scientific publications, memoirs, albums, catalogues and guides in 14 languages.
Gdansk, July 28: Twenty one ensembles from 17 European countries will perform in Gdansk during the 26th European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Folk Festival, to be held for the second time in Poland. Artists from Belarus, the Czech Republic, Norway, Germany, Slovenia and, for the first time, Russia will be among groups performing at the festival. The concert "Midnight Sounds" by Polish jazzman composer Olo Walicki and friends will inaugurate the festival at St. John's church in Gdansk on August 4. Damroka Kwidzynska, a student of the Academy of Music in Gdansk will perform rock music to texts in the Kashubian language. Walicki stressed that it was his intention to use the Kashubian language in the concert. The Kashubian region spreads west of Gdansk and its ethnic Kashubian people are proud to have preserved their ancient culture, traditions and language.Festival concerts will be held daily at an open-air platform at the historical downtown of Gdansk and at St. John church till Sunday of August 7. The annual EBU folk festivals are hosted each year by different national broadcasters. This year's event is organised by Polish Radio celebrating its 8u0th anniversary.
Belarussian envoy may be "undesired" in Poland - Cimoszewicz
Warsaw, July 29: Sejm speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz does not rule out a situation when the Belarussian ambassador in Warsaw is declared persona non grata and will have to leave Poland. He hinted at such a possibility in an interview he granted TVN 24 tv station Friday. "The scale of developments has reached such magnitude that we must cooperate with the EU states, approach the OSCE and the UN Human Rights Commission," Cimoszewicz told the station. "In my view the situation should be discussed by Poland with Russia and by the EU with Russia. Russia cannot claim it has no influence on developments in Belarus."
French Foreign Ministry: solidarity with Poland over Belarus
Warsaw, July 31: The French Foreign Ministry has expressed solidarity with Poland in connection with the recent developments in Belarus and said that the current situation of Poles in Belarus was part of growing repressions against the political opposition, civic society, trade unions and independent media in that country, according to a statement sent by the French Foreign Ministry to PAP on Sunday. We are appealing to the Belarussian authorities to observe law and give up moves hampering the development of relations between Belarus and the European Union, the statement said. The statement stressed that restrictions against Poles living in Belarus were not only a problem of bilateral Polish-Belarussian relations but that they also showed the changes taking place in Minsk. The French Foreign Ministry declaredthat it would present its position concerning the observance of human rights in Belarus during all meetings with European partners.
Tusk to go to Belarus on Monday
Warsaw, July 31: Leader of the Citizens' Platform (PO) and PO presidential candidate Donald Tusk will pay a visit to Grodno, Belarus, on Monday at the invitation from head of the Union of Poles in Belarus Andzelika Borys, PO's press office told PAP on Sunday. Tusk will be accompanied by PO Eurodeputies Jacek Saryusz-Wolski and Jacek Protasiewicz.
Vacations may slow down EU's reaction to Belarus conflict
Warsaw, July 29: Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz thinks that the European Union should get involved in solving the conflict around Polish minority in Belarus. However, he adds that the vacation season may slow down this process. Speaking to Polish Radio Three on Friday Cimoszewicz said that European bodies do not meet in August due to the vacation break. However, he stressed that "if the situation continues to deteriorate, one will have to come up with extraordinary procedural motions in this respect," said the speaker. Cimoszewicz said that if the EU picks up Poland's appeal to focus on the situation of Poland's minority in Belarus then time will come to decide on how European structures may react to the moves by Belarussian authorities . The speaker said that one can name a number of steps on the part of the EU, "but they have to be discussed with European partners."
Ceremonies marking 61st anniversary of Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw, July 31: Some 2,000 Warsaw residents and Home Army veterans met with city president Lech Kaczynski who launched Sunday two days of observances with a ceremony in a park surrounding The Warsaw Uprising Museum, opened last yearto mark the 60th anniversary of the struggle. We who were lucky to survive the uprising are obligedto honour those who fell because they are the true heroes,said Gen. Zbigniew Scibor-Rylski, head of the Associationof Warsaw Insurgents. Presidnet Kaczynski stressed the significance of the museum which had become a centre of patriotic education. So far ithas been visited by some 400,000 people, he said. The Warsaw Uprising began Aug. 1, 1944 and lasted 63 days. It was the biggest armed effort for independence and the biggest armed action of the underground army in the Nazi-occupied Europe. An estimated 200,000 Poles (including 18,00 soldiers) died in the 63-day battle. Most of those killed were civilians. Also on Sunday five Warsaw Uprising soldiers received medals and distinctions for the president. Observances on Monday include a ceremony at the Gloria Victis monument at the Powazki cemetery.
