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POLISH NEWS BULLETIN

September 2005

Polish, German presidents paid homage to World War 2 victims

Gdansk, Sept. 1: President Aleksander Kwasniewski and his German counterpart Horst Koehler paid homage to the WW2 victims and laid flowers at the Monument to the Defenders of the Coast in Westerplatte and at the Memorial to the Defenders of the Polish Post in Gdansk on the 66th anniversary of the outbreak of World War Two on Thursday. Pomerania province governor Cezary Dabrowski said during a ceremony at the Monument to the Defenders of the Coast that the events of 1939 had an influence on the history of other nations

which for over forty years after the war were fighting for freedom and full sovereignty. Gdansk has become a symbol of this struggle as the history of this city has been marked by the events of September 1939 as well as of August 1980, Dabrowski stressed. The presence of the German president at this ceremony is a proof of reconciliation, cooperation and respect. This has been a proof of a true unification of Europe above historical divisions, he added. Earlier in the day ceremonies marking the anniversary were held in Westerplatte, where the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein on September 1, 1939, at 0445 local time, started to shell the Polish garrison with its main guns. This was the beginning of the war. The Westerplatte garrison surrendered on 7 September.

Kwasniewski, Koehler listen to students' debate in German

Gdansk, Sept. 1: German President Horst Koehler spoke positively of Polish-German relations Thursday and stated that his participation in 25th Solidarity anniversary celebrations and in the commemorations of the World War 2 outbreak anniversary demonstrated the dimension of these relations. President Aleksander Kwasniewski and his German guest listened to a Gdansk high school students' debate on freedom and security held on the occasion of the school year inauguration in Poland. The guests listened to a quarter-hour debate the students conducted in German and seemed very impressed. Koehler pledged to make Germans interested in learning Polish. Kwasniewski appealed to Koehler to do so, stressing that about 2.5 million persons learn German in Poland and wished Germans to have similar success as regards popularisation of the Polish language in their country. Kwasniewski also appealed to Koehler to have a look at the situation of Polish language faculties in Germany. In his opinion there should be more of them, or at least those existing should not be liquidated. Referring to Solidarity jubilee the German president told the young people that Solidarity had a very positive impact on the process of Germany's unification and "we are grateful for this," he said.

Rotfeld asks EU to discuss situation in Belarus

Newport, Sept. 1: Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld arrived in Newport (Wales, Great Britain) on Thursday to take part in the informal conference of EU foreign ministers. Rotfeld told reporters that he would ask the meeting to discuss the situation in Belarus. Rotfeld stressed as there is a conflict in Belarus between the administration and its own society this has not been only a Polish matter. And that is why the values represented by the EU such as respect for human dignity and human rights, democracy and pluralism, should be mirrored in the EU position on Belarus, the foreign minister said. No one wants to remove Lukashenko by force. The attitude towards the Belarussian president will depend on the attitude of Belarussians. But with its policy the EU should stimulate a positive change inside the Belarussian nation, Rotfeld said.

Belarus: ties with Poland good, Polish Union affair internal

Minsk, Sept. 1: The Belarussian foreign ministry on Thursday described relations with Poland as good and called the current crisis around the Belarussian Polish minority's organization Union of Poles in Belarus "an internal matter". Ministry spokesman Ruslan Jesin said Belarussian-Polish relations were developing well both in economy and culture and remarked that some Polish politicians had tried to use the Union of Poles affair for their own ends. Poland has described last Saturday's Union of Poles in Belarus congress and board elections as undemocratic and announced it would not recognize the Union's new authorities and would forward aid to repressed Poles in Belarus.

German Bundestag head in Palmiry

Warsaw, Sept. 1: The atrocities of World War Two can never be relativized, justified or ascribed to an undefined and anonymous European history without naming the perpetrators or the victims, German Bundestag president Wolfgang Thierse said Thursday in Palmiry by Warsaw, the site of mass killings of Poles by the Nazis during World War Two. Thierse, invited to Warsaw for celebrations of the 66th anniversary of the end of World War Two by Polish Sejm speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, laid wreaths at the graves of Palmiry victims, including pre-war parliament speaker Maciej Rataj. Thierse stressed that Poland's and Germany's joint EU membership "can not erase the horrors of war from memory". In his address Cimoszewicz reminded that the Palmiry henchmen were "fascism-drunk Germans" and called his and Thierse's visit in Palmiry "a sign of how much Europe and relations between Poles and Germans have changed".

Head of North Rhine-Westphalia visits Auschwitz

Bielsko-Biala, Sept. 1: Minister-President of Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia Jurgen Ruettgers on Thursday visited the former Nazi death camp in Auschwitz. The German politician laid flowers and paid tribute to the Nazi victims at the Death Wall of the No.11 Block where Nazis shot dead several thousands of people. Ruettgers also visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and exhibitions in the 4th and the 5th blocks. After the visit Ruettgers went to the Centre for Dialogue and Prayer in nearby Oswiecim where he met with Polish youth who recently attended the World Youth Days in Cologne. Later in the day the German official visited the Warsaw Rising Museum accompanied by Prime Minister Marek Belka. The camp in Auschwitz was established in 1940 and later developed. During WW2 the Nazis murdered there 1.1 million people mostly European Jews, Poles and Roma people as well as Soviet POWs.

Polish and German MPs hold joint debate

Pasewalk, Sept. 1: Joint transport and infrastructure, the functioning of border crossings, labour market and education were the main topics of the first ever joint debate held by Polish and German candidates for Memebers of Parliaments in the forthcoming elections in both countries. Jacek Piechota (SLD), Slawomir Nitras (PO), Rafal Wiechecki (LPR), Marcin Swiecicki (PD), Suzanne Jaffke (CDU), Sigrun Stahlschmidt (FDP), Goetz-Peter Lohmann (SPD) and others candidates from the Szczecin province and from Meklemburg Vorpommern met here Thursday to discuss Polish-German cooperation in their border regions. The second part of the debate was scheduled to be held on the Polish side on the border still Thursday.

Prescott promotes book on Polish intelligence in WW2

Warsaw, Sept. 1: Promoting the Polish version of the book "Polish-British Intelligence Cooperation During World War II" in Warsaw on Thursday British deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said that this book may give justice to Poles without whom war with Germany would last longer. Prime Minister Marek Belka stressed that the book showed one of the least known chapters of the joint struggle against Nazism, that is the operation of the Polish intelligence service which closely collaborated with the British intelligence. The Polish intelligence made a unique contribution to the allies' victory in WW2. The book describes the size of this work for the first time ever. The publication is the result of the work of the Polish-British Historical Commission, set up in 2000 to search for documents on the contribution of the Polish intelligence to the World War II victory of the allies. The foreword to the British edition was written by Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Marek Belka. The texts were written by renowned British and Polish historians.

13th shift to Kosovo peacekeeping mission

Przemysl, Sept. 1: A 267-strong unit of Polish troops from the Polish-Ukrainian KFOR battalion Thursday received its last briefings before departing to Kosovo as the 13th shift of Polish peacekeeping forces in the region. Accompanying the Poles on the 13th Kosovo shift will be 248 Ukrainians and a Lithuanian unit.

Poettering: Solidarity paved the way for Iron Curtain fall

Gdansk, Sept. 1: Solidarity changed the course of history and led to the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989. Europeans should be grateful to Poles for their courage and determination, Hans-Gert Poettering, the leader of the European People's Party and European Democrats, said in Gdansk on Thursday. Poettering stressed that values Solidarity fought for, that is, freedom, democracy and the rule of the law lie at the foundation of the European Union. He added that the recalling of the August 1980 developments should be the basis of European solidarity. On Thursday Poettering opened a two-day session of the board of his grouping devoted to the anniversary of the formation of the Solidarity trade union. The 200-strong EPP-ED grouping has 19 Eurodeputies from Poland, including 15 from the Citizen's Platform PO and 4 of the Polish Peasant Party PSL. Addressing participants in the meeting Solidarity legendary leader Lech Walesa and PO leader Donald Tusk spoke about the history of Gdansk and the city's influence on Europe's unification direction. "I hope you will feel the spirit of this place, the spirit of freedom and historic miracles, Tusk said. "Workers proved that there is no conflict between solidarity and freedom of people," he added. Walesa stressed that after the fall of communism Europe should become the continent of solidarity. Representatives of several countries outside the EU pointed to a need for the European Union's solidarity. Moldova Christian-Democrat leader Iurie Rosca said that Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia and Belarus deserve their future in Europe. "We expect that the EU will signal us that the door are open also for those countries", he said. Representative of Belarussian opposition Vintsuk Viachorka said that Belarus needs a very broad coalition of democratic forces modelled after Poland's Solidarity. He also pointed to the importance of support for independent media in Belarus as an alternative to the official propaganda as well as to a need of lifting visa requirements for Belarussians so as not to isolate them still further. Leader of the Socialdemocratic Party of Belarus Stanislav Shushkevitch said his party expected the European Parliament and Europe to come to understand what is happening in Belarus. Croatian PM Ivo Sanader called for the continuation of the EU constitution's ratification process and the EU's further enlargement, to include Croatia.

