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POLISH NEWS BULLETIN

August 2005

Prime Minister Marek Belka to attend funeral of King Fahd

Warsaw, Aug. 1: President Aleksander Kwasniewski has addressed a letter of condolences to The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah following the death of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd. Kwasniewski stressed he has received with great grief news on the death of King Fahd, an outstanding Arab leader and a great moral authority in the world of Islam, a man who took up a challenging plan of modernization of his country and the strengthening of its position on the international arena. The Polish president recalled that it was during the reign of King Fahd that both countries have established diplomatic relations in 1995 a fact which has greatly contributed to an unprecedented development of relations, cooperation and friendship between the two countries in recent years. Prime Minister Marek Belka will head an official Polish delegation to the funeral of King Fahd. President Kwasniewski will be represented by head of the president's cabinet, Secretary of State Waldemar Dubaniowski.

Warsaw Uprising honoured

Warsaw, Aug. 1: Sirens wailed for one minute at 5 p.m. on Monday to mark the 61st anniversary of the outbreak of Warsaw Uprising. Traffic came to a halt in downtown Warsaw in tribute to Warsaw insurgents. Also at 5 p.m. Warsaw residents, veterans and scouts held a minute of silence in remembrance of those fallen in the Uprising. The Polish Army Guard of Honour fired an honorary salute. The Uprising broke out on August 1, 1944 at 5 p.m. It was the biggest combat action of the Anti-Nazi underground resistance movement in German-occupied Europe. It was scheduled to last for two, three days, but lasted 63 days. 18 thousand insurgents and about 180 thousand civilians were killed.

Fourth military contingent to Iraq returns home

Wroclaw, Aug. 1: Commander of the fourth contingent of Polish troops to Iraq, Major-GeneraL Waldemar Skrzypczak, together with close to 150 soldiers, arrived in Wroclaw on Monday. This way the fourth contingent, which began service this year, wound up its military mission in Iraq. Soldiers of the fourth contingent were chiefly involved in training Iraqi security forces.

Russia demands apology for attack on children

Warsaw, Moscow, Aug. 1: The Russian foreign ministry "expects from Poland an official apology" for the beating of Russian diplomats' children in Warsaw on Monday, Russian foreign ministry representatives Boris Malakhov said Monday. According to him the attack on the children was not accidental and is proof of existing anti-Russian attitudes in Poland, which can also be noticed in statements by some Polish politicians. We need to ensure security for the Russian diplomats and their families. The Polish side should take steps so that to prevent similar situations in the future," Malakhov said. Earlier, in connection with the incident Poland's Ambassador to Russia Stefan Meller was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry.

Meller condemned the Sunday attack and stressed that Poland attached great significance to the investigation into the incident. The Polish Interior Ministry has been dealing with the case since yesterday. Our services will do everything to find the attackers, Meller told a Moscow radio. "I am convinced that the incident was a criminal act that has no connection with Polish-Russian relations," he said. The Polish Foreign Ministry said that the attack on the children of Russian diplomats was an act of banditry but that it was not politically-motivated.

"We believe the entire incident was not politically motivated," Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksander Checko told PAP on Monday stressing that this was a deplorable incident. Meanwhile Warsaw police detained nine people who might have been involved in Sunday's attack, Mariusz Sokolowski of Warsaw's police said Monday. Three 16-17 years old Russians and one Kazakh were assailed Sunday night in the Mokotow district of Warsaw by a group of 15 Poles. They were beaten up and robbed of their cell phones and money. The four were hospitalised, two with brain concussion. None was able to recognise any of the suspects.

Poles that suffer repression in Belarus will get legal aid

Grodno, Aug. 1: Deputy Sejm Speaker and presidential candidate Donald Tusk in his address to a group of protesters in front of the seat of the Union of Poles in Belarus, said that all Poles

that suffer repression will get legal assistance from Poland. According to Tusk, access to objective information is what Poles in Belarus need most. In order to secure that access channels one of the the Polish public TV and radio, the signal of which is received in Grodno, should be used. "You are not alone, Poland will be with you at every moment. If you persevere, you will win," Tusk told the protesters. He assured them that the situation of the Polish minority in Belarus will be discussed in the European Parliament. Eurodeputy Jacek Protasiewicz, who accompanied Tusk on his visit to Belarus, announced that a group of eurodeputies, not only from Poland, will arrive in Grodno next week. After the picket, Tusk and the Polish delegation met with the head of the Union Angelika Borys whom the Ukrainian

authorities refuse to recognize as the Union's leader. Discussed was specific help for the Union's activists who got into predicaments. Last week armed police stormed the Union of Poles building and temporarily detained several of its leaders. Tusk said that the legal assistance for Poles in Belarus would come from the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. On his return to Poland, Donald Tusk announced that later in the day he would request the authorities of public TV and radio to start work on a programme for Poles in Belarus who "need reliable information."

Korwin-Mikke: Poland interferes in Belarussian internal affairs

Gdansk, Aug. 1: Right-wing presidential candidate Janusz Korwin-Mikke has accused the Polish government of interfering in Belarussian internal affairs. Commenting on actions of Belarussian authorities against the Union of Poles in Belarus, Korwin-Mikke warned that Polish reactions may cause the aggravation of repressions towards Poles living in that

country. "The Polish government uses the Union of Poles in Belarus in a struggle with the Lukashenka government. No wonder they (Belarus authorities ed.) openly accuse us of such action. They are absolutely right," Korwin-Mikke said at a Monday press conference. According to him, in this case Poland is acting on an external order to "bring about the fall of the Lukashenka government." Asked who is telling Poland to fight Lukashenka, Korwin-Mikke replied: "Brussels or Washington or both."

Polish National Youth pickets Belarussian embassy

Warsaw, Aug. 1: A group of Polish National Youth members on Monday demonstrated in front of the Belarussian embassy in Warsaw. The protesters put up a tent in front of the embassy in which six people will stay until "the end of harassement against Poles in Belarus." "I hope you will stay here and remind those who visit the embassy that Belarus is a free country that respects human rights," leader of the nationalist League of Polish Families Roman Giertych said. Giertych claimed that the Belarussian administration, by appointing its candidates to the leadership of the Union of Poles in Belarus, "stole many million zlotys that Poland contributed to assist the union." Giertych announced that a special sitting of the Sejm Committee for Contacts with Poles Abroad will be held in Kuznica Bialostocka, near the Belarussian border, on Wednesday.

Reconciliation centre may be set up in Wroclaw

Wroclaw, Aug. 1: The Centre of Polish-German Reconciliation to "promote this idea as well as to show the historic truth" is planned to be created by Member of the European Parliament MEP Bronislaw Geremek and leader of the Democratic Party - democraci.pl Wladyslaw Frasyniuk.Frasyniuk told a news conference in Wroclaw on Monday that Wroclaw had been picked up for it had been an important European centre, the city where Germans, Poles, Jews, Checks as well as people from Lvov or Vilnius coexisted peacefully. Bronislaw Geremek added that Europe is a melting-pot of many nationalities and that Wroclaw mirrors this multi-culture atmosphere as any other city. Frasyniuk has sent a letter to city President Rafal Dutkiewicz urging him to support the initiative. He believes the centre should be constructed out of European money but the initiative should be a local one, submitted by Wroclaw. He also wrote that a few days ago they sent a letter to Ms. Angela Merkel, the official CDU/CSU candidate for German Chancellor asking to support for the centre and expressing opposition against actions of Ms. Erika Steinbach. "We do not want the construct centres for expellees. We are against such detrimental actions which in our opinion open already healed wounds, reads the letter to Dutkiewicz.

Ireland officially employs 52,271 Poles

London, Aug. 1: According to the Irish ministry for social welfare and family a total of 52,271 Poles are officially employed in Ireland. Poles account for 50 pct of 104 thousand citizens of the 10 new EU countries who asked for the Personal Public Service Number PPS in the Republic of Ireland between May 1, 2004 and the end of June 2005 to be legally employed. Most of them work at construction sites and in the meat processing sector, the data indicate. Poles are also the most numerous group on the British labour market with 100,000 of them being employed there.

Gross privatisation revenues at 1.3 billion zlotys after July

Warsaw, Aug.1: The gross privatisation revenues at the end of July reached 1 billion 266.9 million zlotys, or 22.35 percent of the 2005 plan of 5 billion 668.1 million zlotys, the Treasury Ministry said in a statement on Monday. The net privatisation revenues amounted to 988.6 million zlotys, or 22.27 percent of the budget plan. According to PAP sources, the ministry expects that this year's privatisation revenues will be lower than planned and that gross privatisation revenues will amount to 4.6 billion zlotys.

Neinver to invest 20 million euros in outlet Factory in Wroclaw

Wroclaw, Aug. 1: Neinver Polska owned by a Spanish developer will build a 20-million euro outlet Factory centre in Wroclaw, the company reported in a statement on Monday. Eighty shops and restaurants (10,000 square metres) are to be completed in the spring of 2006 as the first part of the investment. Thirty shops and restaurants will be completed later, the statement said. Neinver Polska is a branch of the Spanish firm Neinver SA and has been present on the Polish market since 2001. Its first project was the Factory outlet centre in Warsaw's Ursus district. Neinver has three outlets in Spain and one in Portugal.

Rzeczpospolita: foreign firms are leaving Poland

Warsaw, Aug. 1: Two financial institutions, Finnish Sampo and U.S. Nationwide, have announced that they are leaving Poland, Rzeczpospolita wrote on Monday. Sampo maintains that it is planning to focus on the Scandinavian market. Nationwide reported that it was selling the insurance company to the Dutch Aegon group. The value of the deal has not been disclosed, the daily said. Foreign firms that are leaving Poland have earned some profit because they entered the Polish market before Poland's joining the EU. Choosing Poland they knew that Poland's EU membership would limit profits, according to an expert of the Adam Smith centre. A considerable group of firms that have left Poland admitted that their market share was not satisfactory. British Royal&Sun Alliance insurance company sold its stake in Royal PBK Zycie insurer to four investors. The U.S. Exxon Mobil is seeking a buyer for its Esso petrol stations, the daily said.

Maspex Wadowice buys Hungarian Plusssz

Cracow, Aug. 1: The Maspex Wadowice Group, a producer of Kubus and Tymbark juices, has bought the Hungarian Plusssz Vitamin Kft. company, Maspekx' spokeswoman Dorota Liszka told PAP on Monday. The value of the deal has not been disclosed. Liszka said that following the purchase Maspex has become one of the leading producers of vitamin drinks on the Hungarian market and Poland's second producer of such drinks. Plusssz Vitamin Kft. was established in 1989. It has been present on the Polish market since 1994. The Maspex Wadowice Group is the biggest manufacturer of instant products in eastern Europe and a leading producer of juices and drinks in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Last year's sales revenues reached 1.5 bn zlotys. It employs 4,500 people.

Finance Ministrz forecast: July's inflation down to 1.1 percent y/y

Warsaw, Aug. 1: July's inflation will fall to 1.1 percent year-on-year from 1.4 percent in June, Ludwik Kotecki of the department of financial policy and statistics of the Finance Ministry told PAP on Monday. In July we will be witnessing 0.4-percent deflation month-on-month

and inflation will fall to 1.1 percent year-on-year, Kotecki said. At the end of 2005 year-on-year inflation should not exceed 1.1 percent, he added. According to the Finance Ministry, the GDP growth in the 2nd quarter would stand at 2.5-2.7 percent and that the GDP growth in the entire year would be 3.7 percent.

Balice airport services record number of passengers

Cracow, Aug. 1: The Cracow-Balice international airport has serviced, since the start of this year more than 841,000 passengers which means that it has already outdid the overall last year result, Piotr Pietrzak of the airport told PAP on Monday. Traffic increased together with the opening of the Polish sky for low-rate carriers after our integration with the European Union, Pietrzak said. He stressed that first low-rate airlines started using the airport in June last year servicing then some 13 percent of passengers. At present Balice service five cheap lines that transported 47 percent of passengers. Irish Ryanair will enter the airport this fall. According to the newest forecast in the entire 2005 the airport may service 1.5 million people. Last year the number of passengers exceeded 841. Cracow-Balice airport is the 2nd largest after Warsaw Okecie port in Poland. The main shareholders are Porty Lotnicze state enterprise with 85.04 percent of shares, Malopolskie province with 13.75 percent, Cracow commune with 1.16 percent and Zabierzow commune which has 0.05 percent of shares.

Number of tourists up to 6.7 million in 1st half of 2005

Warsaw, Aug. 1: In the 1st half of 2005 Poland was visited by some 6.7 million tourists or, 7 percent more than in the comparable period of the previous year, expert of the Tourism Institute Witold Bartoszewicz said. "Results are quite good, the upward trend continues. We will be able to say more after the summer time. At present we estimate that the number of tourists in the 2nd half of this year will go up by a few percent," Bartoszewicz said. According to the institute this is a lasting tendency and in coming years the number of tourists will go up by 5 percent every year from 14.3 mn in 2004 to 16.4 million in 2007. Earlier institute director Krzysztof Lopacinski told PAP increased interest in Poland stems from bigger availability of travels to Poland. He pointed out to shorter border clearing procedures and low-rate airlines. Bartoszewicz noted a visible growth, by 29 pct, of arrivals from the United States, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Canada. This means that Poland started to be perceived as the gateway to Europe, chiefly from the economic point of view, he said. He also stressed that despite very steep fuel prices Polish airports witnessed passenger boom: in the 1st half of 2005 the number of Poles travelling abroad by plane rose by 68 percent in relation to the 1st half of 2004 and the number of cleared foreigners rose by 40 percent.

Gazeta Wyborcza: GUS data on life expectancy

Warsaw, Aug. 1: Polish women are catching up with European women as far as their life expectancy is concerned. They are expected to live 79.2 years but it is still four years less than in Western Europe. Polish men are expected to live 70.6 years, that is six year less than in Western Europe, Gazeta Wyborcza wrote on Monday. In the developed countries there are not such big differences between average expectancy of women and men. The poorer the country is the bigger the differences are, Ewa Fratczak of Warsaw's School of Economics told the daily. Life expectancy from birth is a frequently utilized and analyzed component of demographic data for the countries of the world. It represents the average life span of a newborn and is an indicator of the overall health of a country.

Dang Thai Son and Kevin Kenner at Chopin festival at Duszniki

Warsaw, Aug. 1: World famous pianists Dang Thai Son and Kevin Kenner will be among many artists of the 60th International Chopin Festival starting at Duszniki Zdroj on Friday. The two pianists will give recitals and conduct master classes. This year's annual festival at the popular mountain spa resort in south-west Poland will run till August 13. The Vietnamese-born Dang Thai Son with a Canadian passport started his international career as the First Prize winner of the Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1980. Ten years later American pianist Kevin Kenner received the Second Prize (First Prize was not awarded) at the 12th Chopin competition in Warsaw. The programme of the Duszniki festival envisages 15 recitals by such artists of note as Philippe Giusiano, Grigoriy Sokolov, Colleen Lee and Ayako Uehara. The latter, Japanese artist was the only woman to win the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition. The First Prize laureate of last year's piano competition in Barcelona, Piotr Machnik of Poland will also perform.Other Poles to appear are six Polish candidates for the XV Chopin International Piano Competition to be held in Warsaw in October this year. Apart from the pianists, Polish internationally acclaimed violinist Konstanty Andrzej Kulka will perform with Agnieszka Duczmal's Amadeus orchestra on August 6, and a n open-air concert by will be given by Polish-born harpsichord virtuoso Elzbieta Stefanska. The International Chopin Festival at Duszniki Zdroj, the oldest event of this kind in the world has been held annually since 1946 to mark young Frederic Chopin's brief stay and concerts at this health resort in 1826.

Ryszard Zimak appointed head of Frederic Chopin Institute

Warsaw, Aug. 1: Professor Ryszard Zimak has appointed head of Frederic Chopin National Institute (NIFC). The official appointment ceremony will be held in September, Anna Godzisz, the spokeswoman for of the Ministry told PAP Monday. The Institute was called into being as a state cultural institution in 2001 for the management of the Treasury-owned

assets associated with Chopin, organisation of concerts and scientific conferences and publication of recordings of pieces of the great Polish composer. Professor Zimak, a graduate of Frederic Chopin Academy of Music was the Academy' rector between 1999 and 2005. Together with his Chamber Choir operating at the Academy he won the First Prize at the BBC Radio International Competition "Let the people sing" in 1987. He has conducted concerts in many countries all over the world and cooperated with outstanding artists, among them Leonard Bernstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Kazimierz Kord and Jacek Kaspszyk.

"Warszawa" receives Special Prize at film festival in Russia

Warsaw, Aug. 1: Polish film "Warszawa" (Warsaw) by debuting filmmaker Dariusz Gajewski was awarded the Special Prize of the Jury at the "Baltic Debuts" International Film Festival which ended at Svetlogorsk, Russia last weekend, member of the jury, actor Daniel Olbrychski told PAP Monday. Ten European films from countries situated on the Baltic took part in the second edition of the festival. Olbrychski told PAP the jury awarded Gajewski unanimously. "The members of the jury liked the film very much. It was one of few films which depicts an ordinary reality with some elements of humour" Olbrychski said. Dariusz Gajewski's "Warszawa" won five Golden Lions at the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdynia in 2003.

Wheelbarrow as leitmotif of Solidarity mementoes exhibition

Przemysl, Aug. 1: A wheelbarrow marked with the acronym "PRL" (for the Polish initials of the communist "Polish People's Republic") became the leitmotif of an exhibition mounted at the State Archives in Przemysl, south-east Poland, on Monday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity free trade union. The wheelbarrow symbolises the end of the communist government and system in Poland. On show are various items from the collections of the regional Solidarity, the local State Archives and private persons. Among them are underground publications, documents dated 1980, original poststage stamps, posters, official stamps from various factories and plants with pro-independence slogans, and unique photographs documenting Solidarity-related events all over Poland. "These latter items are all the more important that they are put on show for the first time. They were taken by one of the local policemen who later conveyed them to the Solidarity leadership of the Przemysl region, regional union leader Andrzej Buczek told PAP.

Belka leaves for Saudi Arabia

Warsaw, Aug.2: Prime minister Marek Belka left for Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday afternoon to pay condolences after the death of king Fahd, the government information centre reported. The king died on Monday after a long illness at age 84.

Roma Extermination Memorial Day observed

Brzezinka, Aug. 2: Everybody should bear some responsibility for building a new world without hatred, racism, xenophobia and intolerance, Deputy PM Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka said during ceremonies marking the Roma Extermination Memorial Day at the site of the former Nazi death camp Birkenau in Brzezinka on Tuesday. We owe this to the murdered people, she stressed. Prime Minister Marek Belka sent a letter to the gathered in which he stressed that despite the years that passed the martyrdom and death of the Roma would be remembered by next generations. There are places where the memory of the crimes against Roma is overlooked, Roman Kwiatkowski, president of the Association of Roma in Poland, told those gathered at the former camp. Auschwitz-Birkenau is not the only site of extermination of the

Roma. Unfortunately, this is often forgotten. It should be constantly recalled, he said adding he had in mind the former camp in Lety in the Czech Republic. Roma from Poland and Germany appealed to the German government to build a monument in Berlin to the Roma people murdered by the Nazis. Some 300 people, including Roma people from Poland and abroad, former Auschwitz inmates, deputy Prime Minister Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka and representatives of the diplomatic corps attended the ceremonies. The Roma Extermination Memorial Day falls on the 61st anniversary of liquidating the so-called Roma family camp (Zigeunerfamilienlager) in Birkenau. The Nazis killed almost 3,000 Roma women, men and children on the night of August 2, 1944. All in all over 20,000 Roma people perished in Auschwitz.

More suspects released in attack on Russian children

Warsaw, Aug. 2: Warsaw police detained two persons who might have been involved in Sunday's attack on Russian diplomats' children, but they were released Tuesday afternoon when it turned out they had convincing alibis, Mariusz Sokolowski of Warsaw's police said Tuesday. He added the two had no connection to the incident. On Monday the police released nine suspects detained earlier in the day as the attacked youngsters failed to recognise them. Three 15-17 years old Russians and one Kazakh were assailed Sunday night in the Mokotow district of Warsaw by a group of 15 Poles. They were beaten up and robbed of their cell phones and money. The Russian foreign ministry "expects an official apology from Poland," Russian foreign ministry representatives Boris Malakhov said Monday. According to him the attack on the children was not accidental and is a proof of existing anti-Russian attitudes in Poland, which can also be noticed in statements by some Polish politicians. "We need to ensure security for the Russian diplomats and their families. The Polish side should take steps so that to prevent similar situations in the future," Malakhov said. Earlier, in connection with the incident, Poland's Ambassador to Russia Stefan Meller was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry. Meller condemned the Sunday attack and stressed that Poland attached great significance to the investigation into the incident. "The Polish Interior Ministry has been dealing with the case since Sunday. Our services will do everything to find the attackers," Meller told a Moscow radio. "I am convinced that the incident was a criminal act that has no connection with Polish-Russian relations," he said. The Polish Foreign Ministry said that the attack on the children of Russian diplomats was an act of banditry but that it was not politically-motivated. "We believe the entire incident was not politically motivated," Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksander Checko told PAP on Monday stressing that this was a deplorable incident.