Rotfeld presents nominations to new ambasadors
Warsaw, July 29: Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld presented on Friday ambassadorial nominations to Roman Chalaczkiewicz (United Arab Emirates), Tomasz Chlodzien (Estonia), Jacek Kluczkowski (Ukraine), Przemyslaw Marzec (Peru), Ryszard Olszewski (Cambodia) and Andrzej Tyszkiewicz (Bosnia and Herzegovina), the Foreign Ministry reported.
British historian named honorary Warsaw Insurgent
Warsaw, July 29: British historian Norman Davies received the title of a honorary member of the Association of Warsaw Insurgents during a ceremony held at the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising on Friday. Norman Davies is the author of "Rising' 44" describing the 63 days of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. Davies received the title for his contribution in spreading the truth about the Uprising. "You are a member of our Polish community and its perhaps the greatest ambassador," Prime Minister Marek Belka said. Warsaw's mayor Lech Kaczynski thanked Davies on behalf of Warsaw residents. "I have never been a soldier but I know that if I were in Warsaw during the war, I would be certainly fighting in the 'Grey ranks' (the Polish Scouting Movement - ed.). That is why this title is so valuable for me," Norman Davies said.
Polish-Belarussian trade reaches 1.3 bn USD
Warsaw, July 29: Poland is Belarus' fourth largest trade partner after Russia, Germany and Britain, according to Polish trade figures. In 2004 bilateral trade reached 1.3 bn USD and rose over 64 pc on 2003. Exports from Poland were worth 568 m USD (43 pc up on 2003), while imports from Belarus reached 716 m USD (85 pc up). The strong increase in figures over the previous year reflected growing prices of raw materials (crude oil, liquefied natural gas and potassium) imported from Belarus and the rising exchange rate of the Polish zloty. Polish imports are made up chiefly of mineral and chemical products (80 pc of total imports) while exports are made up of pork, chipboard and tv picture tubes. In the first quarter of 2005 Polish exports reached 113 m USD (vs. 97.5 m USD a year earlier) according to Belarussian data. Polish imports were worth 199 m USD (vs. 133 m a year earlier), of which oil accounted for 78 m USD. Polish investments in Belarus are not significant. There are some 350 companies with Polish capital in Belarus at present.
35 pct expects Cimoszewicz to win presidential elections
Warsaw, July 29: Thirty five per cent of Poles expects Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz to win the fall presidential elections according to results of a poll by CBOS public opinion polling centre. Sixteen per cent of those polled sees the winner in Law and Justice candidate Lech Kaczynski. Thirty one per cent of Poles are most afraid of a victory of Samoobrona leader Andrzej Lepper. The most often rejected presidential candidate is Stanislaw Tyminski. 50 per cent of the polled said they would not vote for him.
Walentynowicz not to attend 25th Solidarity anniversary ceremonies
Cracow, July 31: Anna Walentynowicz said Saturday that she would not take part in the official ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the August Agreements and the birth of Solidarity. Walentynowicz made the statement during a symposium "John Paul II and Solidarity" she organized in Cracow to mark the 25th anniversary of the trade union. She stressed the meeting was part of unofficial commemorations marking the anniversary.According to Walentynowicz, Solidarity was betrayed. (...) By the people who are holding power in Poland now, she said. In the 1980's Walentynowicz was an activist of the Founding Committee of Independent Trade Unions and the Inter-factory Strike Committee at the Gdansk Shipyard.
Norman Davies and archbishop Glodz honorary citizens of Warsaw
Warsaw, July 31: Archbishop Leszek Slawoj Glodz and British historian Norman Davies were granted Sunday the title of honorary citizens of Warsaw during a gala session of the Warsaw Council held to mark the 61st anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising. On Friday Davies received the title of a honorary member of the Association of Warsaw Insurgents for his thorough and honest presentation of the Warsaw Uprising against prevailingNazi German forces. Davies is an author of several works on Poland, including "Rising '44. The Battle of Warsaw" and "God's Playground: A History of Poland".
Funeral of Polish woman killed in terrorist attack in London
Corzow, July 29: The funeral Karolina Glueck, killed in terrorist attacks in London on July 7, was held in Chorzow on Friday. Present were Karolina Glueck's family, relatives and friends.