Rakowski, Urbanski: August 1980 a closed chapter

Warsaw, Sept. 1: The August 1980 events are a closed chapter, Warsaw vicepresident Andrzej Urbanski and ex-PM Mieczyslaw Rakowski said in a Thursday public debate about the 1980 protests which led to the foundation of the Solidarity Union. The 21 August 1980 workers' demands are a closed chapter but also a reminder for today's politicians not to omit the word "justice" in discussions about the country, Urbanski said. Rakowski recalled August 1980 as "a special situation strongly seasoned by idealism". History should not be treated as a finite process but neither should it overshadow Poland's contemporary problems", he admonished. Referring to the communists' 1981 imposition of martial law in Poland, Rakowski said that at the time he supported the move as a remedy against the country's disintegration. This was a time of deep reorientation on both sides (...) in a situation that was very untypical for the communist bloc, Rakowski concluded.

Journeys to Kuwait easier for Poles

Warsaw, Sept. 1: Poles travelling to Kuwait do not have to have visa before starting the journey. As of August 31 Polish tourists will receive entry visas at Kuwaiti border crossings, the Foreign and the Economy and Labour Ministries informed on Thursday. According to the ministries the Kuwaiti authorities' decision means that Poland has joined the group of 34 states whose citizens may go to Kuwait on the basis of the entry visa obtained at Kuwaiti border points. The Kuwaiti side's decision on travel facilitation for Polish citizens was motivated by concern for development of Polish-Kuwaiti economic and trade relations, a note sent by the Kuwaiti ambassador to the Economy Ministry here said. According to the ministry "trade turnover between Poland and Kuwait amounted to about 12 billion USD in 2004." Polish exports to Kuwait included above all grain products, iron and cast iron, furniture, linen, paper and cardboard. Polish imports from Kuwait amounted to 12 million USD in 2004.

Economic conference of Polonia starts on Sept. 10

Warsaw, Sept. 1: The 11th World Economic Conference of Polonia will start in Warsaw on September 10, Polonia Foundation President Zbigniew Olszewski told a news conference here Thursday. He added that the conference is to be attended by some 200 representatives of Polonian circles from all over the world. Olszewski explained that the 2nd and 3rd day of the conference will be held in Walbrzych, Lower Silesia. City deputy President Roman Ludwiczuk counts on attracting Polonian investors to Lower Silesia and Walbrzych special economic zone. The conference is aimed at organising direct meetings between Polonian businessmen and representatives of the Polish government. So far the conferences were attended by 4,000 participants from more than 40 countries.

15th Economic Forum to start on Sept. 7

Warsaw, Sept. 1: Security, competitiveness, liquidation of a development gap between the old EU and new EU members, EU-Russia relations, power sector in Central and Eastern Europe, investments in Ukraine and the future of Belarus are the main subjects of the 15th Economic Forum, that will start in Krynica Gorska on September 7. The forum will last until September 10. It will be attended by around 1,500 people from 40 countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Slovakia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Belgium. "European challenges: Europe's model and borders" such is the motto of this year's forum whose programme provides for nearly 100 panel discussions. The forum will start with a presentation of a report "New Europe. Report on transformations," prepared by Polish Eurodeputy Dariusz Rosati.

Walbrzych special economic zone enlarged

Kalisz, Sept. 1: The Council of Ministers agreed that the Walbrzych special economic zone be extended to include the Krotoszyn subzone, an official of the ministry of economy told PAP Thursday. The subzone is 50 hectares of area with complete infrastructure. Its main investor will be Mahle Polska of Germany, the maker of car engine components and other automotive parts. The German company ranks among 50 world largest suppliers of such products. It will invest 40 m euros and hire 300 new workers in the Krotoszyn subzone.

Meeting on Amber pipeline on Sept. 19

Warsaaw, Sept. 1: A meeting of ministry, embassy and company officials interested in the implementation of the Amber gas pipeline project will be held here Sept. 19, deputy minister of economy Piotr Rutkowski told on Thursday. The pipeline will go across the Baltic countries. Rutkowski also said that the Polish government supported a project that was economically viable. The meeting on Sept. 19 will start work on drafting an analysis for the EU on the profitability of Amber and Yamal 2 gas pipelines, he noted. He claimed that the construction of a Northern Pipeline on the Baltic seabed linking Russia with Germany was not yet decided. Declarations in this regard were mainly political, Rutkowski asserted.

Ryanair starts connection from Poznan to London

Szczecin, Sept. 1: Ryanair will start a daily connection between Poznan and London on Sept. 23, its CEO Michael O'Leary said here Thursday. A connection between Szczecin and London will be inaugurated by Ryanair on Oct. 30. O'Leary said Thursday that 10,000 tickets had been already sold, and he counted on 100,000 passengers annually. O'Leary did not rule out that his company would offer more connections from Szczecin to European destinations. Among those under consideration he listed Frankfurt, Brussels, Paris and Rome, but added that the final decisions would be made depending on the scale of interest in flights to London. The company hopes for 1 million passengers in Poland in the coming 12 months. "We will start flights from seven airports in Poland this autumn," O'Leary declared. "We are in talks with five more airports and may sign agreements with two of them within one year. We do not plan offering flights from Warsaw." Ryanair will offer flights from Szczecin, Gdansk, Bydgoszcz, Poznan, Lodz, Rzeszow and Cracow starting this autumn. So far the company operated flights only from Wroclaw. Ryanair will service 11 connections from Poland starting in November.

Privatisation proceeds at 2.2 bn PLN after August

Warsaw, Sept.1: Gross proceeds from privatisation of state assets reached 2.24 bn PLN (ca. 670 m USD) by the end of August, or 39.5 pc of the sum targeted for this year, the state treasury ministry announced Thursday. The net proceeds reached 1.65 bn PLN, or 37.1 pc of the annual target.

Prosecutors will ask Czechs for assistance in Unipetrol case

Cracow, Sept. 1: The public prosecutor's office in Cracow will ask the Czech public prosecutor general for legal assistance and questioning of persons who took part in the negotiations on and closing of the deal involving PKN Orlen's purchase of Unipetrol, the Czech refining company. "Among those persons there will also be representatives of the Czech government who made decisions in this respect and negotiated the terms of the contract," said a spokesman for the Cracow prosecutor's office Thursday. He added that the list of possible witnesses was still being compiled. PKN Orlen CEO Igor Chalupec gave depositions in the case in Cracow on Wednesday.

Celebrated soprano Stefania Woytowicz dies at 79

Warsaw, Sept. 1: Celebrated Polish soprano Stefania Woytowicz died in Warsaw on Thursday at the age of 79, the Polish Composers' Union ZKP informed. She was recognised as one of the greatest Polish soprano singers, performing chiefly in concerts halls in Poland and Europe. Her rich repertoire included pieces by composers from the 18th and 19th as well as the 20th century. She was especially devoted to Polish music, her recordings of Karol Szymanowski's pieces, Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki's Symphony No. 3 and Krzysztof Penderecki's St. Luke Passion are widely known. Woytowicz, born in 1925 in what is now Ukraine, at the start of her career won the Bach Competition in Leipzig (1951) and at Prague Music Spring competition in 1954. This was followed by highly acclaimed tours of Austria, Russia and China, and her successes soon led her to the most important music centres all over Europe, from Moscow to Paris, London and Edinburgh, Florence, Stockholm and North America.

Kwasniewski: gas pipeline via Baltic arouses Polish concerns

Berlin, Sept. 2: Good relations between Germany and Russia are useful for everybody but they should not be developed above the heads of Poles, Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said in an interview for the Friday issue of German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily. Kwasniewski stressed that Poland was seriously concerned about a project of the Russian-German gas pipeline which will go through the Baltic Sea omitting Poland. Poland does not want to use crude oil and gas supplies as political instruments, stressed the president. He believes that the EU should broadly discuss this topic. On August 8 Russian President Vladimir Putin will come to Berlin to attend the ceremony of signing an agreement on the construction of the gas pipeline which will directly link Germany and Russia. Kwasniewski stressed that Poland welcomed with satisfaction a statement made by Christian Democrats candidate for the post of German chancellor Angela Merkel that one must not create an impression of forming "new axis." A Paris-Berlin-Moscow axis had often been mentioned in connection with the three countries opposition to war on Iraq. Kwasniewski rejected the idea of forming the so-called hard core of a few EU countries which would integrate at a faster pace than the remaining states. He said that the EU of "two speeds" could violate the principles of solidarity adopted by the entire union. A gradual process leads to association agreements and, via a special form of membership, to the full membership. In this

context the Polish president mentioned Ukraine. "For Ukraine it is extremely important to receive a signal that Europe is interested in it," he said. Kwasniewski added that the question whether Ukraine belongs to Europe was meaningless since the Orange Revolution. Kwasniewski underlined the importance of Germany for the process of European integration. "I am convinced that the future of Europe largely depends on Germany," he said. The president stressed that September elections in Germany will be one of the most important events for Europe. Germany has to send signals also as regards the balance between welfare issues and economic development, Kwasniewski told the daily.