Foreign ministry's position on mugging of Russian diplomats' children unchanged

Warsaw, Aug. 2: The position of the Polish foreign ministry in connection with the mugging of three children of Russian diplomats and their Kazakh friend, remains unchanged, Tomasz Szeratics from the ministry's department said. He recalled that the foreign ministry had "expressed deep regret in connection with this criminal act.". "We expressed our regret on Monday during our talks with a representative of the Russian embassy in Warsaw," Szeratics said. On Monday afternoon the ITAR-TASS agency said in Moscow that the Russian foreign ministry "expects an official apology from Poland" in connections with the attack.

Dubaniowski: Russia's reaction exaggerated

Warsaw, Aug. 2: Head of the presidential cabinet Waldemar Dubaniowski commenting on the Sunday incident involving four teenagers, children of Russian and Kazakh diplomats, said that apologies should be conveyed not to Russia but to the young people themselves and their parents. Dubaniowski speaking to Polish Radio Three on Tuesday added that it is not a question of "diplomatic apologies or some kind of a political gesture" but simple apologies to people who have been attacked on a Warsaw street. He said that reactions of Russian officials and the media are exaggerated. According to him this is yet another attempt to "discredit" Poland on the international arena.

Manifestation in front of Polish Embassy in Minsk

Minsk, Aug. 2: The Belarussian Republican Youth Association (BRSM) staged a demonstration in front of the Polish Embassy in Minsk on Tuesday morning. BRSM is the biggest youth organisation in Belarus enjoying full support of Belarussian authorities. About 50 persons called for keeping friendship between Poland and Belarus. Participants were holding Belarussian flags and posters with slogans: "Neighbours need friendship" and "'No' to hostility amongst nations". The 40 minute manifestation passed peacefully, Monika Sadkowska, the spokesperson for the Polish Embassy in Minsk, said.

Borowski on conflict in Belarus

Warsaw, Aug. 2: Presidential candidate Marek Borowski believes that there is a need for separating the conflict in Belarus from elections in Poland and providing it with an international nature for it is the conflict between the Belarussian society and the authorities of this country. Borowski, the leader of the Social Democracy of Poland SdPl, told PAP on Tuesday that the protection of Polish minority in Belarus was in the Polish interest. "It would not be fair to involve the Polish minority struggle for respect of democratic rights into the Polish election campaign," Borowski stressed in a statement sent to PAP on Tuesday.

Gazeta Pomorska: Difficult trade contacts with Belarus

Warsaw, Aug. 2: Businessmen from north-western Poland fear that the cooling down of Polish-Belarussian diplomatic relations may harm business relations with the Belarussian partners in the near future, Gazeta Pomorska writes on Tuesday. Poland is Belarussia's fourth largest trade partner after Russia, Germany and great Britain. Last year, bilateral turnover grew 64 per cent against the 2003 level reaching the value of 1.3 billion USD. There are some 350 companies with Polish capital operating in Belarus.

Gov't adopts draft laws on train transport

Warsaw, Aug. 2: The infrastructure ministry is to subsidize inter-province train transport under a related government draft law adopted on Tuesday. Deputy Infrastructure Minister Grzegorz Medza told reporters it will cost the ministry some 250 mn zlotys (75 mn USD) annually. Medza said the move will provide an easier access to railway infrastructure for all carriers.He explained that so far only the regional railway transport had been subsidized by local government. The government also adopted a draft law on financing the infrastructure of land transport. "14 percent of income from the excise tax on engine fuels in the coming years will be spent on land transport, including road and rail transport," Medza said. He added that in 2006 it will be 12 pc. "Two pct of the excise tax account for some 360 mn zlotys" Medza said. He hopes the drafts will be adopted by the next Sejm.

Ujazdowski criticizes plans of reconciliation centre in Wroclaw

Wroclaw, Aug. 2: Deputy Sejm Speaker and deputy head of the Law and Justice PiS Michal Ujazdowski spoke against an initiative to set up a Centre of Polish-German Reconciliation in Wroclaw. Ujazdowski argued that such a centre is a "false initiative" as one cannot place at one plane the immensity of pain suffered by the expelled and German crimes committed on civilians. The PiS politician stressed that one cannot focus on the expelled but saw it advisable to honour efforts of Polish post-war generations who have rebuilt Wroclaw and Lower Silesia. Ujazdowski backed the idea of building a museum of Poland's western territories devoted to post-war history of Lower Silesia. The initiative to build a reconciliation centre, came from European Parliament Member Bronislaw Geremek and leader of the Democratic Party - democraci.pl Wladyslaw Frasyniuk on Monday.

Remembrance Institute to apply for Katyn documents

Warsaw, Aug. 2: The Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) plans to apply to Russia for an access to correspondence between the Foreign Ministries of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Third Reich in the years 1940-1941 concerning a possible handing over of Polish prisoners of war - later Katyn massacre victims. IPN has already got the German documents. Professor Witold Kulesza, the head of the IPN investigating section, told PAP Tuesday that if the Third Reich Foreign Ministry looked for Polish officers with "German roots" in the Soviet camps, thus the files should be also preserved in the archives of the Russian Foreign Ministry. "We will apply for them, of course," Kulesza announced. Kulesza suspects that carrying on such correspondence the Soviet side could have had full lists of Polish officers taken prison after the September 17, 1939 aggression of Poland. "This could be important as we are still looking for the so called Belarussian list: files of 7 thousand Polish citizens from the Western Belarus, murdered under the same May 5, 1940 Soviet decision which embraced 15 thousand other Polish officers", added Kulesza. On Tuesday, Gazeta Wyborcza daily wrote that IPN had found in German Foreign Ministry over 10 thousand pages of Third Reich era documents on setting free from the Soviet camps several hundred Polish officers whose families made efforts to discharge them from the camps by convincing Third Reich authorities that the officers in question had German roots.

IMF board praises Polish economy

Warsaw, Aug.2: The board of the International Monetary Fund positively evaluated Poland's economic prospects and said the Polish government should continue reforms improving its fiscal position, the ministry of finance said Tuesday. "The IMF board was optimistic when assessing Poland's prospects and appreciative of the role of government policy," the ministry went on. "The board congratulated Poland on the successful first year of the EU membership and noted positive reactions of financial markets to government efforts to reduce budget deficit and win over the parliament for fiscal reforms." The IMF also stressed the importance of renewed acceleration of the privatisation process and more effective policy of public debt management. The IMF said Poland's strong macroeconomic foundations were a good basis for a sustained growth in subsequent years. The Fund noted that the slowdown in economic growth experienced in the second half of last year was due to existing barriers in economy. "The presence of those barriers reduced the hope for Poland's entering a long-term investment growth path which could help reduce the very high unemployment rate. This means the government must continue its attachment to disciplined public finances and new reforms designed to improve Poland's long-term fiscal position" the ministry added.

Budget deficit at 51.2 pct of plan after July, FinMin

Warsaw, Aug. 2: The budget deficit after July stands at around 51.2 percent of the annual plan of 35 billion zlotys, deputy Finance Minister Elzbieta Suchocka-Roguska said Tuesday. The deficit after August will increase due to additional pension payments of 1.3 bn zlotys but it should not exceed 65.0 percent, she added. The budget deficit after June reached 18 billion and 515.9 million zlotys or 52.9 percent of the annual plan of 35 billion zlotys.

Banks expect rise in credit demand

Warsaw, Aug. 2: Bank representatives expect an increased demand for credits on the part of companies, according to the results of a poll carried out by the National Bank of Poland. According to the poll, banks have eased their criteria for granting credits in the sectors of small and medium companies and households. "A tendency to ease the credit policy covering short-term credits for SMEs and consumption credits in the 2nd quarter of 2005 has been the strongest since the first poll," the central bank wrote. NBP experts think that the cause of the easing of the credit policy is an optimistic evaluation of the present economic situation by the financial sector. The results of the poll showed a growing demand for consumption credits. Demand for housing credits reached a record level. The central bank expects further easing of the credit policy in regard to shot-term credits for SME's in the 3rd quarter of 2005.

German firm enters Legnicka SSE economic zone

Legnica, Aug.2: Kunhl Polska, a company with German capital, received permission Tuesday to start economic activity in the Legnicka SSE special economic zone. It is the 53rd foreign investor in the zone. Kunhl Polska will spend 2.8 m zloptys (ca. 0.9 m USD) on construction and equipment for a new plant in the town of Zlotoryja that will turn out parts for collapsible car roofs used by such brands as Volkswagen and Opel. The company bought 1 hectare of land in Zlotoryja and is training 20 Poles in its German plant. The Polish plant will start operation in the first quarter of next year and will hire 40 more workers. According to Matthias Kugler, the plenipotentiary of the German company, its products are used by Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari, among other brands. The commune of Zlotoryja offered a number of incentives to the Germans, such as a new access road to the land plot worth 700 thousand zlotys that will be built by communal authorities. In addition, the German company was offered exemption from the property tax and assistance in settling formalities connected with the investment. The Legnicka SSE was established in 1997 for 20 years. It covers the area of 416 hectares.

Imports account for half of Polish steel consumption

Katowice, Aug. 2: Almost half of Polish steel consumption is made up of imported steel products, according to figures released by the HIPH trade chamber of the metallurgical industry. For the first time imports have exceeded exports. For many years in the past imports accounted for around 40 pc of home consumption of steel and fluctuations were small. As recently as in May, 2004, the figure still held, but in May, 2005 the share of imports in consumption rose to 49.4 pc. Moreover, steel imports have a growing tendency and Polish exports of steel have been falling. For many years Poland ran a deficit in steel trade; after five

months of this year the deficit reached 590 m USD, vs. 164 m USD in the same period of 2004. However, in volume terms Poland had long been a net exporter but this changed this year: after five months Poland imported 1,761 m tons of steel products compared with exports of only 1,733 m tons. In the same period of last year exports exceeded imports by 492 thousand tons. The EU, Russia, Ukraine and China all increased their exports to Poland. The prices of steel products rose 54 pc in exports and 25 pc in imports on the average. HIPH predicts that despite these negative trends the output of Polish steelworks for the whole year will not fall as significantly as it did in the first half-year (a decline of 20.5 pc). The pace of decline slowed down in May and June.

Kurier Szczecinski: Pakistani business in Szczecin

Warsaw, Aug. 2: Pakistani companies are showing the growing interest in investments in the Szczecin region, Kurier Szczecinski writes on Tuesday. Investment offers have been sent by telecom, pharmaceutical and textile companies, the daily writes adding that most likely these are first effects of a February visit paid by a delegation of the Northern Chamber of Commerce to Pakistan. During the last two months the chamber received several cooperation offers from Pakistan, including the building of a successive call centre in Szczecin.

Solidarity anniversary events in Szczecin

Szczecin, Aug.2: One of the main events commemorating the 25th anniversary of the birth of Solidarity trade union in Szczecin will be the unveiling of a monument to the victims of December, 1970 riots called "The Angel of Freedom." The monument will stand in the Solidarity Square. Other events planned for Aug. 27-28, two days before the main ceremonies in Gdansk, will be an exhibition and a solemn mass. Some 140 guests have been invited to attend the commemorative events in Szczecin, including Lech Walesa, cardinal Jozef Glemp, Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Wladyslaw Bartoszewski. A seminar with the participation of Joachim Gauck is also planned.

Ryszard Kapuscinski among Premio Napoli finalists

Warsaw, Aug. 2: Polish writer and reporter Ryszard Kapuscinski is among finalists of the 51st edition of the prestigious Italian literary Premio Napoli. The jury appreciated Kapuscinski's volume of poems "Notes" (A Notebook) published in Poland last June, and awarded it in the category of Italian and foreign poetry. The world first translation of Kapuscinski's volume of poetry titled "Taccuino d'appunti" appeared in Italy in 2004. Other finalists in the same category are: Italian poet Milo De Angelis and Miljenko Jergovic, a poet, novelists and essayist of Sarajevo. Also this year Ryszard Kapuscinski received the Elsa Morante Literary Award for his book "Podroze z Herodotem" (Journeys with Herodotus). Master of the art of reportage and PAP's former foreign correspondent, Ryszard Kapuscinski is the author of a number of books on the so-called Third World which he has travelled far and wide since 1960s.

France: Polish shipyard workers on hunger strike

Saint-Nazaire/Warsaw, Aug. 2: "Thirteen plague-stricken Poles in Saint-Nazaire", "Polish workers victims of a chain of subcontractors," these are the titles in Tuesday's French newspapers featuring a conflict between Poles working in the biggest French shipyard and their employer. The Polish shipyard workers have been on a hunger strike since Thursday. The Poles were employed by the Szczecin-based Kliper company that was a subcontractor of the French Gestal company which worked for the Alstom Marine shipyard, building the MSC Musica liner. The Poles began work in April. In July they realised that no money was coming to their accounts in Polish banks. They demanded that Kliper should pay them back wages. They turned to the father of Kliper's owner who worked with them in Saint-Nazaire. The man soon disappeared taking their work contracts with him. "They have no documentation now evidencing their employment. They were left in the lurch," Poland's consul in Paris Jaroslaw Horak said. Poles are demanding 40 thousand euros in unpaid wages. So far they received 13.7 thousand. The Poles are determined to get the money back and went on a hunger strike. "The situation is serious, one of the 13 strikers was taken to hospital," Horak said. "Everybody refuses to deal with the problem," Liberation wrote. The local authorities consider the dispute to be exclusively Polish and would like to get rid of it, despite suspicion that the French law was breached.

OBOP: Poland has moral duty to take in refugees

Warsaw, Aug. 2: Seventy seven percent of Poles said Poland had a moral duty to take in refugees in return to asylum granted to Poles in the past, according to the results of an OBOP survey sent on Tuesday to PAP. Thirteen percent believe refugees arriving in Poland should be sent back to the country they entered Poland from. Seven percent said refugees should be transferred to other countries. Sixty seven percent of the polled said that a growing number of refugees in Poland might increase unemployment, according to 49 percent it might result in a bigger number of criminal offences. Thirteen percent claimed to have met refugees, 86 percent said they had never encountered refugees. Forty nine percent knew the correct meaning of the term "refugee", 14 percent did not know how to define the term. OBOP ran the poll from July 1 to 4 on a random sample of 1,005 Poles over 15.

Pastusiak addresses letter to Belarus National Assembly head

Warsaw, Aug. 3: Senate Speaker Longin Pastusiak addressed a letter to the National Assembly of Republic of Belarus Genadz Navitsky to see to it that human rights and the rights of the national and ethnic minorities in his country are observed. In the letter which copy PAP received from the Senate Chancellery on Wednesday, the Senate Speaker recalled that in the resolution of July 28 the Senate "expressed firm protest against expanding and deepening anti-Polish policy of the Belarussian authorities and violation of the Polish minority rights in that country".

Polish group leader sentenced in Belarus

Minsk, Warsaw, Aug. 3: Deputy head of the Union of Poles in Belarus Wieslaw Kiewlak has been sentenced by a Grodno court to a 15-day jail term. According to Kiewlak's lawyer his client has been accused of taking part in a picket outside the union's seat. Kiewlak is the fifth union activist to be sentenced by Belarus courts over the past several days. On Thursday, a Belarussian court will review the case of Andrzej Pisalnik, the spokesman for the union. Also on Wednesday leader of the union Angelica Boris reported to Grodno prosecutor's office where she demanded the presence of a lawyer at her questioning. Following the request, she was asked to report to the prosecutor's office on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Sejm Committee for Ties with Poles Abroad envisaged the drafting of proposals of steps which should be taken by Poland towards Belarus. Committee head Roman Giertych said before the Wednesday meeting that the proposed steps should be "decisive".

Picket in front of Polish embassy in Minsk

Minsk, Aug. 3: Scores of members of the Belarussian Republican Youth Union BRSM organised a successive picket in front of the Polish embassy in Minsk on Wednesday. Participants in the picket carried their union banners and posters with slogans "Don't interfere in Belarussian internal affairs." Like during the previous picket on Tuesday they organised a happening putting in front of the embassy a rack with a long piece of wood on which the word "Friendship" was written. Next two people with a saw covered with the Polish flag cut off a successive piece of wood. Organisers said they would continue the cutting which symbolises the cooling of Polish-Belarussian relations. A letter with a demand was thrown into the embassy mailbox and flowers placed at the gates. The action was a peaceful one with only a single policeman safeguarding the Polish embassy.

Foreign Ministry sends note to Russian Embassy

Warsaw, Aug. 3: The Foreign Ministry sent on Wednesday a note to the Russian Embassy in Warsaw. This has been an answer of the Foreign Ministry to the Russian Embassy note concerning the Sunday attack on the children of Russian diplomats in Warsaw, Tomasz Szeratics of the Foreign Ministry told PAP on Wednesday. The Foreign Ministry expressed deep regret at the incident but stressed that the investigation has so far confirmed its criminal nature. According to the Foreign Ministry, there are no reasons to believe the incident was politically motivated, Szeratics said. He also stressed the Foreign Ministry expressed the hope that the deplorable incident would not have a negative influence on the Polish-Russian relations. Earlier in the day the ITAR-TASS agency reported that the Russian Foreign Ministry was still expecting an official apology from Poland. The Russian ministry claimed it expected the apology under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The Russian Foreign Ministry admitted that Poland's Ambassador to Russia Stefan Meller expressed deep regret at the criminal act and that Polish officials did the same "in contacts with the Russian Embassy," but stressed at the same time that in keeping with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 Poland as the receiving state should take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on a diplomat as well as members of the family of a diplomatic agent. On Tuesday Tomasz Szeratics of the Foreign Ministry said that the position of the Polish foreign ministry in connection with the mugging of three children of Russian diplomats and their Kazakh friend, remained unchanged. Three 15-17 years old Russians and one Kazakh were assailed Sunday night in the Mokotow district of Warsaw by a group of 15 Poles. They were beaten up and robbed of their cell phones and money.

Russian embassy wants protection for staffers

Warsaw, Aug.3: The Russian embassy in Warsaw asked the chief of Warsaw police Ryszard Siewierski to reinforce police protection in areas of residence of embassy personnel. Siewierski had a meeting with embassy officials on Wednesday."We will do everything possible to meet the expectations" of the Russians, the press spokesman for Siewierski told PAP. The meeting followed the Sunday beating by a group of hooligans of three young Russians and a Kazakh, children of Russian diplomats.

Polish police sponsors Russian kids' vacations

Gdansk, Aug. 3: A group of 18 children of Russian policemen from the Tver region are on vacations in Jastrzebia Gora, the Polish Baltic Sea resort. The children have come for the second consecutive year. The group, aged between 10 and 17 with three carers arrived on July 29 and will leave Poland on August 11. They are very happy. They are accompanied by the children of the Polish policemen, deputy head of the independent policemen trade union Wieslaw Wolanski said. He added that vacations for the Russian kids had been organised by the "Association - Police Family 1939" and sponsored by the Polish police headquarters. Mutual contacts have been established during the construction and the management of the Military Cemetery in Mednoye devoted to the memory of 8,000 policemen murdered there by the NKVD in 1940, Wolanski said. He added that vacations for kids were a form of assistance to those Russian policemen who are in financial dire straits. The kids are to be visited by the consul general of the Russian Federation.

EU Commission will ask Poland to speed up implementation

Brussels, Aug.3: Poland is among 16 EU countries to be addressed by the EU Commission with formal motions to speed up the enactment of legal acts that are necessary for the implementation of a number of EU directives on financial services. The deadline for the implementation expired on Oct. 12, 2004. The motions are the second stage of legal procedure that may end in a case being brought against the insubordinate country before the Tribunal of Justice.

Ministry will ask EU Commission to raise Polish milk quota

Warsaw, Aug.3: The agriculture minister Jerzy Pilarczyk said he would ask the EU Commission to activate the so-called restructuring reserve in the milk market as of April 1, 2006. This would increase Poland's milk quota from the present 8.964 m tons to 9.38 m tons. Poland has until the end of the year to send the appropriate motion. Pilarczyk said Wednesday that the Polish domestic dairy market was growing steadily. The number of wholesale milk producers fell to 294 thousand, i.e. by 61 thousand, over the last year. "Higher milk procurement and lower number of producers attest to a growing concentration in production and improved efficiency," the minister noted. "Also growing procurement prices on milk suggest positive trends in the market."

Jean Michel Jarre on his concert in Gdansk

Warsaw, Aug. 3: World-famous French artist Jean Michel Jarre believes that the concert marking the jubilee of Solidarity will be incomparable to anything he has done before. The composer was in Warsaw on Wednesday. Jarre's concert is to be the highlight of the August '80 anniversary celebrations to take place in the cradle of the Solidarity union, the Gdansk Shipyard on August 26. The artist prepared for the occasion a special composition under the tentative title "The Gdansk Suite" in which one can hear the tune of the Solidarity unofficial anthem "The Walls" with music by Luis Llach Grande and words by the late Jacek Kaczmarski, the democratic opposition youth icon. "I could not avoid referring to this piece bearing in mind the August (of 1980) events, Jarre said. The French artist compared the Solidarity 21 Postulates of 1980 to the French Declaration of the rights of Man and Citizen. I know that the events from 25 years ago put an end to one of the most horrible regimes in the world history, the Soviet communism, Jarre said.