Present was also British ambassador to Poland Charles Crawford and Britain's honorary consul in Katowice Allan Stretton. The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the Katowice and Chorzow authorities. Karolina Glueck from Chorzow died in an explosion on the London Underground Piccadily Line between King's Cross and Russell Square stations. Glueck was one of the three Polish women killed in the blasts.
Poland gets high marks from foreign investors
Warsaw, July 29: Poland is highly assessed by foreign investors as a possible venue for investments owing mainly to low labour and land costs and flexible labour law, shows a report compiled by Ernst and Young and presented here Friday. The report says that Poland is second in Europe (after Britain) as far as the flexibility of labour regulations is concerned, fourth when it comes to the scale of domestic market, fifth (after the Scandinavian countries) when it comes to the skills of workers, and first with regard to land and labour costs and land availability. Poland is ranked second (after Britain) in the potential productivity growth rate category, and third in the corporate taxation category. Foreign investors doubled their investment plans for Poland this year: 16 pc of those polled by Ernst and Young in 2005 said they wanted to invest in Poland, compared with only 8 pc last year. Ernst and Young conucted its 2005 survey of Europe's attractiveness as a place for investing among 672 managers of firms operating internationally. 46 pc of them worked in European firms, 42 pc in North American companies and 12 pc in Asian firms.
Gazeta Prawna: Special economic zones unaffected by financial services offshoring
Warsaw, July 29: Poland's 14 special economic zones have so far been unaffected by offshoring of accounting and financial services. A chief obstacle is the lack of appropriate office space, but experts say that interest in special economic zones will be growing, the Gazeta Prawna daily reports. In March an ordinance on special economic zones was amended to give tax privileges to financial and accounting firms. Tax abatements can be as high as 50 percent of the investment value. The growing practice of relocating company departments to lower cost regions is more and more popular with international concerns showing interest in Poland as an offshoring destination. Around 20 companies relocated their centres to Poland, with each employing several hundred people. Hewlett-Packard has its centre in Wroclaw, Philips and General Electric in Lodz, Cap Gemini, IBM and Lufthansa in Cracow, Thomson in Warsaw. Early this week Volvo said it would open its financial and IT centre in Wroclaw.
Paraffin hydrorafination plant starts in Trzebinia refinery
Trzebinia, July 29: The first paraffin hydrorafination installation in central Europe went on stream in Rafineria Trzebinia SA Friday, a company owned by PKN Orlen SA. The new facility will turn out high-grade paraffins for the Polish market and exports. The cost of the new investment was 60 m PLN (ca. 18 m USD) and it is expected to bring an additional 100 m PLN in sales this year. The nearest similar installation can be found as far as in Porto, Portugal. The technology was bought from ExxonMobil and is capable of producing up to 27,000 tons of paraffin a year. The Trzebinia refinery posted a net profit of 25 m PLN last year on sales of 1.5 bn PLN.
Wizz Air activates new links for Polish airports
Katowice, July 29: Wizz Air is to activate new flight connections from Polish airports this forthcoming winter season. The airline will fly from Warsaw to Budapest, Dortmund and Kovno, from Gdansk to Stockholm, from Katowice to Amsterdam and at the beginning of September from Poznan to London. Wizz Air said on Friday there are planned six flights per week between Warsaw and Kovno, five between Warsaw and Budapest and Dortmund, four between both Gdansk and Stockholm and Poznan and London and three between Katowice and Amsterdam. The low budget airline added that it also plans connections between Budapest and Amsterdam and Budapest and Sofia. Amsterdam-Katowice and Amsterdam-Budapest flights start accordingly in November 1 and December 1.
A1 motorway construction starts
Gdansk, July 29: The construction of the northern stretch of A1 motorway from Gdansk to Nowe Marzy was started Friday in the presence of finance minister Miroslaw Gronicki, deputy infrastructure minister Jan Kurylczyk and speaker of the Pomorze province Jan Kozlowski. The first stretch of the A1 motorway is 89 km long and its construction will be financed from an EIB loan of 500 m euros, among other sources. Kurylczyk said at the startup ceremony that there were 550 km of motorways in Poland at present and 122 km more will be commissioned this year. Work has started on 600 km more. 2,086 km will be commissioned by the year 2013. 314 km of motorways and 106 km of expressways were commissioned in Poland in the years 2002-2005, according to government sources. Financial outlays on the maintenance and construction of roads totalled 36.8 bn zlotys (ca. 13 bn USD) in the years 2002-2005.
Based on the service of the Polish Press Agency (PAP)
More information is available at the website– http://www.pap.com.pl