Foreign Minister: normal relations with Russia necessary

Newport, Sept. 3: Polish Foreign Minister Adam Rotfeld stressed the necessity to develop normal relations with Russia during an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Newport on Thursday and Friday. Asked by the EU British presidency, Rotfeld made an introductory speech concerning Russia. My speech was "constructive" and was not intended as a "catalogue of claims", Rotfeld told reporters. He emphasised that his aim was to make it clear to Poland's partners that "EU democratic countries need Russia and democratic Russia needs European countries." He also said that bilateral relations between Russia and EU countries should be discussed within the EU. Rotfeld also referred to the situation in Belarus. He stressed that there were no problems between Poland and Belarus but between the Belarussian people and President Lukashenko's administration. Speaking to newsmen on Friday Rotfeld said he thought a discussion on Cypriot-Turkish problem as rather artificial. There would be no discussion were it not for a crisis following the rejection of the EU constitution in France and Holland as well as reluctance on part of some countries towards EU enlargement. Rotfeld said all ministers agreed that Croatia has the right to start EU negotiations after fulfilling its commitments to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

Pipes: Russia plans no western expansion

Warsaw, Sept. 2: Poland does not need to fear Russia, which is not planning to expand to the west. Harvard professor Richard Pipes said Friday in Warsaw during the Polish promotion of his book "Russia under the Bolshevik Regime". In 1981 Pipes headed the East Europe Department in the U.S. National Security Council.Russia is annoyed about losing Ukraine, which is a very painful blow. In Russian eyes Ukraine is the cradle of Russian statehood, Pipes said, adding that today Russia's "imperial ambitions were rather directed to the east and south than the west".Richard Pipes has authored several books on Russia and Russian communism. Russia Under the Bolshevik Regime appeared in the U.S. in 1994.

Willy Brandt Polish-German School of Meetings and Dialogues

Warsaw, Sept. 2: An agreement on establishing a Willy Brandt Polish-German School of Meetings and Dialogue in Warsaw's district of Wilanow was signed on Thursday evening in the presence of Prime Minister Marek Belka and Minister-President of Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia Jurgen Ruettgers . The document was signed by Education Minister Miroslaw Sawicki and German Ambassador to Poland Reinhard Schweppe . The history of the school started in 1978 when the German embassy opened a school for children of its employees. The first Polish pupil was admitted in 1984. The Polish Prime Minister said there was a "fantastic time" in the Polish-German relations. Germany is Poland's most significant economic and political partner, Belka told PAP.

Gala ceremony at Grand Theatre honours Solidarity

Warsaw, Sept. 4: A gala ceremony was held in the Grand Theatre in Warsaw on Friday to honour the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Solidarity trade union. During the ceremony special medals made on the occasion were granted to Primate of Poland Cardinal Jozef Glemp , Warsaw President Lech Kaczynski , former MP of the Solidarity Election Action AWS Ewa Tomaszewska , Senator Krzysztof Piesiewicz and priests who supported Solidarity. Participants in the ceremony paid tribute to their colleagues who had been killed or died before freedom was regained. Thanking Solidarity for its gift to the Church, namely the life coverage by TV of the Holly Mass every Sunday since 1980 the primate recalled that in a few months Poland would have to commemorate a bitter anniversary of the imposition of martial law on December 13, 1981. After the gala meeting participants went to the Pilsudski Square to lit candles and pay homage to late Pope John Paul II at 21:37 hrs, the hour of his death. In Lubin, Lower Silesia flowers were laid at the monument to the Memory of Victims Lubin '82. Wreaths were laid by tens of delegations who prayed for those killed by the communist militia on August 31, 1982.

Solidarity was a ray of hope, Nancy Reagan says in letter to Walesa

Gdansk, Sept. 2: Nancy Reagan , the wife of the late U.S. president Ronald Reagan , sent a letter to Solidarity first leader Lech Walesa to mark the 25th anniversary of the birth of Solidarity. Ms. Reagan wrote that Walesa and other Polish workers opened up the road leading to the fall of communist governments and helped other nations regain freedom. My husband had always dreamt that one day people all over the world would enjoy freedom and democracy. He had always admired you and other brave Polish workers for your struggle. Being a U.S. president he often showed his support for Solidarity, said the letter handed to PAP by the press Office of the celebrations marking the Solidarity jubilee. Nancy Reagan stressed that once her husband said that Solidarity was a ray of hope which gave people a chance to win more freedom for themselves and that this made the world a more peaceful and

secure place.

National solidarity leads to unity

Gdansk, Sept. 2: The path to European unity leads through national Solidarity, concluded participants in a Friday-ended Gdansk conference of the European People's Party-European Democrats (EPP-ED). Ex-prime minister and current MEP Jerzy Buzek said unity was the most important experience provided by Poland's Solidarity Union. Referring to the global terrorism problem, Buzek suggested that Solidarity's peaceful methods of dismantling the communist regime showed that major changes could be brought about non-violently. EP vicechairman Mario Mauro stressed that Solidarity freed the Poles from communism and sparked off changes in east Europe, but also "saved a whole generation of western youth" from succumbing to the heretofore widespread belief that communism was a socially just system and that the roots of injustice lay in the west.

First year of EU membership successful for Central European countries

Warsaw, Sept. 2: According to former Polish Foreign Minister Dariusz Rosati , the eight new EU member countries from Central Europe have successfully closed the first year of their EU membership as they strengthened their economies, accelerated economic growth and lowered the unemployment rate. Rosati presented Friday major points of the "New Europe. Transformation Report" prepared by a team he led. The report will be presented during a four-day 15th Economic Forum starting in Krynica on September 7. Rosati said that Cyprus and Malta were excluded from the report. Central European countries that joined the EU have speeded up their economic growth approximately by 1 percent annually (from 4 to 5 percent), with exports to EU markets being the main factor behind the rise. According to Rosati, countries reviewed by his team, including Poland, should continue structural reforms, with main stress necessary in the area of public finance, labour markets and completed privatisation. Rosati recalled that a panel discussion in Krynica will focus on the elimination of a development gap between the old and the new European Union.

European Parliament vicechairman condemns French absence at Solidarity celebrations

Gdansk, Sept. 2: EP vicechairman Jacek Saryusz-Wolski Friday criticized France's absence at the recent Solidarity Union 25th anniversary celebrations in Gdansk and other Polish cities. French president Jacques Chirac failed to attend the Solidarity festivities explaining that he had to attend a conference of French ambassadors in Paris. Speaking at a press conference closing a 2-day meeting of the board of the European People's Party-European Democrats, the EP's largest political grouping, Saryusz-Wolski recalled France's 1939 reluctance to help Poland against the Nazis, when the then French authorities declared they "would not die for Gdansk". In the past France didn't want to die for Gdansk, today it doesn't feel like wasting time on Gdansk, Saryusz-Wolski said, adding that Chirac's absence was a "bad sign, a sign of failing interest in and no empathy with all that this anniversary means for Poles".

Onyszkiewicz: undermining of Poland's achievements is harmful

Lublin, Sept. 4: Vice President of the European Parliament and one of the leaders of the Polish Democratic Party - demokraci.pl Janusz Onyszkiewicz warned in Lublin on Sunday that undermining Poland's achievements of the past 15 years could hamper the building of Poland's position in the European Union and in the world. Onyszkiewicz, a guest at the PD convention, said Poland may build its position on grounds of respect and appreciation it enjoys and which should be taken care of. Onyszkiewicz believes that the PD stands chances to win parliamentary seats despite poor ratings. Besides, the new parliament will need the PD as a party able to hold a constructive discussion on problems faced by the state and society instead of a debate on "files." During the convention also candidates for parliament were presented.

Religa resigns from presidential race

Warsaw, Sept. 2: Zbigniew Religa resigned from running for presidency. He told a press conference on Friday he asked his supporters to vote for Citizen's Platform PO candidate Donald Tusk . Religa also agreed to lead Tusk's honorary committee and expressed readiness to engage in his presidential campaign. Both politicians stressed at a press conference Friday there was no contract prior to their talks on Religa's resignation. They said Religa's support was a "gift from the professor's heart". The present situation shows that I would not win the presidential elections, Religa said. He pointed to common or approximated elements of their election programmes. My running in presidential elections resulted from my understanding of my civic duties and not my personal ambitions, Religa explained. The renowned heart surgeon called on all Poles who have confidence in him to follow in his footsteps and support Tusk.