Solidarity anniversary observances in Bulgaria

Sofia, Aug. 3: Film shows and exhibitions will be the highlights of the observances of the 25th anniversary of Solidarity in Bulgaria.An exhibition of photographs by Adam Borowski has opened at the Polish Institute in Sofia this week to show the birth of Solidarity, martial law and the beginning of independent press. It features photos presenting demos staged in the years 1980-1981, Warsaw's cinema "Moskwa" in the night of the introduction of martial law, printing of the underground press, dismantling of the Feliks Dzierzynski monument in Warsaw. During a special film show the Bulgarian audience will have the opportunity to watch Andrzej Wajda's productions: "The Man of the Marble" and "The Man of the Iron" and Andrzej Zajaczkowski and Andrzej Chodakowski's documentary "The Workers '80". The Polish Institute will also present such documentaries as "The birth of Solidarity" by Bohdan Kosinski from 1981 and a film on Solidarity by Ireneusz Engler from 1999. The Polish films review will last two weeks.

International architecture seminar on European Solidarity Centre

Gdansk, Aug. 3: Eleven architects and architecture teams from Poland, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and the U.S are taking part in a two-day seminar devoted to plans to build a European Solidarity Centre (ECS) at the site of the Gdansk Shipyard that started in Gdansk on Wednesday.Inaugurating the debates former President and first Solidarity leader Lech Walesa said that the strike in the Gdansk Shipyard in August 1980 ended the epoch of "divisions, struggle and borders" in Europe and opened a new epoch of "the Internet, information and globalization.""I hope that the centre will be the place of discussions on the political development of Europe and the entire world," Walesa said. Present at the seminar are Italian architects Renato Rizzi from Venice and Gaetano Pesce, now working in New York, John Gosling from London and Andreas Reidemeister from Berlin. The establishing of the European Solidarity Centre has been included in the statutes of Solidarity Foundation Centre which is to run it.

Split in Solidarity anniversary ceremonies

Gdansk, Aug. 3: Bogdan Lis, head of the Centrum Solidarnosci fund has said that the idea to hold separate ceremonies marking the August'80 anniversary is pitiful. "It seems to me that these ceremonies are being organized by a group of frustrated former Solidarity activists who decided to stand on the sidelines of social life for the past 25 years and now they suddenly realised that they have wasted all those years," Lis told reporters on Wednesday. The idea of alternative ceremonies came out from, among others, Andrzej Gwiazda and Anna Walentynowicz, one of the icons of the early Solidarity movement. Meanwhile, the first Solidarity leader Lech Walesa commenting the situation said that such are the rules of democracy but added that he hoped that "they would not step on his foot." Gwiazda said that the alternative ceremonies will be held on August 27-31. "We want to restore a proper view on Solidarity, on what has taken place on the Polish coast in the 1980 and what has happened in 1989," Gwiazda stressed.

Phare programmes for unemployed

Warsaw, Aug. 3: The Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) plans to earmark 41 million euros for programmes directed to job seekers. According to PARP representatives some 20 thousand people may benefit from the fourth edition of the "PHARE Economic and Social Cohesion Programme - Human Resources Development." One of the programmes is directed to people in their fifties. Besides training the programme provides for financial aid for those who plan to open their own businesses. They can receive a subsidy of up to 10 thousand euros. Some of the programmes are addressed to young people who remain unemployed after coming out of school. Another programme focuses on social integration and is to cover former inmates, juvenile offenders leaving correction institutions, refugees and repatriates. All programmes will be implemented by companies, organizations or institutions selected in tenders.

Chamber of Commerce against miners' pension law

Warsaw, Aug. 3: The Polish Chamber of Commerce has appealed to the president to veto the amended law on pensions paid out from theSocial Insurance Fund prolonging miners' right to early retirement. The chamber in its press release wrote that the law will have damaging effects on the Polish budget, economic development and in the struggle to leading to the lowering of unemployment.

New MAN truck plant to be build near Cracow

Warsaw, Aug. 3: MAN, the German industrial group has picked up Niepolomice near Cracow for location of its new truck plant, the company reported Wednesday. Apart from Poland shortlisted were locations in Slovakia and Hungary. The new plant is to produce 15,000 vehicles annually. MAN plans to invest 90-100 mn euros to open the plant in mid-2007. It will create 650 jobs, according to the German group. Deputy Economy Minister Marcin Kaszuba told PAP on Wednesday that a framework agreement with the German concern will be signed on August 16. According to the deputy minister, Poland managed to win the contest for the investment because "it turned out to be a credible partner that departed from administrative thinking to embark on business-oriented thinking." Five weeks ago we promised MAN that we would swap the system of financial support for investments to a long-term programme of financing the German investment. We managed to do it, Kaszuba explained. He added that the investment of MAN gained financial support from Poland in the form of the return of part of investment outlays because MAN will create new jobs also for university graduates. Technicalities of Polish support will be released after the agreement is signed.

Viability of Polish steelmills by 2006 still possible

Katowice, Aug.3: Delays in the restructuring process of some Polish steelmills do not have to prevent the industry from reaching economic viability by the end of 2006, Polish metallurgical industry officials claim. On Wednesday the EU Commission criticised the Czech Republic and Poland for delays in the steel sector restructuring. It also stressed the risk of failure to achieve the viability indices by the end of the process, i.e. by December, 2006. "The Commission is right when it points to delays in some investment projects," the president of the HIPH trade chamber of metallurgical industry Romuald Talarek told PAP Wednesday. "But one has to bear in mind that it was the Commission that approved of the changes in the restructuring programme (..) Moreover, the market now is different than it was in 2003 and this must find reflection in the restructuring process. Even so the changed programme assumes reaching economic viability by the end of 2006."

Unemployment falls in July

Warsaw, Aug.3: The rate of unemployment fell to 17.9 pc in July, from 18.0 pc in June, andshould fall further in August and September to 17.5 or 17.6 pc, according to deputyminister of economy and labour Jacek Mecina. "July was the fourth consecutive monthof declining unemployment," he told PAP Wednesday. "We can clearly say there is apositive trend of falling joblessness."

Sheep breeding to be promoted in southern Poland

Cracow, Aug. 3: The authorities of Malopolska province assigned more than 2 million PLN (602,000 USD) to encourage local residents to restore the dying tradition of sheep breeding. The initiative is also an attempt at diminishing the negative results of a sharply decreasing sheep population in Poland in recent years. Besides, sheep grazing helps control mountain pastures and rare plants' vegetation. At present Polish breeders have some 250,000 sheep while in countries of similar territory the number of animals ranges between 10 million and 30 million, speaker of Local assembly Janusz Sepiol said.

CDU/CSU: wrong address as regards reconciliation centre

Warsaw, Aug. 3: Hartmut Koschyk from the German CDU/CSU coalition thinks that Wladyslaw Frasyniuk should not address his party with the idea to support the Centre of Polish-German Reconciliation, as his party was not behind the idea of the controversial centre for expellees of Ms. Steinbach. A statement to this effect was conveyed to PAP by Demokraci.pl on Wednesday and according to the party was published by German media on Tuesday. The Centre for Polish-German Reconciliation is being planned by Member of the European Parliament MEP Bronislaw Geremek and leader of the Democratic Party - democraci.pl Wladyslaw Frasyniuk. Frasyniuk told a news conference in Wroclaw on Monday that Wroclaw had been picked up for the centre's seat. Frasyniuk recalled that a few days ago he had sent a letter to Ms. Angela Merkel, the official CDU/CSU candidate for German Chancellor asking for support for the centre and expressing opposition against actions of Ms. Erika Steinbach.

German minority wants its own programme on TV3

Poznan, Aug. 3: The German minority from western Poland have sent letters to CEOs of Poznan regional TV asking for a half-an-hour German language programme to be broadcast once a week. The letters were presented to reporters by activists of the League of the Polish Families LPR on Wednesday. The German minority quoted the Polish and the international laws which allow them to broadcast their own programmes about their life and Polish-German relations. Head of the Poznan-based Socio-Cultural Association of the German Minority Andrzej Grott said our point is to promote the German tradition and culture. Not politics." According to the Poznan branch TV deputy CEO Jerzy Smolinski the demand can't be met owing to lack of broadcasting time. According to Wojciech Olszak, LPR activist and member of TVP program council the demand is unjustified. Olszak told a news conference that according to the recent census the German minority in Wielkopolska and Lubuskie provinces is inhabited by 4.5 million people of them 1,300 of German origin. If the broadcast time was allotted on the principle of proportionality the German minority would be entitled to 23 seconds a week, Olszak said.

Investigation into shipyard workers protest in St. Nazaire

Szczecin, Aug.3: The public prosecutor's office in Szczecin started an investigation Wednesday into alleged violations of employee rights by one French and one Polish company that hired Polish shipyard workers in Saint Nazaire, France. Thirteen Polish workers were on hunger strike since last Thursday in Saint Nazaire, demanding their overdue wages. The public prosecutor's office said Wednesday it decided there was a justified suspicion that a criminal offence had been committed in Poland in connection with the case. This did not rule out a possibility that an offence had also been committed in France, the office added. The protesting workers claim they were not paid wages for June and July. They work for Kliper of Poland which is doing subcontracting services for Gestal of France in the largest French shipyard Alstom Marine.

Archaeologists unearth well from 9th century BC

Russian consul: Polish-Russian relation "are good "

Gdansk, Aug. 4: Russian Consul from Gdansk Yuri Alekseyev termed Polish-Russian relations good and said mass media exaggerated presenting their negative image after the mugging of Russian diplomats' kids in Warsaw on Sunday. The Russian consul visited a group of 18 kids of Russian policemen from the Tver region who are on vacations in Jastrzebia Gora, the Polish Baltic Sea resort. The children have come for the second consecutive year. The group, aged between 10 and 17 arrived on July 29 and will leave on August 11. Head of the independent policemen trade union Wieslaw Wolanski said that vacations for the Russian kids had been organised by the "Association - Police Family 1939" and sponsored by the Polish police headquarters. Mutual contacts have been established during the construction and the management of the Military Cemetery in Mednoye devoted to the memory of 8,000 policemen murdered there by the Russian NKVD in 1940.

Russia to follow closely Polish probe into beating

Moscow, Aug. 4: Russian foreign ministry representative Boris Malakhov on Thursday said Russia will "closely watch the implementation of steps promised by the Polish side" in case of

the beating of the Russian diplomats' children. Malakhov recalled that the Polish foreign ministry on Wednesday expressed "deep regret" in connection with the beating. Poland will take all legal steps to punish the perpetrators, Malakhov quoted the wording of the note. We expect a thorough investigation into this incident, Malakhov said. We wait for exhaustive information about the event and measures preventing the recurrence of such incidents in future." The Russian diplomat underlined that the Polish authorities kept maintaining they would "ensure security to Russian diplomats and members of their families."

Belarus: Ten days term for minority activist

Lida, Warsaw, Aug. 4: A local Belarussian court has sentenced an unofficial spokesman for the Union of Poles in Belarus to a 10-day prison term on Thursday. Andrzej Pisalnik has been accused of taking part in an "illegal action in Shchuchin on August 3 and disregarding militia orders." The "illegal action" was a concert staged outside the Union's seat to mark the Belarussian Independence Day. Reacting to the verdict, a group of Polish journalists in Lithuania appealed to Belarussian authorities for an immediate release of Pisalnik and other jailed union activists. Head of the union Angelica Boris reported to a local prosecutor's office in Grodno where she was warned she would face consequences if she continues "illegal activities." Before leaving for local police, where she was to take part in a hearing, Boris called on "fellow countryman" not to take part in a planned rerun of the Union's 6th congress. Meanwhile, Belarus continues to claim that there is no conflict between official authorities and the union. Head of the Belarus Committee for Religion and Nationalities Stanislav Buko said there only "differences of opinion" between groups supporting two various leaders of the union. A pro-government Belarussian Republican Youth Union staged another picket outside Poland's embassy in Minsk to express their dissatisfaction with Poland's policy towards Belarus. In Warsaw, representatives of Polish National Youth said that the Belarussian embassy in Warsaw has denied visas to a group of National Youth members. The right-wing activists planned to go to Belarus to "support the local Polish minority".

Presidential Chancellery on president's position on Belarus

Warsaw, Aug. 4: The position of the president on the current situation in Belarus is consistent with the position of Poland's authorities. President Aleksander Kwasniewski has been in contact with the government and Parliament, said a statement of the Presidential Chancellery. Asked by PAP about the president official position Andrzej Miklaszewicz of the Information Bureau of the Presidential Chancellery quoted the statement which was published by Zycie Warszawy on Thursday. According to a PBS poll commissioned by Fakty TVN news bulletin, 76 percent of Poles believe that the president should present his official position concerning the situation of the Polish minority in Belarus, 11 percent think the president should not make any statement and 13 percent do not have any opinion on the question.

Presidential aide ready to talk over granting Polish citizenship

Warsaw, Aug. 4: Head of the presidential chancellery Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz told PAP on Thursday that she turned to Donald Tusk with a proposal of a meeting on granting Polish citizenship to Poles harassed in Belarus as suggested by Tusk earlier in the day. Szymanek-Deresz said that if Tusk wants to support any of the applications for Polish citizenship and discuss the whole issue she is ready to meet with him. She added that a proposal of such meeting has been made and she is waiting for a reply from the deputy Sejm Speaker.

UKIE: We make up for delays in EU law implementation

Warsaw, Aug. 4: Deputy Minister at the Office of the Committee for European Integration Tomasz Nowakowski on Thursday admitted that Poland has delays in implementing the EU law in the field of financial services. He pledged the delays will be made up for in the coming two months. On Wednesday the EC decided to start proceedings against 16 countries, including Poland, in connection with non-implementation of a series of directives related to the financial services. The president should still sign three laws passed by the Sejm in July which regulate the capital market.

Tyminski registered as presidential candidate

Warsaw, Aug. 4: Stanislaw Tyminski was officially registered as next presidential candidate on August 1, head of Tyminski's electoral staff Tadeusz Bartold said Thursday. According to Bartold, Tyminski was supported by more than 125,000 voters. Tyminski is the candidate of the National Civic Coalition OKO set up in November 2003. The OKO has also fielded candidates for the Sejm. Tyminski had already run for presidency in 1990. Head of the OKO national board Wojciech Kornowski said a free-of-charge "Underground Gazette" will be issued as part of the presidential campaign to present topics avoided by other papers and inform citizens about their rights and opportunities. The OKO appealed to President Aleksander Kwasniewski for signing the anti-usury law, amend the law on pensions for miners from the Social Insurance Fund and the law on lawyers' corporations. According to Kornowski, the OKO is made up of more than 300 social and economic organisations, entrepreneurs, farmers and jobless.

Lithuania-Poland: Memorandum on 1993 legal assistance agreement

Vilnius, Aug. 4: Poland and Lithuania will adjust the 1993 Polish-Lithuanian agreement on cooperation and mutual legal assistance to EU norms. Justice ministers from the two countries Andrzej Kalwas and Gintautas Buzinskas signed a memorandum that establishes working teams that will adjust the regulations. "The 1993 agreement passed the test of time but now that our countries are EU members we should adjust it to the directives of the EU Council and the European Parliament. This in particular concerns the European arrest warrant, issues relating to the penal procedure, and cooperation in civil issues," Kalwas told a press conference. Polish and Lithuanian experts will meet in September to start their work.

Germany, Russia to go ahead with Baltic gas pipeline

Berlin, Aug. 4: Financial Times Deutschland quotes Jan Rokita as saying that the planned gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany via the Baltic sea "infringes the common interests of the European Union and of its respective members." The daily reminds that Rokita has a good chance of becoming the next Polish PM after this fall general elections and adds that he wants the problem to be discussed on the EU forum. But the daily also quotes Kai-Olaf Lang, an expert of the Berlin Science and Politics Foundation, as saying that alternative to the Baltic pipeline solutions have little chance of being implemented. According to him the German and Russian project partners have already negotiated a memorandum with the blessing of both countries' governments.

Warsaw Stock Exchange sees record month

Warsaw, Aug. 4: July was a record month in the history of the Warsaw Stock Exchange, the bourse said in a communique on Thursday. July was the best month as regards the trade turnover since the establishment of the bourse in 1991. Total value of share turnover was 14.2 billion zlotys, nearly twice as high as the second best July in 1999 (7.2 billion zlotys). July 2005 also saw the record volume of trade in futures on indexes - 447 thousand 214, twice as many as in 2004. Trade in futures on indexes began in 1998. July was a record month as regards the number of bourse debutes with six new companies making a debut. The WIG index which grew 7.5 percent, broke no record in July 2005. In July 1994 the WIG grew 37.5 percent.

Finance Ministry not to lower excise tax on fuels

Warsaw, Aug. 4: The finance ministry does not plan to cut the excise tax on fuels. Therefore it rejected related appeals of the Polish Chamber of Commerce KIG and the Polish Chamber of Liquid Fuels PIPP. "The situation on the fuel market is increasingly difficult," PIPP CEO Aurelia Kuran-Puszkarska told a news conference in Warsaw on Thursday. According to her, gasoline prices may soon go up by even 20 groszes per litre due to the Russian decision to raise, as of August 1, customs duties on oil exports from 70 to 140 USD per ton. She recalled that prices were also growing owing to the stronger rate of the USD to the euro and the zloty. KIG CEO Andrzej Arendarski said that lower excise tax is not tantamount to lower incomes of the state as it has been shown by the decision to cut excise tax on alcohol. Instead it will contribute to the cutting of production and transport costs which is substantial for economic growth. At the same time the PIPP and KIG CEOs appealed to fuel producers to cut margins and prices.

Higher payments at Warsaw's Chopin airport

Warsaw, Aug. 4: As of September 1 the airport and navigation payments at the F. Chopin airport in Warsaw will be changed. Payments collected from the airlines are the component of the travel costs even if they are not shown on tickets as in case of low-rate carriers. The spokeswoman for Polish Ports PPL Edyta Mikolajczyk said new payments will be collected in zlotys not in USD. As of Sept. 1 the payment for every passenger cleared at the Terminal 1 will amount to 60 PLN (at present it is 16 USD), for clearance in Etiuda Terminal it will be 30 PLN instead of 8 USD and 24 PLN instead of 7.5 USD for clearance in home terminal.

Radom prepares for Air Show 2005

Radom, Aug. 4: Some 130 planes from 13 countries will be presented at the annual 5th International Air Show 2005 to take place in Radom on August 27-28.The event will be dominated by flying teams, including British Red Arrows, French Patruille de France and Spanish Patrulla Aquilla. Poland will be represented by three flying teams.Individual appearances are prepared by pilots from the US, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark and Canada. The air show, organized by the Command of Polish Air Force, is also accompanied by an aviation industry fair, a foretaste of the Kielce International Defence Industry Fair starting on August 29.

Puls Bizensu: Ryanair expands operations in Poland

Warsaw, Aug. 4: Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost carrier based in Ireland, is sure of a success on the Polish market, the Puls Biznesu daily wrote. In autumn the Irish carrier will be landing on seven new Polish airports, with talks underway with six other airports. Ryanair is planning to carry one million passengers on its routes to Poland in 2006 and five million within the coming years. "We are in talks with other Polish airports," Ryanair's director Michael O'Leary said.

Competition for Solidarity European Centre to be announced by end of 2006

Gdansk, Aug. 4: An international competition for the design of the Solidarity European Centre (ECS) to be built at the premises of the Gdansk Shipyard will be announced by the end of 2006, Gdansk Mayor Pawel Adamowicz told PAP Thursday. A two-day international architectural seminar devoted to the plans to construct the ECS wound up in Gdansk on Thursday. Eleven architects and architecture teams from Poland, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and the USA presented their visions and projects. Among participants in the seminar were Renato Rizzi of Venice and Italy's Geatano Pesce now working in New York, John Gosling of London and Andreas Reidemeister of Berlin. John Gosling of RTKL Associates Inc. proposed to ask ordinary citizens to join the discussion on the future ECS shape, and institutions to co-finance the project. Architect Czeslaw Bielecki appealed to Gdansk authorities to be quick in making the decision on ECS construction. The establishing of the European Solidarity Centre has been included in the statutes of Solidarity Foundation Centre which is to run it.

Jarre meets Walesa and family, tours Gdansk Shipyard

Gdansk, Aug. 4: Jean Michel Jarre whose concert on August 26 is to be a highlight of the August '80 Agreements 25th anniversary met with Solidarity former leader Lech Walesa and Gdansk Mayor Pawel Adamowicz on Thursday. Jarre, accompanied by Walesa and unionists laid a wreath at the Monument to Shipyard Workers and toured the assembly hall where the August Agreements were signed in 1980. At the press conference later Jarre said he felt honoured to sit next to the man admired by the whole world. "For an artist, it is a great honour to take part in these celebrations." Jarre said. "These are celebrations of the whole world, every European." For one day on August 26 the shipyard will belong to the whole world. We shall pay homage to the courage, vision and struggle of the people who were so brave to say +no+" the artist stressed. Jarre prepared a special composition for the concert.