Goeriga Patrirch Ilya II in Warsaw

Warsaw, Sept. 4: Georgia's Patriarch Ilya II and Archbishop Sawa , the superior of the Orthodox Church in Poland met in Warsaw on Sunday after a service celebrated by the guest. During the meeting Archbishop Sawa stressed that Orthodox churches desire to join forces in the building of a sound world. He expressed the hope that the visit of Ilya II will contribute to the development of mutual cooperation and unity of the Orthodox Church. Also Patriarch Ilya II in his message to the faithful at the end of liturgy stressed the importance of his visit to further contacts. In his opinion the Orthodox Church in Poland has to meet challenges set by globalisation which may bring dramatic results if people lose faith and fail to preserve their own identity, tradition and culture. On Tuesday the patriarch is scheduled to meet Primate of Poland Cardinal Jozef Glemp and will be received by President Aleksander Kwasniewski .

Agrofert claims 77 mln euros in damages from PKN Orlen

Prague, Sept. 2: Czech firm Agrofert demanded 77 million euros in damages from PKN Orlen oil concern, after Orlen failed to agree to sell chemical assets of its Czech subsidiary Unipetrol, according to an internet service Euro Online on Friday.Euro Online quoted Agrofert chief Andrej Babis . According to the service PKN Orlen rejected the claims. In mid-August PKN Orlen head Igor Chalupec informed that the company set up a 376 million zlotys reserve to cover eventual risks resulting from contracts concluded with Agrofert and ConocoPhilips for selling part of Unipetrol assets. The related report was commented by some Czech media as a sign of backtracking on the contracts.

PKN Orlen, Zorlu Group submit bid for Turkish Tupras

Warsaw, Sept. 2: PKN Orlen, in conjunction with the Zorlu Group submitted a bid for Turkish Tupras oil maker in the ongoing privatisation process, the company said in a statement on Friday. The bid was submitted for the 51 percent stake in Tupras that is currently owned by the Turkish Privatisation Administration. Both PKN ORLEN and the Zorlu Group each have a 50 percent stake in the bidding consortium. Monitoring and assessing regional expansion opportunities in attractive markets is one of the three pillars of PKN ORLEN's strategy, the statement said. Tupras is the leading downstream oil company in Turkey, clearly

dominating the refining and wholesale segments.

Energy: more cooperation between producers and consumers

Warsaw, Sept. 2: More political cooperation between energy producing and consuming countries, more low-cost energy production and the introduction of modern technology to the energy sector are the main assumptions of a global energy market report by the RWE Group, owner of Poland's Stoen national electricity provider. According to the report around 75 percent of the world's oil consumption comes from imports, with respectively 70 and 68 percent of global oil and gas resources located in high-risk areas. According to RWE experts by 2030 the EU countries will have to import 80 percent of their gas, which may result in price hikes for consumers.The report, presented today at a press conference by Stoen CEO Harry Schur , will be disclosed in full at the 15th Economic Forum meeting beginning in Krynica on September 7.

28.2 percent of Poles surf the web, poll shows

Warsaw, Sept. 2: Some 28.2 percent of Poles over 15 and under 75 use the Internet, according to a survey by SMG/KRC conducted in the May-July 2005 period. Over 50 percent of the polled use the Internet everyday, 24.8 percent a few times a week, and 12.6 percent once a week. 65.9 percent of Poles use the Internet at home, 22.5 percent at work and 19.6 percent at school or university. Poles access the net by means of solid link in most cases (51.3 percent), only 12 percent use modem.The survey shows that men (53.3 percent) use the Internet more frequently than women (46.7 percent).

Professor Zimak appointed director of National Chopin Institute

Warsaw: Sept. 2: Professor Ryszard Zimak was appointed director of the National Chopin Institute by Culture Minister Waldemar Dabrowski on Friday. Managing the institute is the most important cultural task in Poland in the coming 5 years. Our main goal is the organization of the Year of Chopin's Heritage and celebrations marking his 200th birth anniversary in 2010, Dabrowski said. The National Chopin Institute was set up in 2001 as a state cultural institution to manage State-owned property associated with Chopin, organize concerts, scientific conferences and seminars and publish records with Chopin's music.

Kwasniewski criticizes Klaus's proposal on new EU name

Koniakow, Sept. 5: President of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski criticized Monday a proposal of Czech President Vaclav Klaus who suggested that the European Union should be called "an organization of European states". According to the Polish president, this proposal would mean regression as far as European integration was concerned. Europe must overcome the ongoing crisis with further enlargement and integration and not with going back to the existing organizations as we have the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the president said. We need more integration and more European cooperation in foreign policy and struggle for common security. In my opinion we should not go back on this road. (...) We should overcome the existing problems with determination and continue EU integration and enlargement, the Polish president stressed.

"Special status for Turkey instead of membership."

Warsaw, Sept. 5: The senators were not unanimous about Turkey's possible EU membership in the Senate which met Monday at its last session in this term of office. Tomasz Nowakowski of the European Integration Committee Office UKIE said that negotiations on the new financial perspective, the rejection by France and Holland of the Constitutional Treaty and the EU external policy, including cooperation with Ukraine and the possible EU membership of Croatia and Turkey were for Poland the most important issues under Luxemburg's presidency. Nowakowski said that Poland is not planning a debate on the EU constitution for the time being. He stressed that Poland succeeded in keeping up interest in Ukraine on the EU forum, and recalled that Poland comes out for starting membership negotiations with Croatia and Turkey. Negotiations with Turkey are to start on October 3. Senator Teresa Liszcz (Bloc Senate 2001) voiced the opinion that Turkey differing from Europe in religion and culture should not be admitted to the EU. "If Europe is to be a unity it must be based on common values, she argued. She proposed to create "a special status for Turkey instead of membership." Turkey's membership was supported by Maria Szyszkowska and Zbigniew Kulak (SLD-UP). "Turkey means also people. One should not divide people into better and worse. Each person should be given a chance, Turkish citizens, too," Kulak maintained. Nowakowski said that conclusion of negotiations on the new financial perspective and the EU special summit devoted to the European social model will be the most important issue for Poland under the British presidency. The Senate of the 5th term of office was hard-working, sensible and competent and proved that business-like work was possible without political struggle, Senate Speaker Longin Pastusiak told a press conference held to sum up the work of the chamber. Pastusiak stressed the Senate was necessary. It worked on 899 bills and submitted over 7,000 amendments, 83 percent of which were passed by the Sejm, he said. The Senate speaker stressed that the Senate work was necessary for the quality of the law in Poland.

Year of Ukraine in Poland

Warsaw, Sept. 5: Music will be accorded a prominent place in the programme of the Year of Ukraine. Ukrainian artists will present several dozen concerts, theatrical performances, film shows and exhibitions. The biggest evens will take place in Warsaw, Gdansk and Cracow. "Presentation of the Ukrainian culture in Poland is a return event for the Year of Poland held in Ukraine since March 2005," Adam Mickiewicz Institute head Maciej Domadski said. "Requiem for Larissa" by outstanding Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov will be in the programme of this year's Warsaw Autumn festival in Warsaw. Lvov's chamber orchestra "Leopolis" will perform in Warsaw, Poznan and Wroclaw. The Lvov Symphony Orchestra has already played at the ballet festival in Lodz. Ukrainian jazzman Enver Izmailov will come to Poland this autumn. Rock, folk and jazz groups will also perform. Theatre from Odessa will visit Gdansk and Warsaw and Cracow's National Museum will host an exhibition from Odessa. Ukrainian displays will also be organised in Zamosc and Walbrzych. Ukrainian films will be shown in Warsaw and Gdansk. Domanski also pointed to Polish-Ukrainian contacts in artistic education. Nearly 70 young Ukrainians have received "Gaude Polonia" Culture Ministry scholarships this year.

Iraqi soldiers have excellent skills

Divanija, Sept. 5: General Piotr Czerwinski, commander of the multinational Centre-South Division, said that soldiers of the Iraqi Army's 8th Division, trained by his subordinates, present excellent skills. Czerwinski addressing a meeting with twenty sheikhs from Babil, Kadisija and Wasit provinces, said that the multinational force has prepared over 20 thousand Iraqi soldiers. He added that the training process is continued and is developing. The Polish general stressed that he is convinced that security in Iraq will visibly improve thanks to the development of the country's army. "I am sure that when the Iraqi army takes full responsibility for the security of the Iraqi people you will be able to sleep without fear for life or health," Czerwinski said. According to the multinational force sources, the Iraqi soldiers will be fully prepared and trained in mid-December. Apart from soldiers the Centre-South Division also trains policemen and border guards.

Finance Ministry lowers excise tax on fuels

Warsaw, Sept. 5: The Finance Ministry has decided to lower the excise tax on fuels by 25 groszes (0.07 USD) per litre as of September 15. Minister Miroslaw Gronicki said Monday he expects that following the tax cut the pomp price will fall by some 30 groszes. He added that the budget will lose some 400 million zlotys in budget revenues by the end of the year but earlier the budget recorded bigger income due to higher than expected fuel prices. Gronicki hopes that the tax cut should contribute to the acceleration of economic growth in the second half of the year.

Fitch: PLN may be replaced by EUR in 2010

Warsaw, Sept. 5: The Polish zloty may enter the ERM2 mechanism between 2006 and 2007 and may be replaced by the euro in 2010, according to analysts of the Fitch rating agency. "Poland may realise its goal and adopt the euro in 2009 but this would require a clear-cut policy and a rapid fiscal adjustment after the elections. That is why 2010 will be more likely, wrote the agency in its latest report. The Marek Belka government planned to replace the zloty with the euro in 2009.

Unemployment rate falls in August to 17.8 pct

Warsaw, Sept. 5: Unemployment rate in August 2005 fell to 17.8 pct from 17.9 pct in July 2005, deputy Economy and Labour Minister Jacek Mecina told PAP on Monday. According to the ministry's predictions in September unemployment will fall to 17.5 pct and at the end of the year to 17.2-17.3 pct. According to the Central Statistical Office GUS the number of jobless at the end of July was at 2,809.0 thousand people and unemployment rate fell to 17.9 pct from 18.0 pct in June. Official data on the labour market will be released in the third decade of September.

Expo 2005: 1.3 mn visitors in Polish pavilion

Warsaw, Sept 5: About 1.3 million visitors are expected to visit the Polish pavilion at the Expo 2005 world exhibition in Aichi, Japan, until the end of September, the Polish Chamber of Commerce (KIG) said on Monday. The exhibition will close on September 25.Marek Kloczko from KIG informed that so far 1.13 million people have visited the Polish pavilion in Aichi.

Mazowsze, Hebei provinces set ground for cooperation

Warsaw, Sept. 5: Representatives of the Polish Mazowsze and Chinese Hebei provinces signed a letter of intent regarding a future agreement on economic cooperation.The document was signed by the governor of Hebei province Ji Yunshi and Mazowsze province speaker Adam Struzik. According to Struzik the cooperation accord should be signed during a year. He expressed hope that the present initiative will encourage Polish and Chinese businessmen to increase bilateral contacts. Earlier this year, a cooperation agreement was signed between Malopolskie and Jiangsu provinces, while last May Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Gdansk Xu Min met with Warminsko-Mazurskie province chief to discuss cooperation of local companies with Chinese partners in such branches as tourism, agriculture and the wood industry. According to official statistical data imports from China grew 41 per cent in 2004 reaching the value of 4.6 billion USD while Polish exports to China grew by 120 per cent to 556 million USD.

Decision on place of LG Philips new investment within weeks

Katowice, Sept. 5: A decision on whether Poland will continue to remain in the sphere of interest of LG Philips concern now looking for an investment site in east-central Europe will most likely fall within the next two weeks, Economy Minister Jacek Piechota said on Monday. A Polish government delegation met with LG Philips' reps at the end of August. One possible location is the Kobierzyce commune near Wroclaw, south-west Poland. The South Korean concern is looking for a place to build a new factory to make LCD tv sets. The investment's value is estimated at 1 billion euros.

UPC to install fast online access

Warsaw, Sept. 5: On September 1 the UPC Polska cable television operator introduced a 12Mb/sec. online access service. The to-date fastest internet connection in Poland (6Mb/sec. earlier) was offered by national operator TPSA. UPC deputy CEO Marek Sowa told PAP that the new link will bring Poland closer to the technical capacity of the European internet market. The connection speed may seem shocking but Norway already has a 26Mb/sec. connection, Sowa said.

Affiliated Computer Services to create 500 jobs

Cracow, Sept. 5: U.S. Affiliated Computer Services will set up a business process outsourcing centre in the Cracow special economic zone and create 500 new jobs. Affiliated Computer Services of Poland, a newly established entity to carry out operations in Poland, has received a permit to operate in the Cracow zone. Cracow will join a list of 750 cities where the company has its branches, Krystyna Sadowska from the zone said. Affiliated Computer Services employs 43 thousand people worldwide.

Sales of delivery cars and trucks down

Warsaw, Sept. 5: The sale of delivery cars and trucks fell by 5.2 percent in the first seven months of 2005 in relation to the comparative period of 2004 and totalled 25,312 vehicles, Samar company monitoring the automotive market has reported. Compared to the same period of 2003 the sales went up by 4,964 vehicles. Delivery cars and trucks made in Poland constitute 25 pct of all such vehicles sold on the domestic market. Fiat had a 45 pct share in this market, followed by Volkswagen (18.7 pct), Opel (10.8 pct) and Peugeot (9.5 pct).

Work on Brody-Plock pipeline business plan to start this month

Warsaw, Sept. 5: Still in September a consortium of consultants will start work on feasibility and a business plan concerning the extension of the Odessa-Brody pipeline to Plock, general director of the international Samartia Polish-Ukrainian enterprise Cezary Filipowicz said. The consortium is composed of consultant firms from Finland, Germany and Greece, namely, SWECO PIC, ILF GmbH and KANTOR. The European Commission has granted 2 million euros for the project. The consortium will have six months to prepare a business plan. And then we will have six months to hold talks with potential investors and close the financing of the pipeline, Filipowicz said. According to analysts, this new stretch will reduce Poland's dependence on oil imports from Russia. But Casspian oil transported through Ukraine would be more expensive than Russian because of higher transport costs.

Kompania Weglowa to get 200 million zlotys

Katowice, Sept. 5: The first part of an operation aimed to raise Kompania Weglowa's capital by 200 million zlotys in cash from the Enterprise Restructuring Fund, should be concluded within several weeks, Economy Minister Jacek Piechota said on Monday. Later on the coal company is to receive Ciech and Weglokoks shares. Under a July government decision Kompania Weglowa was to receive a total of 900 million zlotys, including a package of a 36.68 pct stake in Ciech worth some 250 million zlotys and Weglokoks shares worth 450 million zlotys. Kompania Weglowa is Europe's biggest coal concern with 17 coal mines employing some 71 thousand people. During the past two years, employment was cut by 14 thousand.

"Preserving Memory" exhibition on forced labourers in Third Reich

Warsaw, Sept. 5: The exhibition "Preserving Memory" opened here on Monday documents the fate of nearly 3 millions Poles who worked as slave and forced labourers for the German Third Reich. The exhibition has been organised by the Polish-German Reconciliation Foundation with the support of the German Historical Institute in Warsaw, in cooperation with the National Remembrance Institute and the Berlin Historical Workshops. The opening in Warsaw's Royal Castle was attended by PM Marek Belka. The display will also visit Germany in future. Belka expressed the hope that the exhibition will help Germans to understand the Polish viewpoint of the Second World War and to build historical awareness of the united Europe. President Aleksander Kwasniewski wrote in his special message that forced and slave labour was one of the most shameful and sorrowful elements of WW2. According to historians over 2.8 million persons were deported from Poland to the Third Reich and the Nazi-occupied territories. Among them were between 300 thousand and 400 thousand POW's.

Gniezno Congress on dialogue with Judaism and Islam

Warsaw, Sept. 5: The 6th Gniezno Congress "Europe of dialogue - To be a Christian in a pluralistic Europe" will take place on September 16-18 in Gniezno. The congress organizers (the Saint Adalbert Forum) told a press conference in Warsaw that opening to dialogue with Judaism and Islam will become a new element on the Congress. A common care for spiritual image of Europe will be symbolised by a common prayer of Jews, Christians and Muslims, the first one in Poland, in Gniezno on September 17. The programme of the congress provides for numerous debates concerning European issues held under the patronage of John Paul II, the master of contemporary dialogue and the father of the unifying Europe, as the organisers put it. The congress will attract some 700-800 people from 15 European countries including leaders of the opinion-making Christian circles from 150 organisations, known politicians, artists and mass media representatives from the West and the East. Head of the organisational committee Marcin Przeciszewski stressed that the congress is to provide an answer to the question why Christian should hold a dialogue with Europe. Deputy head of the Muslim Religious Association in Poland Jozef Konopacki noted Muslims have been invited to the congress for the first time ever that is why the congress may show Europe how inter-religious dialogue looks like. Leader of the Jewish Community of Poland Piotr Kadlcik stressed that people have to learn to talk to each other irrespective of their denomination to make the world a better place to live. The 1st Gniezno Congress was held in March of the year 1000 when Empire Otto III arrived at the grave of his friend and Christian martyr St. Adalbert. The 2nd congress was held in June 1997, the 3rd in March 2000, the 4th in March 2003 and the 5th in March 2004.

Jan Jagielski receives Jewish culture protection award

Warsaw, Sept. 5: Jan Jagielski, chemist and activist in the area of the Jewish culture, has received the 2005 Jan Karski and Pola Nirenska award for his services for the protection of material vestiges of the Jewish presence in Poland, the Jewish Historical Institute said. Jagielski is a co-founder of the Social Committee for the Protection over Cemeteries and Monuments of the Jewish Culture. He chairs the Eternal Remembrance Foundation. Jagielski wrote books about Jewish buildings in Warsaw, about the Warsaw ghetto, the Warsaw Jewish cemetery and articles about Jewish magazines in Poland and abroad.