Japanese Culture Festival in Przemysl

Przemysl, Aug. 4: The Fourth Japanese Culture Festival starts Friday in the Podkarpacie region, south-east Poland, organised by Przemysl-based Poland-Japan Foundation Yamato and the local Japanese Culture Centre. The four-day event will be held in Rzeszow and Jaroslaw. Nearly 50 artists from Japan and Poland, including the Sakura choir of Kobe, will take part in concerts, meetings with Japanese songs, and exhibitions of painting and graphics. The green tea making ceremony, demonstration of the art of ikebana and origami, the iaido Japanese traditional sword drawing techniques, karate and judo, calligraphy and kimono arrangement are in the programme.The event is held under the honorary patronage of the Embassy of Japand in Poland. Poland-Japan Foundation Yamato and the local JCC operating in Przemysl have engaged in promotion of Japanese culture and art for several years now. The foundation president and head of the centre Iga Dlochowska said the festival and other cultural activities build a bridge for cooperation with Japan also in other fields.

Shakespearean Festival in Gdansk opens Saturday

Gdansk, Aug. 4: Over twenty productions of William Shakespeare's plays will be in the programme of the IX Shakespearean Festival starting in Gdansk on Saturday. Taking part in the Festival will be companies from twelve countries, including Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Russia, Armenia and Hungary. Cameri Theatre of Tel-Aviv, one of the most important stages in Israel will come with its production of "Hamlet." Andrzej Zurowski, artistic consultant of the Gdansk festival recalls that "Hamlet" in Hebrew was staged for the first time in Israel by Konrad Swinarski, one of Poland's greatest stage directors, in Cameri Theatre 40 years ago. Zurowski stressed that the Shakespearean Festival in Gdansk has become the biggest event of its kind in Europe. This year the festival will run from August 6 through 13. The Skakespearean Festival has been organised in Gdansk by Teatrum Gedanense Foundation since 1997. The event is rooted in the Renaissance tradition when English theatrical troupes visited the city. Theatrum Gedanense was set up in 1990 with the view to reconstructing an Elizabethan theatre which existed in Gdansk in early 17th century. HRH Charles Prince of Wales assumed his patronage over the foundation.

Poll: Majority of Poles understand foreign languages

Warsaw, Aug. 4: Over a half of Poles - 55 percent - claim to understand a newspaper story, a radio or a tv programme in a foreign language, according to a poll run by TNS OBOP last June which PAP received Thursday. Russian is the most widely known as 28 percent of Poles declare to understand media message in that language. Next come English (23 percent) and German (14 percent.) Few Poles (2 percent) know French and 1 percent can understand Italian, Czech or Ukrainian. 45 percent do not know any foreign language. The survey was run between June 2 to 6 and June 16 to 20 on 2,010 residents of Poland over 15 years of age.

Belarus ready for talks with Poland

Minsk, Aug. 5: Belarus deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Mikhnevitch said Friday that Minsk is ready to start talks with Warsaw on solving the present crisis in bilateral relations.

Mikhnevitch added that now "the initiative is on the Polish side" in view of equal number of expelled diplomats and recent Belarussian proposals. According to the deputy minister the conflict can be solved by way of dialogue on concrete, important problems related to cooperation. The end should also be put to the anti-Belarussia rhetoric concerning the artificial politicisation of the non-existent nationality conflict in Belarus. He pointed out that the conflict over the Union of Poles in Belarus coincided with the pre-election campaign in Poland.

Cimoszewicz: no rejection of talks with Belarus

Bialystok, Aug. 7: Sejm Speaker and presidential candidate Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz believes that the Polish diplomacy should not reject the possibility of discussing the conflict over the Union of Poles in Belarus after Belarussian signs of readiness for talks on the matter.

Meanwhile Samoobrona leader Andrzej Lepper told Radio Three that relations with Belarussian President Aleksander Lukashenko should improve. Lepper quoted the result of a poll run by the U.S. special services which showed that Lukashenko enjoyed the support of 70

percent of the Belarussian population. In his opinion "Poland should simply talk with those at power as the sulking attitude will not bring a thing," Lepper said.

Bosnia and Hercegovina: no visa requirement for Poles

Warsaw, Aug. 7: Poles visiting Bosnia and Hercegovina can travel to or via that country's territory without a visa requirement for up to 90 days, the Foreign Ministry spokesman reported on Friday.Last month, the Republic of Macedonia as well as Bulgaria also

announced they extended their visa requirements for Poles up to 90 days instead of former 30.

Puls Biznesu: Slim chances for using EU funds for school computerisation

Warsdaw, Aug. 5: The chances of making use of EU assistance to computerise Polish schools are decreasing. Who is to blame? Office workers, greedy firms, or procedural absurdities? the Puls Biznesu daily asks. Before summer holidays in 2004 the national education and sport ministry prepared a project to equip all schools and libraries in computer rooms by the end of 2006 for 1.5 billion zlotys (in 75 percent covered from EU funds). Some 300 million zlotys was to be spent in 2004, another 500 million in 2005 and the remainder in 2006. Until now the ministry have spent no money for the programme and no school received a computer under this programme. The biggest tenders in the history of orders for the education sector are

being delayed and annulled. It seems that Poland will have to use the whole sum of 1.5 billion

zlotys or a large part of it in 2006, or else the money will be lost and the programme will end in a great embarrassment.

Gazeta Prawna: Taxpayers deprived of right to correct VAT returns

Warsaw, Aug. 5: Thousands of taxpayers will soon lose the right to correct their VAT returns. The legislator, changing tax law regulations, limited the right to correct errors, Gazeta Prawna wrote. The taxpayers will not be able to make corrections even if they discover an error and will want to retrieve the overpaid money, experts said. The new regulations ban VAT correcting after the end of a tax inspection.

Radom prepares for Air Show 2005

Radom, Aug. 4: Some 130 planes from 13 countries will be presented at the annual 5th International Air Show 2005 to take place in Radom on August 27-28. The event will be dominated by flying teams, including British Red Arrows, French Patruille de France and Spanish Patrulla Aquilla. Poland will be represented by three flying teams. Individual appearances are prepared by pilots from the US, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark and Canada. The air show, organized by the Command of Polish Air Force, is also accompanied by an aviation industry fair, a foretaste of the Kielce International Defence Industry Fair starting on August 29.

Hey rock band ends "Woodstock" festival in Kostrzyn

Gorzow Wielkopolski, Aug. 7: A concert of Hey rock band ended the 9th "Przystanek Woodstock" festival held at Kostrzyn on the Odra, western Poland, over the weekend. Hey won the Internet-surfers popularity prize. On Sunday the prize "Zloty Baczek" was handed over to Kasia Nosowska from the band. During the two days the public could see and listen to concerts of some 30 bands icluding 2PU Mad Doggin, Without End, Carrantouhill, Raz, Dwa, Trzy (One, Two, Three) and Krzysztof "Jary" Jaryczewski. "Przystanek Woodstock," the biggest rock festival in Europe, held at the town on the Polish-German border, attracted dozens of thousands spectators from Poland and abroad. Guests arrived from Holland and Germany, Ukraine, Moldova. Last year several dozen thousand came from Germany alone.

"Przystanek Woodstock" is organised yearly by the Great Christmas Aid Orchestra Foundation run by Jurek Owsiak known for his huge annual fund-raising campaigns. The name of the festival refers to the legendary Woodstock festival of 1969.

Polish Foreign Ministry sends information note to Russian Ministry

Warsaw, Aug. 8: The Polish foreign ministry on Monday sent an information note to the Russian foreign ministry in connection with the mugging of a Polish embassy employee in Moscow last Sunday. "This is not a protest note. We present the information we have and we expect explanations as to the circumstances of the incident," deputy spokesman for the foreign ministry Tomasz Szeratics told PAP. He added that Poland wanted the Polish embassy employees to feel safe and asked the Russian side for increased protection measures. He stressed that the foreign ministry perceived the incident as an act of hooliganism without any political background. Szeratics said that the Sunday assault was the 2nd one in recent time as on Friday a Russian citizen working for the embassy was also mugged. According to Szeratics, the condition of the Pole attacked on Sunday is serious but stable, though still unfit for testifying. On Monday the Russian foreign ministry condemned the assault on the Polish embassy employee.The ministry offered deep sympathy to the victim terming the incident "deplorable." The investigation in the case in supervised by deputy head of the Main Internal Affairs Bureau Vladimir Pavlov, ITAR-TASS agency reported.

Poland to ask Moscow to increase protection measures for embassy's employes

Moscow, Aug. 8: Poland's embassy in Moscow will send a note to the Russian foreign ministry in the afternoon to officially inform it about the beating of a Polish embassy employee on Sunday, Poland's embassy's counsellor Zbigniew Rzadca said. In the note Poland would request increased protection measures for Polish embassy employees in Moscow and an investigation into the assault. The employee of the Polish embassy in Moscow was severely beaten on Sunday and remains in hospital.

Polish European Parliament members denied entry to Belarus

Warsaw, Bialystok, Aug. 8: The Belarussian border guards denied entry to four Polish members of the European Parliament among them to EP vice President Jacek Saryusz-Wolski. According to Polish member of the European Parliament MEP Barbara Kudrycka who was also denied entry to Belarus, the Belarussian border guards failed to offer any substantiation of their decision. She said six people who were going for a meeting in Grodno had been denied entry. A delegation headed for talks with the board of the Union of Poles in Belarus which is not recognised as legitimate by the Belarussian authorities and representatives of the Belarussian democratic opposition. Kudrycka told PAP that the officer in charge of the shift and his subordinate took passports of four MEPs, Bialystok mayor Ryszard Tur and reporter Marcin Smia owski (cooperating with the Polish Radio and TVN television broadcast). After checking the passports one of them said this entire group was denied entry. "We said that as holders of diplomatic passports we had the right to enter Belarus on a short visit in line with the convention between Belarus and Poland. Mr. Tur presented information about a meeting with Grodno mayor but this did not help," Professor Kudrycka said. Assistant to another MEP Bogdan Klich, Barbara Bartkowska said Polish Consul in Grodno Andrzej Kretowski tried to negotiate with the border guards but was unsuccessful. Saryusz-Wolski told PAP before leaving that it "was to be a sort of a reconnaissance mission" to check the situation and present a report top the EP. He said the point was to put in motion the mechanism of European solidarity." Later in the day Saryusz-Wolski told a news conference in Bialystok that the official complaint would be filed with the Belarussian ambassador accredited at the European Union in Brussels. The case will also be presented at the EP foreign affairs committee meeting. Press attache of the Belarussian embassy to Poland Vsevolod Glushkov told PAP he did not know reasons behind the decision to deny entry to Polish MEPs. He was also unable to state whether any statement would be issued by the Belarussian foreign ministry.

Spokesman for EP president: It is not EP delegation

Brussels, Aug. 8: A delegation of MEPs of the Citizens' Platform PO that was refused entry to Belarus was not sent by the European Parliament, spokesman for the European Parliament president Jacques Nancy said Monday. He told PAP the delegation belonged to the faction of the European People's Party and European Democrats. He added he would get acquainted with the course of the events on the Polish-Belarussian border and maybe issue a statement later.

Belarussian MPs on Polish MEPs "provocation"

Minsk, Aug. 8: Belarussian MPs termed "provocation" the abortive visit of the Polish members of the European Parliament to Grodno. They announced that "the proper institutions of the Belarussian authorities will put an end to all attempts at direct interference in Belarussian internal affairs." The parliamentary foreign affairs committee said that the "planned journey of the MEPs from Poland to meet the illegal authorities of the Union of Poles in Belarus is in its essence a provocation by no means conducive to establishing the inter-state dialogue and, is definitely aimed at further escalation of tension in relations between Belarus and Poland and at stirring up conflict between the two nations." The Belarussian MPs added that the situation between the two states may only be solved by way of the constructive bilateral dialogue. They declared they were ready to support the normalisation of Polish-Belarussian relations in cooperation with Polish deputies.

Senator from Belarus appeals to Poland for dialogue

Minsk, Aug. 8: Mykola Charhinets, head of the working group of Belarussia' parlament for cooperation with Poland appealed to Warsaw to calm down the atmosphere and start a reasonable dialogue with Belarus. After the deputy Foreign Minister he is the second representative of the Belarussian authorities to call for dialogue. In an appeal sent to media Monday Charhinets called to "stop hysteria stimulated by media and peacefully discuss the situation." The senator claims that the rights of the Polish minority in Belarus are observed. Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Mikhnevitch said Friday that Belarus is ready for talks with Poland on solving the crisis in bilateral relations," but "initiative now belongs to Poland".

Polish combatants from Belarus on health treatment

Warsaw, Aug. 8: A group of 20 Polish war veterans from Belarus are undergoing treatment at sanatorium in Konstancin outside Warsaw, deputy head of the Office for Combatants and the Repressed Jerzy Kozlowski said Monday. Among the combatants are former soldiers of the war-time Home Army AK and former deportees to Siberia, most of them in their 80s. Former AK soldiers are not considered as ex-servicemen in Belarus and have no privileges of WW II combatants. Those deported to labour camps in the USSR have not been rehabilitated to this day and have not received compensations for the loss of health and property.

President signs anti-usury bill into law

Warsaw, Aug. 8: President Aleksander Kwasniewski has signed the anti-usury bill into law, the Presidential Chancellery information and social communication office told PAP on Monday. The law adopted by the Sejm on August 15 amends the civil code and the law on consumer's credit and limits the admissible amount of interests to the four-fold amount of the central bank pawnshop credit. According to the authors, the Democratic Left Alliance and the Law and Justice (SLD and PiS) this should keep borrowers from drawing excessive amount of credits. A few days after the adoption of the law by the Senate head of the presidential economic advisers team Professor Witold Orlowski told PAP the bill did not solve problems and could bring more harm than benefits. Also financial circles had urged the president not to

sign the bill.

Terrorism Fighting Department under formation

Warsaw, Aug. 8: Poland's special services believe that Poland is in danger of terrorist attacks, the Rzeczpospolita daily wrote. The Terrorism Fighting Department is being formed at the Internal Security Agency. The department will begin operations on September 19, following a

decision of the prime minister of August 3. The Internal Security Agency received information about planed terrorist attacks in Poland in Novemebr 2003. The attacks on synagogues and churches in big cities across Poland were to take place between Christmas and New Year. The attacks were prevented in an operation codenamed "Sword". In effect of the operation the special services identified over 70 foreigners suspected of links with terrorism in Poland late in 2003 and early in 2004. At present the number of such people doubled, Rzeczpospolita wrote.

Finance Ministry to select 1-1.5 bn USD bond issue agent this week

Warsaw, Aug. 8: The Finance Ministry will select an agent this week for the September 1.0 to 1.5 billion USD denominated bond issue still this week, a Finance Ministry official reported on Monday. This week a commission will decide which banks will handle the transaction, director of the Finance Ministry's department of receivables and debt, Pawel Kowalewski told PAP.He added that offers from 10 banks are being reviewed currently. The last issue held inOctober 2003 yield 997.2 mln USD in 10Y bonds.

Orlen's Czech arrangement

Warsaw, Aug. 8: Orlen had to sell a profitable part of the holding for next to nothing, in return for a consent to take over the Czech Unipetrol, the Rzeczpospolita daily revealed.The daily claims that a businessman linked to politicians of a Czech ruling party, who decided about privatisation, earned hundreds millions zlotys.The decision to sell Unipetrol was taken by the Czech government formed by the politicians of the Czech Socialdemocratic Party. Officially the PKN Orlen offered some 400 million euros for Unipetrol shares and won the tender. But Rzeczpopsolita found that before the conclusion of the deal, the Orlen had to reach an agreement with Andrey Babis, a businessman linked with the Czech ruling party. The Polish concern pledged to sell him for next to nothing a very profitable chemical part of the holding. According to documents, it was underpriced by some 800 million zlotys. The agreement concluded by Orlen with Babis's firm Agrofert is secret. It was concluded many months before the takeover of Unipetrol. Babis is to get shares in five companies. If Orlen broke off the agreement, it would have to pay a fine of over 300 million zlotys.The Orlen's investment in Unipetrol is being investigated by the Crcow-based Prosecutors' Office.

Press conference on Solidarity at PAP press centre

Warsaw, Aug. 8: A news conference entitled "Solidarity messages," organised within the framework of the Programme of the International Promotion of the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity trade union will be held at the PAP Press Centre in Warsaw on Tuesday. The conference will be attended by Radek Sikorski - the executive director of the New Atlantic Initiative, the organiser of the conference entitled "Solidarity 25 Years On - Lessons in the Struggle for Freedom" and Marian Krzaklewski, former leader of the Solidarity trade union and member of the honorary committee of ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the August Agreements and the formation of the Solidarity trade union. Participating will also be Doctor Janusz Marszalec, head of the National Remembrance Institute from Gdansk, the organiser of the Conference of Historians "Solidarity for the future," and Stanislaw Plakwicz, the president of the Gdansk Foundation, the organiser of Jean-Michel Jarre's concert in Gdansk and Piotr Gulczydski, the president of the Lech Walesa Institute

Exhibition devoted to Solidarity opens in Gdansk

Gdansk, Aug. 8: More than 120 photos illustrating the history of the Solidarity trade union and different types of memorabilia including the picture of late Pope John Paul II that hung on the gate of the Gdansk Shipyard during the 1980 strike are on display in Gdansk. The exhibition that opened there on Monday under the title Solidarity - strength in unity was organised at the Arthus Court. All exhibits come from the archives of the Solidarity trade union. "The exhibition is to remind us that we are able to get united and achieve something only when a big number of us has the same goal," exhibition curator Joanna Lewandowska said. Among the exhibits are playing cards, leaflets, stamps and red and white bands made by the striking workers. In one of the show-cases the visitors can see a gypsum cast of the head of spokesman for the government in the 80-ties Jerzy Urban and letters, rosaries and postcards of the imprisoned Solidarity members. On display are also printing machines used for the printing of underground press and leaflets. The exhibition closes on October 16.

Show of Solidarity historical documents in Elblag

Olsztyn, Aug. 8: Letters smuggled from prison and a paper published by the internees during martial law, documents and photographs are presented at an exhibition marking the 25th anniversary of Solidarity that has opened in Elblag (Warmia-Mazury province) to last till August 31. Waldemar Matejak, member of the Elblag Solidarity, has told PAP that on show are documents from the beginnings of Solidarity and photographs presenting the time of martial law. The most interesting exhibits include internees' letters smuggled to their families and a paper published by internees and then smuggled and distributed among Elblag residents. On show are also poems written by the internees and photographs of Solidarity's patron Jerzy Polpieluszko.

Valuable acquisitions of Cracow's National Museum

Cracow, Aug. 8: The National Museum in Cracow received two paintings of Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, the outstanding Polish painter, art theoretician, philosopher, playwright and novelist of the first half of the 20th century known in the history of art and literature as Witkacy. The paintings, a gift from the London-based Pole, 90-year old Danuta Wojcicka are portraits of her mother who used to spend holidays in Zakopane where Witkacy worked. One of the portraits, an oil canvas from 1912, was long believed lost. Another portrait comes from 1936. Swiatoslaw Lenartowicz of Cracow's museum said the portraits are very valuable acquisitions. So far the museum had only two portraits painted by Witkacy before 1914. The paintings will be exhibited in the newly-created Gallery of Polish Paintings of the 20th century.

Belarus Council calls on Polish president

Minsk, Aug. 9: The Coordination Council of Political Parties, Trade Unions and Social Organisations in the Grodno district has addressed President Aleksander Kwasniewski with a call for putting an end to groundless accusations and threats vis-a-vis Belarus coming from the Polish side. The Council affiliates 20 pro-government organisations, including the Communist Party of Belarus, the Agricultural Party and the Belarussian Union of Officers. The appeal that reached PAP on Tuesday says that "some political forces and media in Poland waged an information campaign against sovereign Belarus and its peoples with false charges of violated rights of Poles in Belarus." The authors of the appeal think that "such actions interfere in the internal affairs of Belarus and call on Poland's authorities to undertake steps to sanify the situation."

Belarus does not respect European standards

Warsaw, Aug. 9: Vice-president of the European Parliament Jacek Saryusz-Wolski said that the denial of entry of four Polish members of the European Parliament to Belarus meant that the country failed to meet European standards such as free travelling and dialogue. In addition Belarus does not respect such international norms as acknowledging special passports of the European Parliament, Saryusz-Wolski said in a radio interview. In his opinion, there is no need for President Aleksander Kwasniewski to raise the issue of Belarus as yet. "For now the issue should be explained by head of the Presidential Chancellery. A shot from the heaviest cannon should be reserved for the end," he noted. Saryusz-Wolski said that the latest developments in Belarus are becoming known to the international public. The matter will have continuation in the European Parliament, with a debate to be held in the foreign affairs commission and then in the parliament.