Italian critics hail Zanussi's new film shown in Venice

Rome, Sept. 5: Critics in the Monday issues of the biggest Italian newspapers carry enthusiastic reviews from Poland's Krzysztof Zanussi's film "Persona non grata" shown in the competition in the Venice Film Festival last Sunday. Natalia Aspesi, La Repubblica's well-know critic found Zanussi's work "beautiful, original, and deserving Golden Lions." She recalled that the Polish director has already won the top prize in Venice for his "Year of the Quiet Sun" in 1984. Discussing Zanussi's new film she described it as "bitter, coming out against American society and conscience-gnawing consumerism". Yet Aspesi is convinced that Zanussi's new film showing frustrations and threats at the same time brings hope for a better future. Aspesi also praises Zbigniew Zapasiewicz and Russia's Nikita Mikhalkov for their excellent performances. The newspaper quotes a statement of the Polish director who referring to the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity union, admits that "our hopes brought a certain disappointment because we were not consistent, strong and integrated enough to carry out the changes that we strove for." "Persona non grata" also impressed Tulio Kezich, the critic of "Corriere della Sera" who declared that the film marks the Polish director's return to great artistic form. He is equally enthusiastic about the role of Zapasiewicz and Mikhalkov.

Ministry seeks 14 Poles in connection with Katrina

Warsaw, Sept. 5: The foreign ministry reported Monday that 14 Poles remain unaccounted for after Katrina hurricane swept and destroyed the south eastern coast of the U.S. Spokesman for the ministry Aleksander Checko appealed to all people for conveying information about Poles to all Polish missions on the territory of the U.S. Polish diplomatic missions assisted 37 Poles including 12 requiring direct assistance - seven were transported to Washington and five to Florida, from where they are to leave for Poland. Successive 11 do not require the assistance of Polish consulates.

Poland offers aid to U.S. tornado victims

Warsaw, Sept. 5: Polish foreign minister Adam Rotfeld in a Monday letter to U.S. secretary of state Condoleeza Rica offered Polish aid to tornado victims in New Orleans, the ministry informed. In his letter Rotfeld asked Rice for instructions concerning the type of help required. Earlier today the EC informed that 12 EU countries have offered aid to U.S. regions recently devastated by Tornado Katrina in answer to a U.S. appeal for help to the EU. To date aid has been offered by Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Holland, Sweden, Britain and EU candidate Romania.

Police detain Germany's consul general attacker

Gdansk, Sept. 5: Police apprehended a 51-year old man who is suspected of complicity in an attack on Germany's consul general Ute Minke-Koenig in Gdansk on Sunday. The consul and her husband were beaten while taking a walk in Gdansk by two attackers who stole a camera from them.The consul and her husband suffered minor injuries and have been discharged from hospital.

President on weight loss

Wisla, Sept. 5: There are no secrets here, just 5 months of very strict dieting, president Aleksander Kwasniewski said on vacation in south-Polish Wisla commenting his visible weight loss. The press earlier today suggested Kwasniewski had undergone plastic surgery. Such gossip can be harmful as it raises confidence in various quack doctors who claim plastic surgery is a path to happiness, Kwasniewski said in reply to the rumours. The president is currently spending his time "very actively" on mountain trekking near Wisla and had scaled two peaks.

Georgia's Patriarch meets Polish leaders

Warsaw, Sept. 6: President Aleksander Kwasniewski on Tuesday received the Patriarch of Georgia Ilya II . The president expressed satisfaction with the developing contacts between the Orthodox Churches of Poland and Georgia. He stressed Poles' liking of Georgians and support granted by the country and its citizens to the Georgian democratic processes. The president assured his guest about Poland's further support for Georgia and its citizens. Earlier in the day Georgia's Patriarch Ilya II, in Poland since Friday met with Primate of Poland, Cardinal Jozef Glemp . Ilya II said that the meeting was an occasion to stress the brotherly relations between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Primate Glemp said that contacts with the Georgian Church, established thanks to Archbishop Sawa , the superior of the Orthodox Church in Poland, may be full of content and allow for dialogue. The key goal of the visit of Georgia's Patriarch to Poland is establishing closer contacts and cooperation between the Orthodox Churches of Poland and Georgia. Later in the day the guest met with President Aleksander Kwasniewski who expressed satisfaction over the favourably developing relations between Polish and Georgian Orthodox Churches. Ilya II expressed his satisfaction with the course of his Polish visit and meetings with representatives of the Polish Orthodox Church. The Patriarch conveyed to Kwasniewski greeting from President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili

Cimoszewicz discusses EU, Belarus with Ukrainian politicians

Kiev, Sept. 6: Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz met here Tuesday with Ukrainian politicians to discuss Ukraine's relations with the European Union. According to Cimoszewicz the EU may be interested in the continuation of political reforms in Ukraine. "These are issues of key importance from the point of view of guarantees for the democratic system," Cimoszewicz told Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Volodymyr Lytvyn and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Boris Tarasiuk . According to spokesman for the Ukrainian foreign ministry Vasyl Filiptchuk , Cimoszewicz assured Tarasiuk of Poland's unfailing desire to develop the strategic partnership with Kiev irrespective of the results of the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Talks with Lytvyn centred on plans to hold a trilateral Polish-Ukrainina-Lithuanian parliamentary assembly soon. In tune with the proposal of the Polish speaker it should be devoted to the situation in Belarus. Lytwyn and Cimoszewicz agreed that cooperation between Polish and Ukrainian MPs contributed to the intensification of Polish-Ukrainian dialogue. In the afternoon the Polish Sejm speaker received the honorary doctor's degree of the Metchnikov University in Odessa for singular contribution to the development of Polish Ukrainian relations. Cimoszewicz was scheduled to be received by President Viktor Yushchenko but the visit was postponed for late evening owing to the internal situation in Ukraine.

Government adopts draft budget for 2006

Warsaw, Sept. 6: The government on Tuesday adopted an initial draft budget for 2006 and sent it to the Trilateral Commission, Prime Minister Marek Belka said. "We adopted the draft budget for 2006 so that it could be consulted at the Trilateral Commission composed of the government, trade unions and employers' representatives, the PM said following a cabinet meeting. He added that the government plans to adopt the draft budget before the end of September so that it could be sent to the Sejm on September 30. The discussion on the budget largely concerned how to deal with the recent parliament decision (the law on miners' pensions) which dramatically complicated the work on the budget as it meant that revenues will be smaller by more than 3 bn PLN or that the spending will increase by that sum. He also said that the government congratulated the finance minister on the bold decision on cutting excise tax on gasoline but did not excluded the tax may go up next year. The finance minister said that budget deficit in 2006 would grow to 32,575 mn PLN from 30,833.7 mn PLN planned in 2005. The finance ministry plans spending in 2006 at 221,803 mn PLN against 209,704 mn PLN this year. Budget revenues are to grow to 189,228 mn PLN from 178,870 mn PLN in 2005.

Borys and Tusk talk about Belarus with EU ambassadors in Warsaw

Warsaw, Sept. 6: Leader of the Union of Poles in Belarus Andzelika Borys and Citizens' Platform PO leader Donald Tusk met with the EU countries ambassadors accredited in Warsaw. On Thursday the two will meet with European Parliament deputies in Strasbourg.Upon leaving the British Embassy Borys said she was glad that the EU ambassadors received her "very positively and very warmly," but declined to speak aboutresults of the meeting. She said, it is important that the Poles and the Polish government "supporting us were supported by the European Union." Tusk did not say whom he and Borys are going to meet in Strasbourg but added that efforts are made to give those meetings possibly most important dimension. Eurodeputy Jacek Saryusz-Wolski told PAP that Borys and Tusk will meet with the EP delegation for Belarus and probably also with Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis . Tusk added that judging by German ambassador's words spoken at the meeting it is important that Europe does not consider the Belarussia issue as a Polish but also a European matter.

F-16 flight brigade gets new commander

Poznan, Sept. 6: General Andrzej Blasik Tuesday took over command of the 2nd Tactical Flight Brigade in Poznan, west Poland, the first Polish airforce unit to receive F-16 fighters. The brigade's to-date commander, general Anatol Czaban , said that the brigade currently had 51 pilots trained to fly F-16s. Blasik, 43, is a graduate of Poland'd military aviation college in

Deblin, the National Defense Academy, the Netherlands Defense College in Holland and the Air War College in Maxwell, U.S.A.

450,000 Poles work in the European Union

European Regional Fund for Mazury region

Olsztyn, Sept. 6: The north-eastern Warminsko-Mazurskie province will receive 95 million zlotys in subsidies from the EU Regional Development Fund for major road repair works in the region. Apart from road projects authorities of this tourist region also plan to build a new bridge and modernize a sewage treatment plant in the Milomlyn commune. The town of Mikolajki, one of the region's key yacht ports, plan to use EU funds to develop its sewage system as well as a water supply system.

ESA-95 standard public finance deficit at 3.2 pc of GDP in 06

Warsaw, Sept. 6: The public finance deficit will reach 3.2 percent of GDP in 2006, if measured in accordance with ESA-95 standard, Finance Minister Miroslaw Gronicki told reporters on Tuesday. Deficit of the public sector will reach 3.2 percent by ESA 95, Gronicki said following a government sitting on Tuesday. According to earlier statements by Gronicki, the deficit measured by Polish standards will be somewhere around 3.2-3.3 percent of GDP.The deficit level of 3.2 percent of GDP is one of the convergence criteria for Poland in its adopting the single currency.

LG. Philips to build LCD plant in Kobierzyce

Wroclaw, Sept. 6: LG. Philips concern announced on Tuesday it plans to a build liquid crystal displays LCD manufacturing plant in the Kobierzyce commune near Wroclaw, south-west Poland. The company wants to invest 429 million euros in Lower Silesia by the end of 2011. The screen maker investment will make LG. Philips the first international company in the LCD sector starting production in Europe. An investment agreement will be signed with the Polish government soon. The firm plans to open its first Polish division still in September 2005, while the factory proper will start in the first half of 2006 to turn out the first displays in the first half of 2007. The initial production is planned at 3 million sets annually. Meanwhile Economy Minister Jacek Piechota told reporters on Tuesday about another investment by the concern in Poland, namely a 369.5 million zlotys AGD plant to employ over 3,000 workers. Piechota announced that the two investments are to be folowed by six subcontractors facilities to the tune of some 800 million euros and employing over 12,000 people. This is the largest group of investments of this kind in Europe of late, Piechota said. He also disclosed the size of Poland's support for both investments: 99 million zlotys for the LCD project and 48.8 million zlotys for the AGD plant.The government on Tuesday adopted the programme of longterm support for the two investments.

Ustilug-Hrubieszow pipeline complete

Kiev, Sept. 6: The Ukrainian Naftogaz Ukrainy corporation and the Polish Oil & Gas Company (PGNiG) Tuesday completed the construction of a gas pipeline from Ustilug in Ukraine to Hrubieszow in southeast Poland. The 17-kilometre pipeline will be officially opened on September 10 in Ustilug and Hrubieszow.

Cheap airlines on the rise

Warsaw, Sept. 6: The Ryanair cheap airline carried over 3 million passengers in August, 27 percent more than last year, Ryanair officials informed Tuesday in Warsaw. Another cheap carrier, SkyEurope, informed that it processed over 480,000 travellers over July and August, 93 percent more than in the summer of last year. In winter SkyEurope will fly from Warsaw to Paris, London and Bratislava 6 times a week, to Rome and Milan 5 times a week and to Salzburg once a week. Ryanair will offer 2 daily flights to London from Gdansk, Rzeszow, Szczecin, Lodz, Poznan, Wroclaw, Bydgoszcz and Cracow, four weekly flights to Frankfurt from Gdansk and three from Rzeszow, and three weekly flights to Glasgow from Cracow.

Medyka border pass to be adjusted to EU standards

Przemysl, Sept. 6: Modernization work started Tuesday on the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing in Medyka. After modernization the checkpoint will be able to process more traffic, also improved will be the working conditions of customs teams, informed authorities in Rzeszow, southeast Poland. Planned among others is a new truck terminal and parking space for trucks, financed from the EU's Schengen fund. Also foreseen are upgrades on access ways to the checkpoint and new heating, water and power systems. Opened in 1946, Medyka is Poland's oldest border crossing to Ukraine. The current modernization is necessary to adapt the crossing to EU standards.

UniCredito introduces 11 bn shares

Warsaw, Sept. 6: UniCredito Italiano has introduced 11 billion shares on the Polish public floor. Over 4.5 billion are newly-issued shares, Poland's Securities and Exchange Commission

informed Tuesday. In a statement Tuesday the Commission wrote that the shares were freed for trading in connection with UniCredito's planned debut on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Zabrze coke plant sells to Austria

Zabrze, Sept. 6: The Zabrze Coke Plant in Zabrze, south Poland, on Tuesday sealed an agreement for supplies of over 4 million tons of coke to Austria's Voest Alpine metallurgical concern. The state-owned plant will supply the coke in tranches up to 2015. Also planned is the modernization of Zabrze's coking plant in Radlin.

22 Poles missing after Katrina hurricane

Warsaw, Sept. 6: Polish consular offices in Chicago and Washington are looking for twenty-two Poles missing after the strike of Katrina hurricane, Foreign Ministry reported on Tuesday. The ministry appeals for delivering any information concerning missing persons to Polish missions in the U.S. Taking into account the fact that new missings may occur and the previous ones may be cancelled, the real number of missing people is likely to change. The number of 22 missing Poles dates back to Monday evening - spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Aleksander Checko said on Tuesday.

Asian music at "Warsaw Autumn" festival

Warsaw, Sept. 6: Music from Asia will be in the main current of the 48th International Festival of Contemporary Music "Warsaw Autumn" held in Warsaw between Sept. 16 and 24, head of the festival Tadeusz Wielecki told a press conference on Tuesday. The programme includes over 80 world and Polish first performances of contemporary music, among them "Silence Cosmos" by Kee-Yong Chong of Malaysia and "Molds" by Kazuhiko Suzuki of Japan, music by outstanding composer Toshio Hosokawa and Misato Mochizuki , as well as Younghi Paan-Pagh of South Korea and Chinese composer Xu Yi . The inaugural concert at the National Philharmonic Hall will feature pieces by Toru Takemitsu of Japan and Quigang Chen of China performed by Slovak Radio Orchestra and soloists playing traditional Asian instruments. Other foreign ensembles to appear at "Warsaw Autumn" will include Ensemble Modern of Germany, Collegium Novum of Switzerland, the Seattle Chamber Players of the USA and Ensemble TIMF of Korea and Deutscher Kammerchor of Germany, and soloists: accordion virtuoso Teodoro Anzellotti , American drummer Steven Schick , British harp player, Japanese-born Naoko Yoshino and Polish soprano Agata Zubel . The concert by Japanese traditional instrument sho virtuoso Mayumi Miyata is expected as a special attraction of this year's festival, Wielecki said. "Warsaw Autumn" has been organised since 1956. It is the only contemporary music festival in Poland of international standing.

Poland - honorary guest at Moscow Int'l Book Fair

Moscow, Sept. 6: Poland is the guest of honour at the 18th International Book Fair that starts in Moscow on Wednesday. On the ocsasion the Russian public will have the opportunity to meet well-known Polish authors including Dorota Maslowska, Wojciech Kuczok and Jerzy Sosnowski. The Institute of the Book (Instytut Ksiazki) will be the host of the Polish stand and tens of Polish publishing houses will present their offer. The exhibition entitled the "Phenomenon of Solidarity," prepared by KARTA centre for the 25th anniversary of the trade union will be the integral part of the Polish stand. Also another exhibition devoted to Polish books writen about Russia and published in recent years will be open under the title "Poland-Russia."

At Crossroads of Cultures new festival in Warsaw

Warsaw, Sept. 6: At the Crossroads of Cultures, the first edition of a new festival is starting in Warsaw this Wednesday. Planned are art exhibitions, theatrical performances, film shows and

concerts by artists from France, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Germany and other countries. The event will go on till September 18. The aim of the festival is to acquaint Warsaw residents with cultures of other countries and people living in Poland's capital. We want to present art from the Caucasus, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, to make Warsaw inhabitants interested in the cultures of people whom we meet at streets of our city everyday, Malgorzata Naimska of Warsaw City hall said. Theatre spectacle "Secret" by French Cirque Ici will inaugurate the festival. It is a one-man show by Johann le Guillerme earlier acclaimed at the 2004 Festival in Avignon. Ukrainian music will be represented by Ruslana , the winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2004. A puppet theatre from Baku will show a comic opera "Arshin mal alan". Warsaw public will see the first Belarussian rock opera "Narodny Albom", planned are also concerts by Russian Symphony Orchestra, concerts of Jewish music and performances of the Czech theatre Continuo.

President, Prime Minister on construction of Russia-to-Germany pipeline

Warsaw, Sept. 7: President Aleksander Kwasniewski believes that the construction of a Russia-to-Germany northern pipeline, which would bypass Poland, cannot be described as Poland's success. According to the president, this is not good news for the EU, either. On September 8 Russia and Germany are expected to sign an initial agreement on the construction of the Russia-to-Germany pipeline, which would bypass Poland and Ukraine by running under the Baltic Sea. From the point of view of the EU, (...), and the EU common policy towards Russia, this is not a good thing when one EU country is conducting such policy. This is the policy conducted over our heads and over the EU as in fact this is a Russian-German project which is not included in the common European project, the president told Radio Zet on Wednesday. And this cannot be described as Poland's success, either. But we should remember that much will depend on the economic side of the project as even Germany still is not sure whether the venture can be economically effective, the president added. Speaking on the same subject Prime Minister Marek Belka said that "Poland failed to convince Germans that the project was harmful for them." "We did not manage to convince Germans that this is harmful for them as they have a different opinion on the project, Belka told a press conference on Wednesday.