Presidential contender on Poland's eastern policy

Pultusk, Aug. 9: According to leader of the Citizens' Platform PO Donald Tusk, Poland's eastern policy should be European, uniform and active. Addressing a press conference in Pultusk on Tuesday Tusk appealed to leaders of Polish biggest political parties to hold a meeting on Poland's eastern policy priorities. European eastern policy means that Poland will strive to co-define the common eastern policy of the EU, Tusk explained, adding that this applied in particular to coordination of the Polish and German eastern policies. Tusk plans to raise the issue with CDU leader Angela Merkel when she comes to Poland on Aug. 16. The talk will focus on "future European-eastern relations and on close Polish-German cooperation in shaping the EU's eastern policy," Tusk announced. The PO leader and presidential contender emphasized Poland's future depended on a wise eastern policy. Such a policy must be uniform in the sense that it must not be the domain of any particular political party but the effect of common actions by various parties and groups.

Senate not silent on Belarus

Warsaw, Aug. 9. Senate authorities do not remain silent on Belarus, Senate speaker Longin Pastusiak said on Tuesday. He thus replied to the statement of Citizens' Platform PO leader Donald Tusk who spoke of his feeling of "anxiety" at the "absence of the supreme state officials" when the situation in Belarus is discussed. Pastusiak said he issued two statements on Belarus for media in May and July, and the Senate adopted a related resolution. "I have (also) made radio and tv statements, he said after his meeting with Belarussian children in Warsaw. Also two Senate delegations have been to Belarus to help Poles living there, Pastusiak added. "We are pursuing a very balanced and at the same time determined policy demanding to stop annoying our fellow countrymen," the Senate speaker assured. Pastusiak on Tuesday met with Polish children from Belarus on summer vacations in Poland. During the tour of the Senate premises they learnt that the Polish Senate takes care of Poles living abroad, also those in Belarus. In 2005 the Senate destined over 800 thousand zlotys (nearly 250 thousand USD) to co-finance holidays for children and youth from Belarus. Financial aid is also rendered to NGOs engaged in assistance to Poles abroad, the speaker said.

Foreign ministry: "Phenomenon of Solidarity" on the Internet

Warsaw, Aug. 9: The foreign ministry launched a multimedia service "Phenomenon of Solidarity" at www.solidarnosc.gov.pl. The service is available in six language versions: Polish, English, Spanish, French, German and Russian (also available at: www.solidarite.gov.pl, www.solidarity.gov.pl, www.solidaridad.gov.pl. It presents archival photographs from the Gdansk Shipyard, "Solidarity" posters, the "Freedom Journals" that present the history of August 1980 strikes and fragments of memoirs of participants in the events. Until August 14 an international promotion campaign will be held at www.google.com, and its local versions, Russian, Spanish, German and French, under the slogan "Solidarity - the movement that liberated Europe from communism." The service is also promoted on the government portal www.poland.gov.pl and on websites of embassies across the world. Tomasz Szeratics from the foreign ministry told PAP that the service is available to internet users across the world and is a valuable source of information.

Park of Reconciliation and Gardens of Europe to be opened in Oswiecim

Bielsko Biala, Aug. 9: The Park of Reconciliation and Gardens of Europe in which the relatives of the victims of the former death camp Auschwitz would grow plants typical of each nation is to be created on the right bank of the Sola river, opposite to the former camp, spokesperson for the Oswiecim municipal office Katarzyna Kwiecien has told PAP. The idea to create the park came from the Park of Reconciliation-Gardens of Europe Foundation, set up in 2004. It has also announced a competition for the best project of the park. The winner will be announced on November 10. The main aim of the organisers is to create a small park on a 36-hectare area to commemorate all those who suffered and died in the Auschwitz Death Camp as a symbol of reconciliation of all the nations that took part in the World War II. According to Kwiecien, the park will function as a place in which tourists who visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum will have the opportunity to rest and contemplate.

FDP's Gerhardt sees Poland in EU's leading quartet

Berlin, Aug.9: The leader of FDP's parliamentary floor group Wolfgang Gerhard, expected to become the next German foreign minister, said in a press article he believed Poland should be among the four leading states of the EU, next to France, Germany and Britain. "Poland should be in the enlarged leading quartet of the EU, as well as Britain. Modern Europe is not limited to western Europe," Gerhardt wrote in a programmatic article on German foreign policy conveyed to PAP Tuesday. The FDP politician also opted for Germany's return to its traditional role of "advocate and trusted partner" of small and medium size EU countries. "The present government irritated some new EU countries with its talk of an axis between Paris, Berlin and Moscow, its anti-American pronouncements and awkward moves by the German-French tandem," he went on. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's and president Jacques Chirac's participation in the 750th anniversary ceremonies in Kalinigrad on July 3 was a provocation against Poland and Lithuania which had not been invited, Gerhard said.

Businessmen on access to EU structural funds

Warsaw, Aug.9: Only 16 pc of businessmen say that access to EU structural funds is easy, while 31 pc think the opposite, according to research done by PKPP private employers association. The remaining entrepreneurs had no clear cut opinion on the matter. Businessmen queried by PKPP said that lack of reliable information was a serious hurdle in efforts to get EU funding. This opinion was shared by 49 pc of the smallest firm owners, 42 pc of small firm owners and 33 pc of medium firm owners. A positive opinion of the reliability of information was forwarded by 22, 28 and 37 pc of owners, respectively. Moreover, businessmen polled by PKPP complained of insufficient information on the procedures of appraisal of their applications for funds. This makes the procedures intransparent. "This gives

rise to distrust which at some point may cause company owners to stop seeking EU funds," a PKPP expert commented.

Wielkopolska receive over 1 bn zlotys in EU funds

Warsaw, Aug. 9: The Wielkopolskie province, next to the Pomorskie province, is the region that received most funds from the European Union, the Glos Wielkopolski daily wrote. To-date the Wielkopolskie province received over 1 billion zlotys in EU funds, which compares with 1.2 billion zlotys secured by the Pomorskie province, 372 million zlotys by the Dolnoslaskie province, and 293 million by the Lubuskie province. The funds will be used to build a concert hall at the Poznan-based Music Academy, to upgrade the Wielkopolskie Oncology Centre, to renovate wooden churches.

Conferences and exhibitions to mark Solidarity anniversary

Warsaw, Aug. 9: The managing director of the New Atlantic Initiative Radek Sikorski believes that the experience of the Solidarity trade union can build up confidence among opposition activists in undemocratic countries. This will be the aim of the Solidarity 25 Years Later - Lessons in Freedom Struggle conference to be held in Gdansk on Aug.30. The conference will be part of the celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of Solidarity's foundation. Other events in the series will be a photographic exhibition titled Solidarity - Beginning of the Road, showing photographs taken in 1980-1981 from the collection of the PAP Polish Press Agency, and the conference Solidarity for the Future. Sikorski said that the first conference will be attended by dissidents from Belarus, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, Miyanmar, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Syria and Iran, among other countries. "We want them to come to Poland and see how Solidarity succeeded," Sikorski explained at a press conference held in the PAP Press Centre Tuesday. "We want to make them confident in success."The conference will also be attended by Zbigniew Brzezinski, Lech Walesa, Ukrainian foreign minister Boris Tarasiuk and Ukrainian vicepremier Oleh Rybachuk. The second conference will be held in Gdansk on Aug.29-30 and be attended by historians (including Richard Pipes), sociologists and journalists who will try to assess Solidarity as a great social movement. A debate is also planned to be attended by former opposition activists from East-central Europe, including Lech Walesa, Jan Czarnogursky, Myhailo Horyn and Petr Pospichal. The photo exhibition featuring 300 pictures will be on at the National Museum building in Warsaw starting Aug. 28. The coordinator of celebrations at the foreign ministry Ryszard Schnepf told PAP Tuesday that 25 official delegations from abroad confirmed their participation so far. Most of the delegations will be headed by presidents or prime ministers..

Erazm Ciolek awarded "Solidarity" medal

Warsaw, Aug. 9: Outstanding Polish photographer Erazm Ciolek was awarded the Solidarity 25th anniversary medal for his singular achievements in photographic documentation of the union's activities between 1980-89. The ceremony of decoration took place in Gdansk on Monday, the Solidarity press office informed PAP Tuesday. Boguslaw Nieznalski, another photographer connected with Solidarity was also decorated during the opening of the exhibition "Solidarity - The Power of Unity" at the Arthus Court in Gdansk. On display are photographs by the two awarded artists as well as Solidarity's documents, leaflets and posters published by the union, a duplicator it used, and other objects. The exhibition is part of the celebrations of the Solidarity Free Trade Union 25th jubilee.

Gdansk Shipyard Solidarity wants independence for its plant

Gdansk, Aug. 9: The Solidarity trade union in Stocznia Gdanska (Gdansk Shipyard) on Tuesday appealed to today's and future MPs for support for its plans to separate from Grupa Stocznia Gdynia (Gdynia Shipyard) and gain full independence. Solidarity activists also want Gdynia Shipyard to transfer the entire package of shares in Gdansk Shipyard to the newly created Gdansk Shipyard workers company. Deputy Economy and Labour Minister Malgorzata Ostrowska told PAP on Tuesday that he did know nothing about the Solidarity proposal. "We can talk about it if it's compatible with the binding law," she said. However, Gdynia Shipyard SA CEO Jerzy Lewandowski said the separation could be economically risky for both shipyards.

Provimi-Rolimpex fodder plant in Ukraine ready in 2006

Warsaw, Aug. 9: Fodder producer Provimi-Rolimpex will complete the construction of a fodder concentrate plant in Ukraine in the 1st half of 2006. Company CEO Witold Karwan told PAP that the Ukrainian fodder market bears a resemblance to the Polish fodder market from the 1990-ties. We count on it to repeat Polish experience from the '90-ties so we want to expand there, he explained. Last year Rolimpeks-Provimi consolidated revenues totalled 1.98 bn zlotys (603.6 mn USD). Net profit was at 20.2 mn PLN. Provimi-Rolimpex with its 24 fodder making plants has dominated 30 pct of the Polish fodder market.

Heavy chemistry sector attracts 18 investors

Warsaw, Aug. 9: Nafta Polska NP, Poland's heavy chemistry and fuel sectors privatisation agency received 18 offers for the purchase of heave chemistry plants. By August 25 the NP is to select those which will pass to next stage of privatisation of Sarzyna, Zachem, Tarnow and Kedzierzyn chemical firms, NP wrote in a statement issued on Tuesday. The shortlisted companies will conduct due diligence of the firms in September to submit final offers at the turn of September and October. The NP plans to sell 80 pct of shares in each company.

Czech sources on alleged corruption in Unipetrol deal

Prague, Warsaw, Aug.9: The agreement on the sale of Unipetrol contained no provisions that made the sale to PKN Orlen conditional on any separate contract with Agrofert, deputy head of the Czech privatisation agency said Tuesday.He was reacting to an article by Rzeczpospolita newspaper of Warsaw which alleged that in order to take over Unipetrol, PKN Orlen had been forced to sign a sale contract with Agrofert concerning five chemical companies owned by Unipetrol. Rzeczpospolita claimed further that the sale was dirt cheap. The chemical division of the Czech oil concern is very profitable. Agrofert is owned by Andrei Babis who is a close friend of politicians from the ruling Czech socialdemocratic party. PKN Orlen is renegotiating the preliminary sale contract with Agrofert on five Unipetrol subsidiaries, a high ranking official of PKN Orlen told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday. "We are in talks and that is all I can say at the moment," he was quoted as saying. The stock exchange was the only one to react to the accusations of giant corruption, Lidove Noviny wrote in a commentary Tuesday. The paper said that the allegations cast a shadow on both the Czech and Polish governments. "If the accusations are untrue, the Poles will have to recount (..) But since one cannot rule out the correctness of the report the respective Czech authorities should contact the Polish public prosecutor's office as soon as possible(..)."

Polish snails at French feast of snail in Burgundy

Paris, Aug. 9: The participants in the annual feast of snail which has wound up at Digoin near Dijon, Burgundy, swallowed eight thousand dozens, or nearly one hundred thousand escargots. Escargots offered at the feast in Burgundy came from Poland. Edible snails are since long rare in France. Hence most of the 30 thousand tonnes of snails come from abroad, the Balkans, the Czech Republic and Poland. The president of the feast committee admittedthat escargots of the Polish origin are the best.

Penderecki and Maksymiuk at Sinfonia Varsovia festival

Warsaw, Aug. 9: Outstanding Polish conductors, Krzysztof Penderecki and Jerzy Maksymiuk will be among artists to perform during the Fifth Festival "Sinfonia Varsovia for Its City" to be held from August 20 through September 4. The Warsaw orchestra and its guests will give concerts in several districts of the capital, Beata Klatka of the Sinfonia Varsovia Foundation told PAP Tuesday. Jan Krenz, Lukasz Borowicz and Germany's Volker Schmidt Gertenbach will be other conductors to lead Sinfonia Varsovia which will accompany violinist Jakub Haufa, Joanna Wos, soprano, and Marta Boberska, soprano.

Dorota Kedzierzawska's new film to be shown in Toronto, Pusan

Warsaw, Aug. 9: Dorota Kedzierzawska's film "Jestem" (I Am) has been selected for the international festivals in Toronto, Canada, and Pusan, Korea, the Polish distributor told PAP Tuesday. At the festival in Pusan, to start on October 6, Kedzierzawska's movie will compete for one of the main prizes, Bartek Belc of Kino Swiat said. In Toronto the festival does not envisage awards, but the very participation in the event is a great distinction," he added. The 10-day festival in Toronto starts September 8. "Jestem" is based on a true story of a young boy looking for a place for himself to live. Musical score was written by world-famous Michael Nyman ("The Piano"), cinematography is the work of Artur Reinhart ("Tristan & Isolde".) Dorota Kedzierzawska (48) is a graduate from the State Film School in Lodz. So far she has won the Special Prize of the Jury at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia 1994 for her "Wrony" (Crows) and the Krzysztof Kieslowski Prize at the Film Festival in Denver in

1999 for her movie "Nic" (Nothing").

Monument to Japanese victims of nuclear attack unveiled in Gdansk

Gdansk, Aug. 9: A monument to the victims of nuclear bomb attacks on Japan in 1945 was unveiled in the centre of the Polish coastal city of Gdansk on Tuesday. The monument in the form of a flower is the replica of a sculpture erected in Nagasaki's Peace Memorial Park in 1986. Both monuments have been designed by Professor Mariusz Kulpa of the Fine Arts' Academy in Gdansk. 19 years ago he won the contest for the monument - the gift of the Polish nation to Japan. The monument in Gdansk has two plaques one in Polish and one in Japanese.

Gazeta Wyborcza: Brussels to deal with LPR member's "gays list"

Warsaw, Aug. 9: Public Prosecutor's Office wants to accuse Wojciech Wierzejewski, an EP deputy and member of the League of Polish Families (LPR), of violating the law on the protection of personal data. The public prosecutor's office will table a motion to Brussels this month to lift Wierzejewski's immunity, Gazeta Wyborcza daily reported on Tuesday. The case started a year ago along with informing the Inspector General for the Protection of Personal Data that on the webpage of Wierzejewski, who was then the speaker of the Mazowiecki district, one could find a list of 24 names and e-mail addresses called "the list of gays and lesbians", Wyborcza recalled.

Roma people appeal for putting end to racism banditry

Bielsko-Biala, Aug. 9: The Association of Roma People in Poland reported Tuesday that a group of a score of bandits had attacked a Roma family in Cracow on August 7 and 8 and that the assault was racist in nature. Malopolska province police confirmed that the assault took place but are rather inclined to attribute it a criminal motives. So far it apprehended five people. The Roma people also complained for a delayed police action. They appealed to the state and local government authorities as well as to the justice minister to punish the perpetrators and take measures preventing the recurrence of this type of incidents in future.

Kurier Szczecinski: Making fun of Auschwitz

Warsaw, Aug. 9: A techno event in Holland is advertising itself on the Internet by means of photographs and allusions to the former Nazi death camp in Auschwitz, the Kurier Szczecinski daily wrote. The advertisement is to attract attention to the event called Housewitz. Potential participants are to be attracted by the "Tanzen macht frei" slogan integrated into the original photograph of the Auschwitz camp gate. There are photographs of gas chambers, haggard or murdered camp inmates accompanied by mocking notes. The presentation shocked the readers of Kurier Szczecinski who notified the daily's editorial section. Journalists called the National Remembrance Institute and the Struggle and Martyrdom Remembrance Council. The daily also notified the Dutch embassy."This is simply despicable. We are ashamed," secretary of the Dutch embassy Jeroen Boender said.

Prime Minister calls for discussion on relations with Belarus, Russia

Warsaw, Aug. 10: PM Marek Belka has invited representatives of all parliamentary caucuses, ministries and state institutions dealing with international affairs to a discussion on main issues pertaining to Poland's relations with Belarus and Russia. The meeting is scheduled for the beginning of next week, the government information centre CIR told PAP on Wednesday. On Tuesday head of the Citizens' Platform Donald Tusk proposed that leaders of major parties should meet in August to discuss priorities of Poland's eastern policy. On Wednesday his initiative was supported by Mariusz Kaminski of the Law and Justice PiS. He said the meeting was necessary in view of "increasingly alarming and irritating silence" maintained by

the President Aleksander Kwasniewski as regards Belarus. "Opposition parties have to assume the role that should be played by the president," Kaminski said.

Foreign Ministry summons Russian charge d`affaires

Warsaw, Aug. 10: The Polish foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Russian embassy charge d`affaires Vladimir Syedikh to hand him a protest note concerning the beating of the 2nd secretary of the Polish embassy in Moscow, Tomasz Szeratics of the ministry's information system department told journalists on Wednesday. "We demand that the Russian authorities quickly explained the situation, catch the perpetrators, bring them before court and

punish them. The foreign ministry expects that steps ensuring safety for the Polish mission staff be taken and similar incidents prevented in future," Szeratics said. "Today's incident arouses our special concern due to the the fact that this is the 2nd assault on a Polish citizen protected by the diplomatic immunity in recent days," he stressed. Szeratics added that in connection with the incident Poland's ambassador to Moscow Stefan Meller issued a special ordinance for his staff forbidding its members to leave the embassy building on their own and ordered to reduce to the minimum all business outings. Marek Reszuta, 35, the 2nd secretary of the economic and trade department of the embassy was assaulted and beaten by a man who "was following him for a few hours" near the bustling trade centre approximately 10 minutes from the embassy building around 1300 hrs local time. The victim asked policemen for help and they called the ambulance. Reszuta has been hospitalised with suspicion of concussion. Szeratics said that he also suffered chest injuries, was beaten in the face with his ear being almost ripped off. Szeratics said the ministry refrained from commenting whether it perceived the assault as an act of hooliganism or a politically-motivated deed. He explained that the Polish diplomat had no occasion to inform anybody about having been followed while making errands because he was attacked before he came back to the embassy. Szeratics added that the Polish embassy was in touch with the Russian militia and law enforcement units. "We believe that we will soon learn about the results of the investigation," he said. He also stressed that Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld, now on vacations, was being updated all the time. Szeratics also explained that safety of diplomatic missions belongs to the responsibilities of the recipient country and that was why Poland cannot protect its diplomats with its own forces. "We expect the Russian side to ensure safety," he added. He said the ministry had not taken steps aimed at withdrawing the Polish ambassador from Moscow.

Russian ministry deplores mugging of Polish diplomat

Moscow, Aug. 10: The Russian foreign ministry "expressed deep regret over today's mugging of the 2nd secretary of the Polish embassy to Moscow," ITAR-TASS agency reported Wednesday quoting the Russian foreign ministry press services. The press services reported that "Russian law enforcement bodies are investigating the incident and will take every measure possible to catch the perpetrators." It was also written that additional steps have been taken to ensure security of the Polish diplomatic mission to Moscow. RIA-Novosti agency reported that Russian prosecutor's office launched investigation into the assault on the Polish diplomat.

Sejm Speaker: Moscow should explain assault for its own sake

Warsaw, Aug. 10: According to Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz Russia's failure to explain circumstances of a beating of the successive Polish diplomat in Moscow would tarnish its reputation in the eyes of Poles and Poland as well as the international community. "It should not happen(...), such incidents are inadmissible because of their impact on relations between our countries," reads a Cimoszewicz statement conveyed to PAP on Wednesday. According to Cimoszewicz "everything indicates" that the beating of the Polish diplomat was not accidental. He believes that the successive incident may mean that the previous two were warnings. However, he added, if it is an act of hooliganism it should bring about tighter measures protecting our diplomats. The urgent need for strengthening security measures for Poland's diplomats was also voiced by deputy head of the Sejm foreign affairs committee Tadeusz Iwinski. The same opinion was shared by leader of the League of the Polish Families LPR Roman Giertych. Giertych also said the incidents were related to the anti-Polish campaign in recent days. Leader of the Social Democracy of Poland SdPl Marek Borowski saw a need for a clear statement by the Polish government, the Polish president and the European Union. He said it was not an accidental beating but a planned action of people who want to ruin Polish-Russian relations. The same opinion was voiced by Bronislaw Komorowski of the Citizens' Platform PO. According to the Law and Justice PiS the incident was the Russian provocation.

Poland should put conditions in talks with Minsk - Cimoszewicz

Bialystok, Aug.10: Polish conditions of solving the present conflict should be clearly stated in talks with Minsk, according to Sejm speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz. He told newsmen here Wednesday that Poland should respond positively to the Belarussian proposal of talks made last Friday. However, the proposal could "mean many things," he noted, and therefore he would favour an unofficial, low-level meeting of diplomats as the first step. Its aim would be to "clarify the intentions of the Belarussian foreign ministry." "The Polish side should formulate clear-cut conditions for reaching an agreement: cessation of all unfriendly actions towards Polish diplomats, cessation of illegal interference in the internal affairs of the Union of Poles in Belarus, a nongovernmental organisation, and thus observance of international commitments of Belarus," Cimoszewicz explained. He stressed that Poland should maintain relations with Belarus because the countries are neighbours and because hundreds of thousand Poles live in Belarus. But these relations should not include political contacts at high levels to prevent claims by Belarus that its present authorities are not internationally isolated. Relations at lower levels and outside the political sphere should be maintained, Cimoszewicz believes. Cooperation in economy, social sphere, culture and between border areas should be developed.

Idea of Polish-based radio for Belarus criticised

Minsk, Aug. 10: Belarussian information minister thinks that the idea to install in Poland a radio station broadcasting for Belarus is an idea of Polish trouble stirring politicians. Minister Uladzimir Rusakevich told the Bearussian press agency BELTA that the creation of such radio means a "direct meddling into internal affairs" (of Belarus) and an "infringement of international legal standards." The minister also expressed the hope that the Belarussian people will not let themselves be influenced by such radio. At the same time he stressed that "no radio can influence friendly attitude of Belarussians towards the Polish people."

Poland repays part of foreign debt

Warsaw, Aug. 10: The finance ministry paid 85.4 mn USD and 8.6 mn euro in interest payments as well as 286.9 mn USD and 14.8 mn euro in payments on principle in July, the ministry reported in a statement. Interest payments covered credits granted by the Paris Club, international financial institutions as well as treasury bonds issued abroad. The ministry announced that it made an early repayment of the debt towards two Paris Club countries (Spain and Switzerland) which amounted to 281.6 mn USD and 11.5 mn euro. The remaining payment on principle stemmed from the time-table and covered instalments due to Japan and international financial institutions.

Bochniarz elected UNICE vicepresident

Warsaw, Aug. 10: Henryka Bochniarz was elected a vicepresident of UNICE, the European Union of Confederations of Industry and Employers. This is the largest European federation representing employers in relations with European institutions.There are four other UNICE vicepresidents.

3rd Defence Corps to prepare Poland for arrival of F-16 fighters

Warsaw, Aug. 10: The Wroclaw-based 3rd Air Defence Corps will cease to exist in 2007 after 50 years of operation. The process of transferring airports and military bases to the Tactical Aviation Brigade in Poznan has begun, the Slowo Polskie Gazeta Wroclawska daily said.But before the corps is liquidated, its soliders will be assigned the task to prepare Poland for the arrival of F-16 fighers in the autumn of 2006. "By that time we have to train pilots, technical personnel and prepare bases in which the fighters will be stationing," commander of the 3rd Air Defence Corps Brigadier-General Zbigniew Janos said.Three new military airports will be built. The first eight F-16 planes will come to Krzesiny near Poznan in autumn next year, the

general said."These are completely new machines, now on the Lockheed-Martin production lines. By the end of 2008 we will have three full flights, or 48 aircraft," the general said.

Three bidders for ZAT nitrogen works

Tarnow, Aug. 10: Three firms are interested in buying a controlling stake in ZAT Nitrogen Works in Tarnow Moscice, its CEO Ryszard Scigala said Wednesday. The three, which submitted investment plans for ZAT to Nafta Polska, the government agency which is the formal seller, are "serious industry investors, well known in world markets and leaders in the EU market," Scigala said. According to unofficial reports two foreign firms and one Polish one submitted plans. They will now be evaluated by Nafta Polska by Aug.25 and the potential buyers will then be admitted to the due diligence and place formal offers.Nafta Polska wants to sell 80 pc of the shares in ZAT and keep 5 pc, while the remaining 15 pc will be given to employees. ZAT makes chiefly caprolactam and construction plastics as well as fertilizers. The company employs 2,500 people and 2,000 more work in its daughter firms. Last year ZAT posted a net profit of 52 m PLN (ca. 17 m USD) on sales of 1.1 bn PLN.

Archbishop Dziwisz papal envoy to Solidarity anniversary ceremonies

Vatican City, Aug. 10: Pope Benedict XVI named Cracow metropolitan archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz his official envoy to the ceremonies of the 25th anniversary of Solidarity, the Vatican City press services reported on Wednesday. The celebrations, scheduled to take place in Gdansk on August 31 will be attended by the presidents of Germany, Ukraine, Hungary and Georgia as well as representatives of the episcopates of central and eastern Europe countries, the Austrian APA agency wrote. According to APA unofficial information the archbishop will read out the papal message. Archbishop Dziwisz, former secretary of Pope John Paul II, was appointed Cracow metropolitan on June 3, 2005.

Poles trust brands, poll shows

Warsaw, Aug. 10: 78 pc of the Poles trust branded products, TNS OBOP poll shows. 51 pc of the polled said they were ready to pay more for such goods. 73 pc of Polish consumers associate trademark goods with high quality and 35 pc said such goods were those known for many years and with tradition. 36 pc of the polled said they would rather not buy anything than buy a no logo product. Polish consumers are loyal to their chosen brands. 79 pc said in the poll they had their favourite brands and bought them regularly. The poll was taken at the turn of June.

Jewish union protests over Dutch Auschwitz ad

Warsaw, Aug. 10: The Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland protested over the advert of a techno party using pictures from the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp and available on a Dutch internet site. The head of the Union Piotr Kadlcik asked the Dutch ambassador here to take measures to remove the advert. "(..) this is a great insult to the memory of all victims of Nazi persecution during world war 2," Kadlcik wrote in part.

Conference: Poles more open to immigrants

Warsaw, Aug. 10: Poles are becoming ever more open to immigrants thanks to contacts with foreigners, travels and work abroad. They have also ceased to perceive immigrants as "aliens" and started treating them as partners, said participants in a Warsaw conference on migration processes and prospects for multicultural Poland. Studies show that Poles are increasingly fond of foreigners following a certain remodelling of stereotypes. Contacts and personal experience are responsible for the fact that a foreigner is no more perceived as an enemy but ever more often as a partner", said Tomasz Homa, a Jesuit attending the conference. He added however that some stereotypes such as those that Roma people or people coming from the east were seen as a threat or helped generating crime were lingering on. According to Monika Kozien of Proxenia Association Poland has no multicultural problem at present as national or ethnic minorities constitute a bare four percent of the population. Kozien warned however that with the number of immigrants on the rise Poland faces a need for working out a position on the system of migrants' integration and clear cut rules for those seeking residence here. According to Maciej Wieczorkowski from the Social Policy Ministry, globalisation demands the building of multicultural society. He saw a need for the state and cultural institutions to play an educational role to this end.The conference was organised by the Ministry of Social Policy and the Proxenia Association.

Prosecutor motions for arresting five in case of attack on Roma family

Cracow, Aug. 10: The Cracow prosecutor's office has motioned court for arresting five people apprehended in connection with two assaults on a Roma family in Cracow last Sunday and Monday, Prosecutor Maria Hajto-Gwozdz said Wednesday. She added the five pleaded not guilty. On Tuesday the Association of Roma People in Poland reported that a group of a score of bandits attacked a Roma family in Cracow on August 7 and 8 and that the assault was racist in nature. Malopolska province police confirmed that the assault took place but are rather inclined to attribute it to criminal motives. The Roma people also complained for a delayed police action. They appealed to the state and local government authorities as well as

to the justice minister to punish the perpetrators and take measures preventing the recurrence of this type of incidents in future.

21 films in competition at Polish Film Festival Gdynia 2005

Warsaw, Aug. 10: As many as 21 films will compete for Golden Lions, the main prize of the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdynia this year. Several new Polish productions will be shown outside the competition. This year's 20th festival will run for a week starting from September 12. The programme also envisages an independent cinema competition and, on the 25th Solidarity anniversary, a review of films inspired by the rise of the first free trade union in Poland. Also the picture "Solidarity, Solidarity" made by 13 Polish directors this year will have a preview. A documentary on the previous festivals will be prepared for the jubilee edition of the festival and a special album will be compiled by the Association of Polish Filmmakers (SFP). "Lovers of the Year of Tiger" (Kochankowie Roku Tygrys) made by Jacek Bromski partly in China and in cooperationn with a Chinese crew, will be among the films fighting for the top prize along with "Doomed to Blues" (Skazany na bluesa) by Jana Kidawa-Blodski, and a feature by debuting Anna Jadowska whose short film "Corridor" was invited to the Cannes festival earlier this year.

Professor Wieslaw Kotanski dies at 90

Warsaw, Aug. 10: Wieslaw Kotanski, outstanding Polish expert in Japanese studies, long-time professor of Warsaw University died in Warsaw on Monday at the age of 90, the university informed PAP Wednesday. Professor Kotanski, the founder of the Japanese studies in Poland

enjoyed reputation of one of the world's most outstanding experts in Japanese culture and language which he studied for nearly 70 years. He devoted nearly 50 years to studies on "Kojiki", the oldest preserved Japanese chronicle and received a prize for its translation from Emperor Akihito personally. Kotanski was the author of nearly 200 scientific works on Japan and translator of many important Japanese books. He compiled a monumental "Antology of Japanese Literature." The Japanese government awarded many major Japanese orders to Professor Kotanski.

Polar researcher dies in Spitsbergen

Oslo, Aug. 10: Polish polar researcher Jacek Karas, 33, died in the course of a solo voyage by boat in western Spitsbergen, Norwegian authorities of the island said Wednesday. Karas fell out from the boat for unknown reasons and died of hibernation. His body was found near Longyearbyen where Karas lived with his Polish wife. Norwegian police are examining whether the accident was caused by a breakdown of the boat or high waves. Karas has lived and worked in Spitsbergen for two years. He and his wife arranged dog drawn tours for tourists.

Polish yacht sinks near Kaliningrad: nine saved, one dead

Kaliningrad, Gdansk, Aug. 10: Nine crew members of the Polish yacht Rzeszowiak, which started to sink Tuesday night on the Baltic Sea 25 sea miles from the shore of Kaliningrad, have been saved and one died. Jaroslaw Czubinski, the consul-general of the Republic of Poland in Kaliningrad, told PAP Wednesday that the accident happened on the extra-territorial waters at the height of Vistula estuary. The yacht was the property of the Yacht Association in Rzeszow.The rescue action, which already has come to and end, was taken by

the Sea Rescue Centre in Gdynia. The consul underlined that the Russian side took an active part in it. It was the rescue coordination centre in Kaliningrad which made a key decision of

turning back the Norwegian ferry Finlandia to the scene of the accident. The ferry then took on board nine crew members of the Polish yacht, saved by the Swedish helicopter. They were taken to Gdansk hospitals.

Polish ambassador conveys protest note to Russian ministry

Mosow, Aug. 11: The Polish ambassador to Russia on Thursday conveyed to the Russian foreign ministry a note protesting an assault on a Polish diplomat in Moscow on Wednesday, Witold Jurasz, the embassy 2nd secretary told PAP over the phone. On Wednesday the same type of note was conveyed to by the Polish foreign ministry to a representative of the Russian embassy. Another 2nd secretary of the Polish embassy in Moscow was assaulted on Wednesday and later taken to a local hospital. Last Sunday a Polish technician of the embassy was beaten up and had to be hospitalised. A day earlier beaten was the embassy driver, a Russian citizen. Both assaulted Poles are still in hospital in Moscow, which was also confirmed by Witold Jurasz.

Polish government should seek explanations from Russia - Rosati

Warsaw, Aug.11: The Polish government should demand explanations from the Russians on the circumstances of recent muggings of Polish diplomats in Moscow and press for punishment for the perpetrators, says EuroMP Dariusz Rosati (SdPl), a former foreign minister. He also told a news conference here Thursday that he would like to hear the voice of president Kwasniewski reacting to the events in Moscow. But he added: "on the other hand we should not exaggerate: incidents which seem to be hooliganism must not be commented from the highest places." Rosati said there was a crisis in Polish-Russian relations. "The incidents, whether they were hooliganism or deliberate actions, could only take place in a permissive atmosphere. Such an atmosphere developed as a result of unfriendly statements on Poland and suggestions that Poland was Russia's enemy," Rosati said. Poland should cooperate with Brussels as far as its relations with Russia were concerned, he added. Rosati will represent SdPl at the planned meeting on relations with Belarus and Russia between PM Marek Belka and parliamentary floor groups leaders.

Moscow police strengthens forces protecting Polish embassy

Moscow, Aug. 11: The number of policemen guarding the Polish embassy in Moscow will grow from 2 to 5 and in the night the mission will be protected by 4 policemen, Yevgeny Gyldiev from the Moscow Internal Affairs Bureau said Thursday. He explained that the decision on increasing the number of policemen protecting the Polish embassy was made on August 3 after the assault on Russian diplomats' children in Warsaw on July 31. Gyldiev added that after the successive assault on a Polish embassy employee more policemen were deployed ion Tishinsky Square adjoining to the premises of the embassy.

Rzeczpospolita journalist beaten in Moscow

Warsaw, Aug. 11: Rzeczpospolita journalist Pawel Reszka was beaten up in Moscow on Thursday, the paper's editor in chief Grzegorz Gauden told PAP. Reszka was mugged near his home by four men. "I do not know about his condition. All I know is that he managed to return home on his own," Gauden added. The editors office has already notified the Polish Embassy in Moscow and the Polish Foreign Ministry about the incident, he added.

Newspaper: police detain two more suspects in Russian children robbery case

Warsaw, Aug. 11: Warsaw's police detained two people indirectly involved in the attack on Russian diplomats' children, Gazeta Wyborcza daily reports. "The most important suspects are still at large, but I think it is just a matter of time", announced a high-rank officer of Warsaw's police. The detained assailants had the robbed objects on them. The daily however does not know whether it were cell phones of ID cards. Three 15-17 years old Russians and one Kazakh were assailed Sunday night in the Sadyba square by a group of a dozen or so bandits. They were beaten up and robbed of their cell phones and money. Few hours after the robbery police detained nine suspects which were later released as the attacked youngsters failed to recognise them

Zych and Belarussian ambassador discuss bilateral relations

Warsaw, Aug. 11: Polish-Belarussian relations and economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries were discussed by Sejm deputy Speaker J"zef Zych with the Ambassador of Belarus to Poland, Pavel Latushka on Thursday, the Sejm Chancellery Information Office reported to PAP. Zych asked the Belarussian ambassador for full information concerning the Belarusian authorities' attitude to the Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB) and the legal basis on which the UPB authorities are questioned. The Sejm deputy speaker also appealed to stop intensifying tensions connected with that issue. Zych sported the initiative of the Belarussian parliamentarians to hold a meeting of Polish and Belarussian parliametarians soon to discuss bilateral relations. In his opinion Polish-Belarussian relations should be the subject of a meeting of Sejm and Senate presidia with the leadership of Belarussian parliament.

Belarus: no round table on Poles in Belarus

Minsk, Aug. 11: The "round-table" on the situation of the Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB), scheduled for Thursday was cancelled. The BELTA news agency had earlier reported about the planned meeting quoting the state committee for national minorities. However, deputy head of the committee Uladzimir Lamyeka maintains that his office did not come out with such initiative, but he believes it is necessary and should be proposed by the Polish minority. Instead, some representatives of the Polish minorities in Grodno not associated with the UPB authorities and its leader Angelika Borys not recognised by the Belarussian authorities, adopted an appeal to the Polish authorities on Wednesday. The message was addressed to Poland's president, the Sejm and the government. According to PAP's unofficial sources, the authors of the appeal say that a propaganda campaign was launched recently in the diplomatic circles in Poland and the West in connection with the alleged violation of democracy and the rights of man in Belarus. The signatories of the appeal claim such campaign is an open attempt to stir nationality conflicts in Belarus. Meanwhile, Andrzej Pisalnik, the editor in chief of the Polish weekly in Belarus and UPB activist representing the not recognised UPB authorities was released from a 10-day detention and immediately vowed to continue the struggle for the Union.

Relief action for Poles in Belarus

Warsaw, Aug. 11: Warsaw intends to send foodstuffs, toiletries, clothes and school aids for Polish families living in Belaras. These and other necessities will be collected starting Friday and will be send to Belarus in two weeks, Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska acting on behalf of the Warsaw Mayor informed journalists on Thursday. Marek Bucko, former deputy ambassador to Belarus recognised by the Belarussian authorities as persona non grata and expelled, said that such action is all the more important that it signals sympathy from Poles in the old country. The action "Varsovians At One With Grodno" will be first addressed to repressed Polish families in the Grodno region, but the organisers want the relief to reach other regions of Belarus as well. Bucko stressed that Poland should also help Belarussian opposition in sign of solidarity. Situation of the Polish minority in Belarus, very difficult since a long time, aggravated due to repressive policy of the Belarussian authorities and President Aleksandr Lukashenka's actions against Poles intensified conflicts.

Poland expects Dutch techno party advertisement removed and author punished

Warsaw, Aug. 11: The Foreign Ministry feels offended by a techno party advertisement placed on a Dutch web page containing photographs form the Auschwitz -Birkenau Death Camp. The Foreign Ministry expects the Dutch authorities to remove the advertisement and punish its author, Tomasz Szeratics of the Ministry told PAP Thursday. Szeratics underlined that the ministry took due steps two weeks ago informing the Polish Embassy in the Hague about the situation. The Embassy in turn informed the Dutch Foreign Ministry, the Netherland's Oswiecim Committee, Anna Frank Foundation and the Centre for Information and Documentation on Israel about the ad. "We expect a decisive reaction on the part of institutions which have the ability to take effective actions, that is the Dutch authorities", he said. The expected reaction of the Dutch side as he explained PAP should consist in removing the advertisement, finding the author and punishing him. "There is no doubt that in Holland - and so in Poland - such publication is tantamount to breaking the law". For the time being there was no answer from the organisations informed but according to the ministry the Dutch side has undertaken certain steps as the case is handled by the Dutch Justice Ministry and the prosecutor's office. Despite the Polish side's protest the advertisement is still available on the Dutch web page. The IPN Institute for National Remembrance asked the public prosecutor's office Thursday to examine whether the advert using Auschwitz photo is a crime.

Revenue from PIT higher by 5 bn PLN

Warsaw, Aug. 11: The 2004 budget revenue from the personal income tax was 5 bn PLN (ca. 16 bn USD) higher than in 2003, according to deputy finance minister Stanislaw Stec. For the first time some 200,000 business owners chose to pay a flat rate 19 pc income tax on their economic activity income contributing 5.7 bn PLN in tax revenue. Also for the first time some 260,000 taxpayers had to pay 19 pc tax on their capital gains from stock market operations, contributing 536 m PLN. 23.8 m people paid PIT on their income according to a three-tier progressive scale. 95 pc of them paid 19 pc tax, 4.4 pc paid 30 pc tax, and only 0.85 pc paid tax at the highest, 40 pc rate. However, the two latter groups contributed 20 pc of all PIT revenue (the figure was 30 pc in 2003). Stec also said that the 2004 budget revenue from the corporate income tax CIT was 200 m PLN higher than in 2003.

Foreign investors more active on WSE in 2005

Warsaw, Aug. 11: In the 1st half of 2005 the Warsaw Stock Exchange WSE saw an increased activity of foreign investors whose share in stock trading accounted for 43 percent, Tomasz Wisniewski of the WSE quotation and market development division told a news conference in Warsaw on Thursday. The WSE presented results of a survey on the share of separate groups of investors in the WSE the 1st half of 2005. The share of foreign investors in stock trading was the highest since 1998 when it accounted for 39 percent. The share of private investors fell to 24 pct from 33 pct in the 2nd half of 2004. According to Wisniewski, this may result from the fact that part of investors had transferred rights to manage their assets to financial institutions including investments funds.

June current account surplus at 222 m euros

Warsaw, Aug.11: Poland had a current account surplus of 222 m euros in June after having posted a deficit of 690 m in May and compared with 312 m deficit expected by analysts, according to data published by the National Bank of Poland on Thursday. Exports grew by 13.4 pc year on year, while imports grew 9.3 pc in June. Commodity trade surplus reached 29 m euros, vs. 362 m deficit in May. The balance of foreign investments in June reached 198 m euros.

Last foreign bond issue in September

Warsaw, Aug. 11: The dollar-denominated bond issue worth 1-1.5 bn USD and planned for September will be probably the last foreign bond issue this year, according to finance ministry official Pawel Kowalewski. The ministry will publish the names of two banks to organize the

September issue by the end of this week. The previous dollar-denominated bond issue took place in October, 2003, when the ministry raised almost 1 bn USD from the sale of 10 year bonds in the U.S. market.

SkyEurope may float shares in Warsaw

Cracow, Aug. 11: SkyEurope low-fare air carrier ponders floating its shares at the Warsaw Stock Exchange, according to its co-founder Christian Mandl. "It is just an option, it is hard to say now what the strategic decisions will be, but assuming that we would decide on a share issue the Warsaw market is attractive for us," he said Thursday. The company plans to raise capital to buy more planes. It can choose between attracting new financial investors and floating shares.

Zienkowski: Economy dynamics to improve in second half

Warsaw, Aug. 11: The second quarter of 2005 failed to bring considerable changes in the dynamics of the Polish economy as GDP growth was probably around 2.8 percent. However the second half of this year will see a decisive improvement as GDP growth will be at some 4 pct, believes Professor Leszek Zienkowski, the adviser to the central bank governor. Zienkowski believes that economic growth in the entire year will be at some 3.5 pct and in 2006 it will be around 4.5 pct. Zienkowski predicts that individual consumption will grow by more than 3 pct in 2005 and home demand by some 3.5 pct. In his opinion investments in the 2nd quarter grew by some 5 pct against 1 pct growth in the 1st quarter. Investment dynamics in the entire year will be at some 7-8 pct. According to Zienkowski the coming 2-3 years will see investment growth by some 10 pct and consumption growth will be at some 4 pct.

Russia will buy what Poland will sell, paper says

Warsaw, Aug. 11: Those who stake their future on Russia are bound to discover the proverbial gold mine in 2020, writes "Puls Biznesu" quoting the predictions of the British IGD Services according to which in 15 years Russia will be the biggest consumer market in Europe. The British report also predicts that Poland's trade sector will consolidate soon and the value of the market of commodities will soar to 71 bn euro.

Exhibition in Gdynia marks 25th anniversary of August '80

Gdansk, Aug. 11: Photographs, bulletins and leaflets from the Gdynia works which had staged strikes in August 1980, are on show at the exhibition opened in the Gdynia Municipal Office on Thursday to mark the 25th anniversary of the historic August '80 agreements signed following workers protests. The opening ceremony was attended by Solidarity leader Janusz Sniadek. "As a resident of Gdynia I get sentimental about strikes in this town," the Union leader told PAP. Exhibits on display come from three major Gdynia production plants striking in August '80: the Komuna Paryska Shipyard, the "Nauta" Repair Shipyard and the Dalmor fishing and fish processing plant. On display are also Western press cuttings from 1980, sent to Gdynia from sister towns: Seattle (USA), Plymouth (Great Britain), Kiel (Germany) and Kristiansand (Norway.)

Thousand artists to perform at Jan Kiepura Festival in Krynica

Warsaw, Aug. 11: About a thousand artists will perform during the Jan Kiepura opera festival starting in Krynica, Malopolskie province. During two weeks of the festival guests to this mountain spa in southern Poland will have the opportunity to see 24 spectacles and concerts. The organisers expect this year's festival to attract some 60 thousand spectators from all over Poland, as well as guests from other parts of Europe, America and Australia. The festival programme offers major opera productions like Verdi's "Nabucco," operetta shows and musicals, including Orphee in Hell by Offenbach and "Fiddler on the Roof" and a review of films from the '30s starring Jan Kiepura. The inaugural concert featuring Verdi's "Requiem" will be dedicated to the late Pope John Paul II.Artists of the Bolshoi Theatre from Moscow and the Ukrainian bass, Viktor Dudar, are also to perform. Great Polish opera tenor of world-wide fame Jan Kiepura (1892-1966) loved Krynica. He built an attractive hotel at the local hilltop and used to come there often with his equally famous wife, Hungarian-born singer Martha Eggert.

95 pc of Poles are declared Catholics - poll

Warsaw, Aug. 11: 95 pc of Poles say they are Catholics, 2 pc - Christians, 2 pc - atheists, and the remaining 1 pc are declared Orthodox Christians, protestants, Muslims and members of other religions, according to the most recent poll carried out by CBOS. 96 pc of the polled said they were believers (including 13 pc who said they were deeply religious), and just 4 pc said they were nonbelievers (including 1 pc who said this emphatically). 60 pc of Poles attend masses or other religious meetings at least once a week (including 9 pc who do it more frequently), 17 pc do it once or twice a month, and 16 pc do it several times a year. Only 7 pc of respondents admitted they did not attend such ceremonies at all. 94 pc of the polled said they tried to observe the ten commandments in their lives (including 42 pc who said they categorically followed the rules). Only 3 pc said the ten commandments did not apply to everyday life. Also 3 pc said they could not define the importance of the rules for everyday life.

Kwasniewski, Yushchenko, Adamkus and Saakashvili will meet in Crimea

Warsaw, Aug.17: President Aleksander Kwasniewski will go on a two-day working visit to the Crimea on Thursday, where he will meet Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko and presidents of Lithaunia and Georgia, Valdas Adamkus and Micheil Saakashvili. The presidents will take part in observances of the 80th anniversary of the international children's resort Artek. According to a staffer of the presidential chancellery Janusz Sznajder, the presidents will hold bilateral and mutlilateral talks. They will most likely focus on the topical regional issues, multilateral cooperation of the four states and bilateral relations between them. One topic can be a further evolution of the situation in Ukraine and the question of its European aspirations, Sznajder told PAP. The presidents can also discuss the situation in Belarus, he added. He did not rule out that Polish-Russian relations would also be reviewed.

President signs law on miners' pensions

Warsaw, Aug. 17: President Aleksander Kwasniewski on Wednesday signed an amendment to the law on old-age and disability pensions from the Social Insurance Fund (FUS), the presidential chancellery reported. The law prolongs miners right to early retirement irrespective of age but after 25-year-long work underground. "Signing the law Mr. President recognised miners as the social group practicing particularly hazardous profession. Their work is determined by the forces of nature and made in conditions that cannot be compared with others," reads the statement. Since the very beginning the law aroused heated controversy. The government was against it and warned against billions of zlotys worth consequences to the state budget. PM Marek Belka had appealed to the president to veto the amendment as had representatives of employers and experts working on the pension reform. However, the amendment was promoted by trade unions. The head of the presidential chancellery Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz told a press conference here Wednesday that the president sees the need for passing the so-called bridge pensions law and has appointed a team to work on the draft, headed by his chief economic adviser Witold Orlowski. The team will base its work on the draft now languishing in the Trilateral Commission, she added. The president will motion for the passing of the draft by the newly elected parliament and it will be the first legislative initiative by the president after the elections, Szymanek-Deresz announced.

Balcerowicz: Law on miners' pensions may hamper economic growth

Warsaw, Aug. 17: The amendment to the law on miners' pensions is a successive burden for the budget which may hamper economic growth, believes central bank governor Leszek Balcerowicz. "For me as a citizen the fact that the amendment to the law was signed in such circumstances, in the heat of the election campaign is very painful," Balcerowicz told a news conference in the Press Centre of the Polish Press Agency PAP on Wednesday. According to the bank governor, this is a serious issue which should be dealt with in a cautious way as it influences prospects for economic growth. As he said Poland has enough burdens in the form of labour costs which are nothing else but taxes and huge unemployment rate. According to recent calculations of the social policy ministry the cost of the law implementation will total 93 bn PLN (28.4 bn USD) over the next 15 years.

Foreign Minister pays visit to Ukraine on August 19

Warsaw, Aug. 17: Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld will pay a visit to Ukraine on August 19 at the invitation of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.The Polish minister will attend a ceremony of building-in a commemorative plaque to Uniate Church brothers Andrzej and Klemens Szeptycki who saved Jewish, Polish and Ukrainian children during WW2, the foreign ministry wrote in a statement issued Wednesday. The ceremony will be held in the Uniate locality near Lvov. Present will be also Polish Consult General in Lvov Wieslaw Osuchowski. The ceremony is part of the reconciliation process sealed with a letter on reconciliation of Ukraine's Greek Catholic bishops and their Poland's Roman Catholic counterparts drafted on the occasion of the signing of the act of mutual forgiveness on June 19, 2005. The Polish foreign minister will also lay flowers at the Young Eaglets Polish cemetery in Lvov, will meet Governor of Lvov district Petro Olijniki and representatives of Polish organisations in Lvov.

Polish air force achieved NATO standards

Minsk Mazowiecki, Aug. 17: Prime Minister Marek Belka believes that Poland's participation in air space patrols over the Baltic states attests to the fact that the Polish air force achieved NATO standards. On Wednesday the PM visited the 1st Squadron of Tactical Air Force which will take part in NATO's Air Policing missions over the Baltic sea states. Poland will take over the task from Spain and will perform the mission until the end of March next year. Four MIG-29 planes and a 60-strong crew will be deployed in Lithuania.

Debate on relations with Russia and Belarus

Warsaw, Aug. 17: A meeting between Prime Minister Marek Belka and representatives of parliamentary floor groups, ministries and state agencies involved in international relations was held here on Wednesday. The debate focused on main issues concerning Poland's relations with Russia and Belarus. Those attending include foreign minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld, head of the Intelligence Agency Andrzej Ananicz, Bronislaw Geremek, PSL leader Waldemar Pawlak, chief of the Democratic Party Wladyslaw Frasyniuk, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (PO), Dariusz Rosati (SdPl), Ludwik Dorn (PiS). The prime minister issued an invitation for the meeting last week, after the third Pole was assaulted in Moscow.

American-Polish talks on terrorism and international cooperation

Warsaw, Aug.17: Defence minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski met with the visiting delegation of the US Senate armed forces committee under the leadership of senator Saxby Chambliss on Wednesday. The talks focused on the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan where international support was needed for the normalisation process, the sides agreed. Also covered was international terrorism. The sides agreed that work on a global antiterrorist convention should be continued in the UN. The US visitors said they saw and appreciated the great advances in the transformation of the Polish armed forces in the past two years. They assured they would make every effort to secure further financial assistance for Poland's military sector.

Poland and Armenia exchange experience in transformation of armed forces

Warsaw, Aug. 17: Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzidski on Wednesday met with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, First Deputy Minister of Defence, General Mikhail Harutyunyan, the Defence Ministry here reported. The sides discussed questions connected with Polish experience in the transformation of the armed forces and their integration with the Euro-Atlantic structures. Members of the Armenian delegation, on a three-day visit to Poland, expressed interest in the opportunity of schooling Armenian officers on Poland. The meeting also assessed the current situation in the Caucasus region.

Farmland goes up in price

Warsaw, Aug.17: Farmland is growing up in price continuously in Poland. The average price per one hectare sold by the state Agency for Farming Properties (ANR) was 5.2 thousand PLN in the 2nd quarter of this year, compared with only 4.5 thousand PLN a year earlier, according to ANR chief Stanislaw Kowalczyk. Price growth accelerated particularly in the past year. The agency sold 1 hectare for 1.5 thousand PLN on the average in 1995 and for 4.68 thousand in 2004. Prices differ significantly depending on the region. The highest prices are in Malopolskie (10,000 PLN), the lowest in Podkarpackie (3,800 PLN). ANR is the largest seller of farmland in Poland, but there is also private trade among farmers and prices in this trade tend to be higher. The agency owned 433,000 hectares of agricultural land at the end of July, including 350,000 hectares of arable land. In addition, the agency leased 2.3 million hectares. In 2004 the agency sold 104,000 hhectares under 15.5 thousand contracts. The average contract covered 7.2 hectares of land. Foreigners bought only 105 hecatres of farmland from ANR last year.

PGNiG will hold public share offering in September

Warsaw, Aug.17: The general meeting of shareholders in PGNiG oil and gas concern agreed to hold a public offering of 900 million shares in September. The shares will have their debut on Sept. 23, adviser to the state treasury minister told PAP Wednesday. "The state treasury minister approved the September date for PGNiG public offering," the adviser told PAP. PGNiG hopes to raise at least 1.5 bn PLN (ca. 460 m USD) for investments from the flotation. The state treasury will not sell its stake in PGNiG.

Maco Polska logistics centre in Gliwice

Katowice, Aug. 17: Maco-Poland, a subsidiary of the Austrian Maco window and furniture accessory producer, has opened a new logistics centre in Gliwice, south Poland. The centre was built on the premises of the Katowice Special Economic Zone by Zueblin Poland. It will be used for the storage and distribution of Maco products. Maco was founded in 1947 by Lorenz Mayer and currently runs two production plants (in Salzburg and Trisben). Maco Poland was founded in 1998 and supervises Maco sales in Poland and the eastern markets.

economic crisis was deep. 33 percent that it was mild.

Only 1 percent said Polish economy was growing dynamically.

20 percent believed living standards in Poland would rise in the next 3 years, 39 percent said they would remain unchanged, 37 percent that they would deteriorate. OBOP ran the survey from August 4 to 8 on a random group of 1,004 Poles aged 15 and over.

Ministry: GDP up by 2.5 percent in 1H

Warsaw, Aug. 17: The Gross Domestic Product grew in the first half of 2005 by 2.5 percent and it will go up by 3.7 percent over the whole 2005, the Ministry of Economy and Labour reported on Wednesday. "Under the budget law the GDP should grow by 5 percent over 2005

but in the light of the present economic tendencies it will go up by around 3.7 percent," the ministry wrote in a report on the economic performance in the first half of 2005. According to the ministry, the consumption in the first half of 2005 increased by 2.1 percent.

More news about PKN Orlen, Agrofert broken by paper

Warsaw, Aug. 17: The board of Orlen had signed an agreement with the Czech Agrofert company before the supervisory board managed to give its consent, found Rzeczpospolita daily which for more than a week has been revealing the circumstances of the participation of, PKN Orlen in the privatisation of the Czech Unipetrol holding. The agreement with Agrofert was reached on April 7 and the supervisory board made a resolution authorising it to sign the agreement on April 8. Meanwhile Orlen statutes indicates that the sale of a property, the value of which exceeds one twenty of the company assets requires the consent of the supervisory board. This was the situation in case of the agreement with Agrofert. Rzeczpospolita earlier wrote that buying Unipetrol Orlen was forced to sell its chemical part to Czech businessman Andrey Babis (losing 200 million euros on the deal), who was on friendly terms with Czech politicians. The Czech industry and trade minister called the publication "Polish cheekiness" and demanded apology. Rzeczpospolita also published an interview with Polish Treasury Minister Jacek Socha who told the paper the ministry knew nothing about the agreement between PKN Orlen and Agrofert.

Collector's coins and stamps mark Solidarity anniversary

Warsaw, Gdansk, Aug.17: The central bank NBP put into circulation Wednesday three coins commemorating the 25th anniversary of establishment of the Solidarity trade union: gold coin with a nominal value of 200 PLN, silver one worth 10 PLN and Nordic Gold one worth 2 PLN. The coins were presented at a special ceremony attended by NBP chairman Leszek Balcerowicz and Lech Walesa (via video link from Gdansk). The ceremony was held at the Press Centre of PAP Polish Press Agency in Warsaw. The set of coins will be presented to 16 outstanding personages from all over the world, including Geroge Bush sr, Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel, Helmut Kohl, the pope, Margaret Thatcher, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Sergei Kovalov, actors, singers, film directors. Also today the Polish Post put into circulation a commemorative stamp and postcard. The stamp features Lech Walesa, a red Solidarity logo, and an inscription "25th anniversary".

Most Poles pessimistic about country

Warsaw, Aug. 17: Seventy-three percent of Poles in an OBOP survey believed matters in Poland were progressing in the wrong direction, 19 percent thought otherwise. 33 percent said Poland's economy was developing, 64 percent believed it was stagnating. 31 percent said Poland's

Minister: no serious danger of avian flu

Warsaw, Aug. 17: There is no serious danger of an avian flu epidemic in Poland, agriculture minister Jerzy Pilarczyk said Wednesday in Warsaw. Pilarczyk said Polish sanitary and customs services were on alert to prevent the disease penetrating to Poland from Russia.

"We want others to join in dialogue with Belarus"

Yalta, Aug.18: Poland wants her partners in the region to join in the dialogue with Belarus, said president Aleksander Kwasniewski after meeting Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko here on Thursday. He added Yushchenko had assured him that the Ukrainian side would take part in that dialogue. Kwasniewski is on a two-day working visit in the Crimea. "We want not only the EU, but also our partners in the region to demonstrate a clear position and determination to defend standards that should be observed with respect to national minorities," Kwasniewski told newsmen after the meeting. He added that the situation in Belarus and the attitude of its authorities to the Polish minority there "is unacceptable, amounts to a breach of the standards that should be binding in modern Europe." Kwasniewski emphasized that the position of Ukraine, Lithuania and Georgia was identical to the Polish view. He added, though, that the presidents of the four states present in the Crimea would not issue a joint statement on the matter. Kwasniewski underlined that Poland wanted to conduct a dialogue with Belarus on the situation of the Polish minority. Such a dialogue had already begun at the level of experts. Poland wanted to raise the level of this dialogue. Poland will also seek intermediaries in this dialogue, the president said. Yushchenko already declared he would discuss this with Belarus at the summit of the CIS on Aug.26-27 in Kazan. Next to Belarus the meeting with Yushchenko focused on economic issues, bilateral issues and relations with Russia.

Ceremonies marking 80th Artek anniversary in Ukraine

Yalta, Aug. 18: Ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of Artek the International Children Centre started in Crimea, Ukraine. The two-day ceremonies will be attended by Presidents of Poland, Lithuania and Georgia Aleksander Kwasniewski , Valdas Adamkus and Mikhail Saakaszvil i as well as the host of the event Ukraine President Viktor Jushchenko . The ceremonies provide an opportunity for the presidents to discuss a number of issues related to cooperation between the four countries. According to unofficial information Belarus is to be one of the topics.

Belka: miner pension law to Tribunal

Warsaw, Aug. 18: Poland's miner pensions law, recently signed by the president, could be charged to the Constitutional Tribunal, Prime Minister Marek Belka said Thursday at a press conference in Warsaw.Belka said the government was currently analyzing the possibilities of bringing the act before the Tribunal and would "decide according to the analysis results". On Wednesday the president signed a law prolonging the rights of miners to retirement after 25 years of underground work regardless of age. According to Belka the current law will be a financial burden on Poland's pension system and could inspire other professional groups to seek similar rights as miners. Democratic Party (DP) leader Wladyslaw Frasyniuk backed Belka and stressed that the current pensions law "stood in crass violation of the constitutional principles of social justice and equality before the law". DP's presidential candidate Henryka Bochniarz also criticized the law, pointing out that its effects will be higher social security rates and less jobs for Poles.

Polish, Belarussian delegations hold talks on bilateral relations

Warsaw, Aug. 18: Polish and Belarussian delegations headed by directors of departments at the two sides' foreign ministries held a meeting in Biala Podlaska, eastern Poland, on Wednesday to review bilateral relations, the foreign ministry reported on Thursday. The sides discussed the implementation of the Treaty on good-neighbourly relations and friendly cooperation signed by Poland and Belarus on June 23, 1992. They also pointed to the importance of trans-border and economic cooperation. The Polish delegation once more protested against violating the rights of the Polish minority in Belarus that run counter to many provisions of the Treaty and OSCE documents signed by Belarus.

Poland debates Belarus hotline

Warsaw, Aug. 18: The Polish government is in talks with Lithuania, Latvia and Belarus about establishing a "hotline" task team for coordinating these countries policies towards Belarus. Prime Minister Marek Belka said today that the project aimed at supporting democracy in Belarus.We intend to carry on an active policy not only towards the (Belarussian) state but also the public, Belka said. Belka also criticized Polish financial and procurement laws, which

in his opinion hindered the work of national foundations supporting the construction of civic society in other countries.

Jursenas: NATO meeting on Belarus to be held in Lithuania

Warsaw, Aug. 18: Deputy chairman of the Lithuanian Sejmas Ceslovas Jursenas said Thursday in Warsaw that a NATO Parliamentary Assembly devoted to the Balarussian issue will be held in Lithuania in September. The meeting is to work out a common strategy of actions vis a vis Belarus. Speaking at a press conference in the Sejm here Jursenas stressed that Lithuania, like Poland, believes that the recent developments in Belarus concerning the Polish minority is "an international matter of the rights of man" and added that the Europeasn Commission should show concern in the conflict in Belarus and take adequate steps. The Lithuanian politician also thinks that meetings of Belarus's closest neighbours are necessary. A meeting of Polish and Lithuanian top representatives would prepare letters to heads of parliaments of other EU states on the issue, he said. Sejm deputy speaker Tomasz Nalecz shared the idea saying, "we must avail ourselves of the assistance of our EU and NATO allies." Jursenas said it is important that the EU countries as a group reacted to the situation in Belarus. He stressed at the same time that Belarus cannot be isolated and contacts with Belarussian society should be developed. The NATO seminar scheduled for September 23-24 will be attended by guests from Belarus, he announced. Jursenas liked Prime Minister Marek Belka's proposal to set up a task team by Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine, to coordinate those countries' policies vis a vis Brelarus. Jursenas added that the Solidarity jubilee would provide a good opportunity for talks as Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas is to come to the celebrations.

Communism would collapse later if not for Solidarity - Brzezinski

Washington, Aug.18: Without Solidarity communism would have not collapsed as soon as it did. It was Solidarity which started the process of changes, dynamised it, and finally fought the decisive battle in the communist-controlled area, professor Zbigniew Brzezinski told PAP in an interview. The role of such personalities as pope John Paul 2nd, Mikhail Gorbachev and US presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan was important, but not as direct as that played by Solidarity, the former national security adviser to Carter added. Replying to questions from PAP he opined that the historic breakthrough of 1989 could have been achieved by Poland earlier, in the Solidarity years of 1980-1981, if only the leadership of the communist party "had greater political vision, deeper and more authentic feelings of patriotism and less servile attitude to Moscow." If that had been the case "internal compromise was possible at least until the summer of 1981," Brzezinski said. "Later the situation became to aggravate (..)". Asked about his opinion on Lech Walesa in those years, Brzezinski said "he was a man with a feel for political symbols and with a

lot of common sense." Brzezinski believes that Poland had made a generally good use of the 15 years of regained independence. "Poland's situation (in 1989) was complex and difficult. Lack of a political elite is still visible. All this made the process of change extremely difficult, but despite this Poland is now a serious member of NATO and the EU. These are great achievements owed to Solidarity."

Rokita about Polish-Russian relations

New York, Aug. 18: Jan Rokita of Citizens' Platform (PO), on a visit to the U.S., told Poles from New York that Russians perceive Poland as a paid servant of the U.S. In his opinion Russia "has gone very scared that Poland with its keen interest in Belarus and Ukraine may start influencing the European Union's policy and that this would not be a policy of the past when (Russian president Vladimir ) Putin got everything he wanted from the EU." "I do not know what has prompted Putin's Russia to behave with such savage aggression towards Poland recently," he stressed. "I believe this is a short-sighted and unwise policy because it shall have to be stopped in a very wise and firm way without resorting to the Russian methods. I would like very much to see improvement in Polish-Russian relations. But Russians themselves have to want it, too," the PO politician stressed. The meeting at the Polish Culture Foundation in Clark, New Jersey, was organised by the Polish-American Congress, which had invited Rokita to the U.S. It was attended by Polish businessmen, war veterans and students.

Russians are fond of Poles, paper assures

Warsaw, Aug. 18: The majority of Russians have positive impressions when asked about Poland despite what has been said by the Kremlin propaganda and official mass media, writes Gazeta Wyborcza daily on Thursday. Commenting on the mugging of Russian diplomats children in Warsaw 44 percent of Russians said it was a nationalistic excess, 29 pct believed it was "an ordinary everyday hooliganism." This is not an inconsiderable number taking into account that the Russian mass media persistently accused Poland of savage nationalism and russophobia," the paper writes. According to 35 percent of the surveyed Russians Poland is at present a "normal European country." for 13 percent it is a "nice, cosy place they would gladly visit." As many as 30 percent recalled Poland as the ally from the WW2 time. It also turns out that despite tension between Moscow and Warsaw Russian attitude towards Poles improves as 49 percent of the respondent to this year survey said there is more that binds us than divides, a rise from last year's 41 percent. The poll was run by the pollsters of the government All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre on Saturday and Sunday, after the mugging of Russian children, a sharp reaction of President Putin and assaults on Polish diplomats in Moscow.

Banking business sentiment down 0.5 points in August

Warsaw, Aug. 18: Pengab, the index measuring Poland's banking business sentiment, fell 0.5 points to 34 points month-on-month in August but is higher than in the comparative period of last yer, the Union of Polish Banks and Pentor said. Bankers surveyed by Pentor signalised a growth of demand for fixed-term currency deposits and even higher growth of demand for deposits in the Polish currency. Zloty deposits grew in 42 percent of banks, and fell in 19 percent. Fixed-term deposit accounts rose in 49 percent of banks, and fell in 19 percent. The number of people using banking services grew from 54.8 percent last year to 58 percent this year. The number of credits worth up to EUR 1 million granted to companies grew in 30 percent of banks, fell in 8 percent and was unchanged in 62 percent.

Gazeta Prawna on expansion of Polish firms

Warsaw, Aug. 18: Polish firms have started to conquer markets of western and eastern Europe, writes Gazeta Prawna daily on Thursday. The biggest Polish investor is PKN Orlen which in 2003 bought 500 gas stations in Germany from British Petroleum for 140 mn USD. Next the company purchased 63 pct of shares in Czech Unipetrol for 540 mn USD. The majority of Polish leading firms like Maspex, Grupa Atlas, FFL Sniezka or Forte furniture company have for years been investing abroad opening their branches and constructing new plants. In many cases the new objects are more modern and profitable bringing up to 50 pct of revenues of the entire group. Gazeta Prawna quotes expert Mariusz Strojny who points out that the most important element of the international expansion of the company is the investment in its logo and trademark. His statement can be proved by Bella, the Torun-based dressing plant which dominated the Russian and Ukrainian markets pushing aside such giants as Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark or Johnson& Johnson, the paper writes.

Orthodox pilgrims gather in Grabarka

Bialystok, Aug. 18: The last group of pilgrims to a 2-day Transfiguration festivity on the Holy Mountain Grabarka arrived in the Grabarka sanctuary in north-east Poland on Thursday. Christ's Transfiguration is the biggest Orthodox feast in Poland. Pilgrimages to Grabarka, the main Orthodox cult site in Poland, date back to 1710. At least 50,000 Orthodox faithful from Poland and abroad are expected at Friday's main Transfiguration festivities. There are from 550 to 600 thousand Orthodox faithful in Poland, mainly in the Podlasie north-eastern region.

Fire brigade: Poprad waters in Poland not contaminated

Cracow, Aug. 18: The Poprad river waters in Poland have not been contaminated with crude oil derivatives flowing with the river current from Slovakia, Jacek Krawiec of the Malopolska province fire brigade told PAP on Thursday. He added that only the sorbing agent used by the Slovak fire brigades to neutralise the contamination has been detected in Poland. Waters of the river had been contaminated by the chemical waste treatment plant belonging to Octan company in the Slovak town of Kiezmark. The Slovak fire brigade was notified about the leak to the river on Wednesday morning.

Elbrus Mt: Two Polish climbers stil traped in ice crevice

Moscow, Aug. 18: Russian mountain rescuers have been trying Thursday to locate two Polish climbers, a man and a woman, who are trapped in a glacier in Elbrus in the Caucasus. Four Polish mountain climbers were trapped in a crack in ice on the slope of the Elbrus Mount Tuesday and suffered minor injuries, two of the climbers told PAP on Thursday. A man who identified himself as Marcin Sz . said the accident happened on Tuesday. He was able to climb up, get himself out of the crack and call for help. He said that he was a member of a group of score of mountain climbers from different parts of Poland. 15 rescuers have been working in the area suggested by the two Polish climbers who contacted the Russian rescue service. So far they were unable to locate them. All four mountain climbers from Poland who fell into the crack in ice are safe and there is not direct threat to their lives, rescuer on duty at the Terskole rescue station at the foot of the mountain told PAP earlier on Thursday.

Poland prepares for avian flu

Warsaw, Aug. 18: Poland's veterinary inspection is preparing for the eventuality of an avian flu epidemic in light of rising infection rates in Asia and Russia. On Tuesday the Russian government reported at least 497 infections west of the Ural mountains. Poland's head veterinarian Krzysztof Jazdzewski told PAP Thursday that the disease could be brought to Poland by migrating birds. He added that poultry breeders forced to kill off infected livestock will receive compensation.

Kwasniewski talks with Yushchenko on Belarus

Gdansk, Aug.31: Presidents Aleksander Kwasniewski and Viktor Yushchenko talked here Wednesday about a way out of the impasse in relations with Belarus. "We want talks on breaking the deadlock to start at an appropriate level, i.e. the National Security Office and the foreign ministry," Kwasniewski told PAP after his meeting with the Ukrainian leader. "President Yushchenko and his aides want to play a very constructive role in this respect," he added. Before the meeting Kwasniewski declared that Poland was "interested in settling the affairs of the Polish minority in Belarus in accordance with European standards. If this requires talks at appropriate levels, and I think of the foreign ministry and the National Security Office, then we are of course ready for such talks."

European Solidarity Centre to be build in Gdansk

Gdansk, Aug. 31: The ceremony of signing the erection act for the construction of the European Solidarity Centre was held at the Memorial to Killed Shipyard Workers in Gdansk on Wednesday, the 25th anniversary of the August '80 Agreements. Present at the ceremony were Lech Walesa, President Aleksander Kwasniewski, Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko, Prime Minister Marek Belka, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Solidarity leader Janusz Siadek and Gdansk top authorities, as well as foreign delegations participating in the Solidarity anniversary celebrations. The Centre, to be created at the site of Gdansk Shipyard will monitor human rights observance in the world and disseminate the ideas of democratic freedom and independence. The BHP hall in which the historic Agreements were signed in 1980, Shipyard's Gate II, Solidarity Square and the Memorial to the Killed Shipyard Workers as well as Promenade of Freedom along the sea will constitute integral parts of the Centre.The European Solidarity Centre should be the place of gratitude, rich in experience and bringing solutions for the future, Walesa told the freedom fighters present at the gathering. Barroso thanked Solidarity "for everything it has done." "Here in Gdansk I'm telling the United Europe to follow in the footsteps of Solidarity," Barroso said. As a lifelong trade unionist I'm proud that Solidarity showed the power of trade unionism as a peaceful path to democracy and justice, British deputy PM John Prescott said at the signing of an erection act ceremony. The courage of the men and women of Solidarity, who put forth demands for simple, but how meaningful changes, aroused our admiration then and makes us proud to be able to honour them today, Prescott said in his address. Polish PM Marek Belka recalled August 1980 as "the nation's great collective success". In the hot days of August 1980 Polish shipyarders fought for freedom without wreaking destruction or riots. It was they, headed by Lech Walesa, who first cracked open and then flung wide the door to democracy, Belka said.

Walesa: Solidarity started new epoch

Gdansk, Aug. 31: Solidarity was necessary to start a new epoch without (political) blocs and divisions, an epoch of intellect, information and globalization, Solidarity first leader Lech Walesa said Wednesday addressing the international conference "From Solidarity to Freedom" in Gdansk. Poles should focus on what happened 25 years ago and together decide where Poland, Europe and the world should be heading for. Walesa stressed the role played by the pope and stressed the significance of Pope John Paul II's first pilgrimage to Poland in 1979. "The entire world was looking at what was going on in this communist country. As meetings with the pope were attended by the faithful and non-believers, he said. He stressed that the Pope's words woke up the Polish nations and other nations. Speaking about the Soviet Union Walesa stressed the role of transformations in the Soviet Union. Reformed communism is not communism any longer. That is why we should express our thanks to Gorbachev as he believed that this was possible. And we should also thank him that he failed. As if he succeeded we would still have a Soviet Union, he stressed. Walesa also appealed not to waste the chance given to the victorious Solidarity generation. No generation ever before had such a chance as our generation. A chance for peace and prosperity. It is our tragedy that we have a new epoch but the old thinking prevails, Walesa said. He also said a discussion on economic, political and social challenges of the epoch of intellect, information and globalization was necessary today.

Kwasniewski appeals for solidarity in Poland and worldwide

Gdansk, Aug. 31: President Aleksander Kwasniewski here on Wednesday appealed to participants in a gala session of the international conference "From Solidarity to Freedom" for showing solidarity with poverty, injustice and terrorism-fighting in Poland, Europe and in the world The Polish president said that the idea of Solidarity, though not born in Poland but implemented in this country was the "most important reply to globalisation and threats of the 21st century." Paying respect to Lech Walesa, Kwasniewski placed him among the people who found their place in history together with the greatest freedom fighters of the 20th century, like Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Vaclav Havel, who was present at the Gdansk ceremonies. Kwasniewski also wished all the best to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on his way to democracy. He also emphasized that the message of Solidarity was still alive and could be recently seen during the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. "Viktor, I welcome you with solidarity," Kwasniewski turned to President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko who was also present at the conference. Kwasniewski stressed that Solidarity turned out to be the way to freedom. He emphasized that the Polish revolution of the 1980 resigned from violence and this made it even stronger. As the aftermath of Solidarity Kwasniewski termed developments in Czechoslovakia, Romania, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain which was discarded to the history garbage site. The world today needs Solidarity, said the president recalling the teaching of Pope John Paul II who spoke about countering poverty, injustice and the need of safety. Kwasniewski said that the world needed solidarity in fighting terrorism and violence as it was needed by people and organisations struggling for freedom and human rights. "I am glad that during the 10 years of my two terms of office I met a lot of such people," he said. Kwasniewski added it was important that the jubilee of the Polish August attracted to Poland a group of world's renowned people. "This is a token of recognition for a huge work done by my compatriots," the president said.

Gdansk Declaration on Solidarity anniversary

Warsaw, Aug. 31: "The date August 31 should be embedded in global memory as a day of freedom and solidarity", reads a draft version of a Gdansk Declaration on the Solidarity Anniversary adopted at the Wednesday close of a 3-day From Solidarity to Freedom international conference. Copies of the declaration were handed out to conference participants. After its endorsement by the government of countries whose representatives attended the conference, the Declaration will be put under debate in the UN. "History has confirmed that it was the Polish August of 1980, when Polish workers backed by millions took up the battle for bread and freedom, that paved the way to political change in east Europe and many other countries labouring under a totalitarian yoke", the Declaration draft reads. The declaration also refers to to the teachings of Pope John Paul II, European freedom and solidarity traditions, and the EU.

Foreign politicians on Solidarity

Gdansk, Aug. 31: Poles liberated not only themselves but started also an epoch-making process which exerts influence still today, German President Horst Koehler told a special session of the international conference "From Solidarity to Freedom" organised in Gdansk on the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Solidarity trade union. Former Czech President Vaclav Havel said that participants in the ceremonies should remember about other countries, including Belarus, in which dissidents were still in the underground and where people were not entirely free. Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom said the victory of Solidarity 25 years ago was the beginning of the agony of the communist system. A white and red Solidarity badge was the symbol of freedom, he added. Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili said that nothing may stop democratic changes started by the Polish Solidarity; after Georgia the time will come for Belarus. Freedom cannot be stopped. I am sure that freedom and democracy will win everywhere, even in Belarus, he said. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said events from 25 years ago celebrated today changed the course of history. He also expressed gratitude to Lech Walesa for his visit to Ukraine and support granted to the Orange Revolution. Solidarity won and we won with it sweeping the communism away, said Serbia's President Boris Tadic. Former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker underlined the fact that neither Solidarity nor Lech Walesa broke down during persecutions, in prisons and during martial law. He stressed the importance of the Round Table talks and free elections in Poland

in 1989.

Rotfeld for conference of EU foreign ministers

Warsaw, Aug. 31: Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld is going to Newport (Wales, Great Britain) to take part in the informal conference of EU foreign ministers starting Thursday. The commencement of accession negotiations with Turkey will be the most important point on the agenda of the two-day meeting, Foreign Ministry European Department deputy head Beata Kolecka told PAP Wednesday. The meeting will also discuss EU's cooperation with Russia. It is expected that Rotfeld will draw attention of the EU ministers to the necessity to conduct "coherent and uniform" policy vis a vis Russia. Situation in Iran, problems of immigration, arms trade and bird's flu will be also on the agenda.

British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to meet Polish Prime Minister

Warsaw, Aug. 31: UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has come to Poland for the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of Solidarity. On Thursday, September 1, the guest will meet with PM Marek Belka. The talks will concern situation in the European Union under the British presidency and the EU's eastern policy. The two politicians will also take part in the promotion of the publication "Polish-British Intelligence Cooperation During World War II" (Polsko-Brytyjska wsp" praca wywiadowcza podczas II Wojny Swiatowej) organised by State Main Archives in Warsaw. The ceremony will be also attended by Culture Minister Waldemar Dabrowski, head of the European Integration Committee Office Jaros aw Pietras and other personages.

Cossack Steppe 2005

Gorzow Wlkp., Aug. 31: The defence ministers of Ukraine, Britain and Poland Wednesday inspected their countries' troops taking part in the Cossack Steppe 2005 manoeuvres in the Lubuskie province, west Poland. The troops are training anti-terrorist and rescue tactics with airborne support.

Polish general new deputy chief of NATO training centre

Bydgoszcz, Aug. 31: General Tadeusz Buk took over as deputy chief of the NATO Joint Forces Training Centre in Bydgoszcz Wednesday. He will report to Danish general Peter Kuehnel. The centre started its activity on March 31, 2004 and is still under development. It offers training courses to staff officers from NATO countries and countries members of the Partnership for Peace. The centre will be staffed with over 100 officers from dozen-odd countries. Its chief of staff is Bulgarian general Constantin Veselinov Popov. Most of the costs of setting up and maintaining the centre is borne by NATO, with some part borne by Poland.

KIG signs agreement on cooperation with French SEM

Warsaw, Aug.31: The KIG national chamber of commerce signed an agreement on cooperation with the French federation of communal companies SEM providing for exchange of experience and promotion of good practices in local management here Wednesday. "The agreement will allow our organisations give joint support to Polish and French local public companies," said KIG chief Andrzej Arendarski upon signing the agreement. He also said that a committee for communal companies would be set up in KIG next week to affiliate some 1,100 Polish communal companies operating in water supply, waste treatment, municipal transport and energy supplies.

Budget deficit after August at 50-51 pc of annual target

Warsaw, Aug.31: The budget deficit after August should reach 50 to 51 pc of the annual target of 35 bn PLN (ca. 11 bn USD), according to deputy minister of finance Elzbieta Suchocka-Roguska. This would mean a slight change from the situation after July, when the budget gap amounted to 49.9 pc of the annual target. "This will be the result of high revenues," the minister explained. Finance minister Miroslaw Gronicki told PAP last week that the budget gap at the end of the year could be by some 3 bn PLN below target.

Porty Lotnicze to buy Baltona Enterprise

Warsaw, Aug. 31: The Porty Lotnicze (Polish Airports) Enterprise has filed a bid to buy a 26.83-percent share in the Baltona Foreign Trade Enterprise, the treasury ministry informedWednesday. Polish Airports is the only bidder for Baltona.

Lewiatan concerned over low absorption of EU funds

Warsaw, Aug.31: PKPP Lewiatan confederation of private employers is concerned over low degree of absorption of EU structural funds and postulates changes in the existing procedures to speed it up. So far agreements on the use of only 28 pc of EU funds allocated for Poland in the years 2004-2006 have been signed, according to PKPP's expert Malgorzata Krzysztoszek. This is in stark contrast to the great interest in EU fund money displayed by Polish firms and entrepreneurs. "The combined value of financial support sought by Polish firms in their applications filed by end of July, 2005, was 44.4 bn PLN (ca. 14 bn USD), i.e. 28 pc higher than the value of EU funds for 2004-2006," said Krzysztoszek. Lewiatan claims that one serious obstacle to smooth payments from EU funds is differing interpretations of regulations. Another is too restrictive approach on the part of controlling agencies. The head of a department of the ministry of economy Danuta Jablonska noted that agreements on EU fund use started to be signed only in March, 2005. The value of signed agreements amounts to 36 pc of the value of structural funds allocated to Poland. Actual payments amount to only 1.7 pc of contracted money.

New air connection from Szczecin by Ryanair

Szczecin, Aug. 31: Ryanair will start daily flights from Szczecin to London Oct. 30, according to a spokesman for the Goleniow airport near Szczecin. On Thursday Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary comes to Poland to visit the Szczecin, Poznan and Rzeszow airports. The Ryanair connection from Szczecin to London will be serviced by Boeing 737800, a 189 seater. Also Oct. 1 Ryanair will start connections to London from Gdansk, Rzeszow, Lodz and Cracow, and from Gdansk to Frankfurt-Hahn. Staring Nov. 1 Ryanair will offer flights from Rzeszow to Frankfurt-Hahn and from Cracow to Glasgow. The Goleniow airport near Szczecin is finishing construction of a new terminal capable of handling 1 million passengers annually. According to figures released by the civil aviation authorities a few weeks ago low cost air carriers have carved out 12 pc of the Polish passenger market.

Films inspired by Solidarity at Polish Film Festival Gdynia 2005

Warsaw, Aug. 31: "Solidarity, Solidarity," a film composed of 13 episodes, each made by one of 13 Polish directors will be shown at the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdynia the coming September. Before that, the film had its first showing on TVP public channels on August 31, the 25th anniversary of the August '80 Agreements on Wednesday. In "Solidarity, Solidarity" 13 outstanding filmmakers share their reflections and reminiscences connected with the birth of the first free trade union in Poland and the communist bloc. Andrzej Wajda's episode "Man of Hope" shows his meeting with Solidarity hero Lech Walesa and the heroes of his films "Man of Marble" and "Man of Iron" Krystyna Janda and Jerzy Radziwilowicz. Krzysztof

Zanussi's episode has a telling titled "The Tanks." Feliks Falk made "The Brief History of Certain Board", Ryszard Bugajski asks "What Ever Happened to Our Solidarity", Malgorzta Szumowska, daughter of an opposition journalist, titled her episode "The Father". Also to mark the 25th Solidarity anniversary a review of films inspired by Solidarity will be in the programme of the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdynia 2005.

Based on the service of the Polish Press Agency (PAP)

More information is available at the website– http://www.pap.com.pl

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