"Polish-Russian relations get better"

Warsaw, Sept. 7: The recent tense situation in Polish-Russian relations has calmed down, Poland's and Russian Foreign Ministers Adam Daniel Rotfeld and Sergey Lavrov noted in a telephone conversation on Tuesday, foreign ministry's spokesman Aleksander Checko said. "The ministers noted with satisfaction that the tense situation of the recent weeks has calmed down," the foreign ministry's spokesman said. According to the ministers, the situation improved after a telephone conversation between Presidents Aleksander Kwasniewski and Vladimir Putin on August 12. The ministers also stressed the "significant role of the two foreign ministries in this positive process." On August 12, after a series of attacks on Polish diplomats in Moscow, President Kwasniewski told Putin about Poland's concern over the "escalation of tension, harmful for the interests of the two countries." Putin voiced the "will to cooperate in order to overcome tensions and misunderstandings."

"Poland needs people involved in Belarussian affairs"

Warsaw, Sept. 7: President Aleksander Kwasniewski said Wednesday that "several persons in Poland should try to become more deeply involved in Belarussian affairs." When asked about the involvement of presidential candidate Donald Tusk in Belarussian affairs, Kwasniewski said he hoped that Tusk's visit to Belarus was caused by an intention to help the Poles living there and was not part of an electoral campaign. Kwasniewski noted he had no impression that Tusk was an "outstanding specialist in Belarussian affairs." On Tuesday Tusk, and the ousted head of the Union of Poles in Belarus Angelika Borys , met ambassadors of EU states. Earlier Tusk met with Polish community in Grodno.

Angelika Borys offered post of honorary consul

Warsaw, Sept. 7: Prime Minister Marek Belka offered ousted head of the Union of Poles in Belarus Angelika Borys a post of Poland's honorary consul in Belarus. After a meeting with Borys, Belka stressed that Poland wants her to play a special role in Polish-Belarussian relations The Prime Minister said the function was not was meant to replace her work as the head of the Union of Poles in Belarus. "I am grateful and honoured, but I am the head of the Union of Poles in Belarus first of all," Borys said. "I want to thank the prime minister and all our fellow countrymen in Poland for help and solidarity with us." On behalf of the Polish authorities, the prime minister offered Poland's support for Ms Borys's activities, including material and legal help. He expressed recognition for her courage. Asked about plans to launch Radio Free Belarus, Belka said that legal problems have to be resolved first.

15th Economic Forum starts in Krynica

Krynica, Sept.7: A report entitled "New Europe. Report on transformation" prepared by Eurodeputy and former Polish Foreign Minister Dariusz Rosati inaugurated the Wednesday debates of the four-day 15th Economic Forum which started in Krynica on Wednesday. Some 1,500 participants from 40 countries arrived to discuss security, competition, relations between the EU and Russia and problems of the power sector in Central and Eastern Europe. The programme of the forum titled "European challenges: Europe's model and borders" provides for nearly 100 panel discussions on macro-economy, business, power engineering, international politics, science and culture. Economy Minister Jacek Piechota attending the forum told reporters that his ministry is negotiating ten new contracts with foreign investors, however the value of direct foreign investments may be below 10 billion zlotys (3.1 billion USD) this year, Economy Minister Jacek Piechota said on Wednesday. Piechota added that the signing of an investment agreement with LG on the building of a LCD tv plant is a question of several days. The concern plans to invest in Poland 429 million euros. Commenting the planned construction of a new gas pipeline between Russia and Germany the minister said that the decision cannot be blocked by third parties but added that new investments of such type could run through Poland in the forthcoming years. Treasury Minister Jacek Socha announced that by the end of his term in office the ministry will not be reviewing the possibility of lowering Treasury's share in Poland's largest retail bank PKO BP. Former Polish president Lech Walesa attending a panel discussion "European challenges: between tradition and modernity" calling for recognition of values and solidarity said that contemporary challenges for Europe are "rather simple" - balancing the level of development and the planning of such development.

Prime Minister says Europe's economy in good shape

Krynica, Sept. 7: Prime Minister Marek Belka addressing the 15th Economic Forum in Krynica on Wednesday said that surely one cannot say that Europe is in an economic crisis. According to the PM Europe remains to be the biggest regional economy in the world. "Europe's advantage is visible in her exports possibilities. Its an economy of stability and of world's highest social and environment standards," said Belka. He added that Europe's problem is the low pace of growth and high unemployment. However, he stressed that "such ripe economy is bound to have a low growth pace." The PM said that Europe is facing new challenges, including open and active economies of China and India and changes in price relations - growing prices of raw materials and cheap labour, and terrorism which the PM termed as "a privatized war."

2005 privatization revenues may be higher than expected

Krynica, Sept. 7: 2005 net privatization revenues may be higher han the expected 4 billion 439.2 million zlotys (1.4 billion USD). Treasury Minister Jacek Socha said that the budget target may be exceeded if the treasury manages to sell this year the Odra power plant and smaller amounts of shares in GZE and Warszawskie Elektrownie (Warsaw power plants).Net privatization revenues by the end of August reached over 1.6 billion zlotys.

"Compromise on EU budget possible this year"

Warsaw, Sept. 7: A compromise on EU budget for 2007-13 can be reached this year, according to Minister for European Affairs Jaroslaw Pietras . Pietras reiterated that Poland returns to its position from before the June EU summit, resigning from the concessions that were designed to help reach a compromise on the budget. Poland wants the ceiling to EU aid funding at 4 percent of the recipient country's GDP and provisions facilitating absorption of EU funds by Poland's poorest regions.

Ukraine's Prime Minister postpones visit to Poland

Kiev, Sept. 7: Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko will not come to Poland on Wednesday to attend the Economic Forum in Krynica. Earlier, Ukraine's President Victor Yushchenko cancelled his visit to Poland. Timoshenko might still come to Krynica on Thursday or Friday, her spokesman Vitaly Chepynoha said. He explained that the visit has been postponed in connection with the Wednesday sitting of the Ukrainian government and due to "the tense situation in the country." The Ukrainian delegation which already has left for the forum is headed by deputy PM Anatoliy Kinakh .

Foreign Ministry: Discussion on UN reform after next week summit

Warsaw, Sept. 7: Poland is for postponing a discussion on the reform of the United Nations' Security Council until after a UN summit next week, foreign ministry's director for UN Systems and Global Problems Piotr Ogonowski said Wednesday. The Poland's standpoint on the UN reform will be presented by President Aleksander Kwasniewski in New York. Kwasniewski will chair the work of one of four "round tables" during the summit.

Legnica wants to develop business ties with Ukrainian partners

Legnica, Sept. 7: Legnica commune is encouraging local businessmen to develop commercial contacts with partners from Ukraine. Commune authorities are planning to organize a special programme helping Poles in establishing business ties with partners from Ukraine. The programme has been prepared by Kiev experts from the Institute of Social Transformations, its key goal is the development of direct cooperation, especially economic ties directly between companies from Lower Silesia and cities of eastern Ukraine, spokesman for the Legnica town hall told PAP on Wednesday.

Germany: border control reductions unrealistic before 2007

Berlin, Sept. 7: The interior ministers of four German lands - Bavaria, Brandenburg, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt - Wednesday appealed to the German government not to relax control measures on the country's borders to Poland and the Czech Republic until both meet EU safety norms. Earlier EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini announced that border control on both frontiers will be lifted in 2007. According to the ministers Polish and Czech plans of fulfilling EU safety conditions by 2007 were "completely unrealistic". They also suggested that relaxed border laws will only be possible after an "objective assessment" of Poland's and the Czech Republic's fulfillment of EU norms. Among others, both countries will have to prove they are able to protect their frontiers with Ukraine and Belarus and participate in Schengen IT databanks, the ministers said. Non-fulfillment of the above requirement could result in a rise of organized crime in Germany, they added.

Merkel prints election ad in Opole weekly

Opole, Sept. 7: CDU candidate for the German Bundestag Angela Merkel will publish a pay advertisement in a bilingual Schlesisches Wochenblatt weekly that comes out in Opole region. According to head of the socio-cultural association of Germans at Opole Silesia Henryk Kroll this seems to be a good sign. If Ms Merkel becomes the chancellor the German minority will gain, Kroll told PAP on Wednesday. Out of 100,000 double passports holders (Polish and German) only some of them are entitled to vote in elections as apart from having the citizenship the voter is required to live in Germany for at least three months. Votes can be sent by post or cast in the German consulate in Opole, Kroll said.

LOT to pay 910 mn USD for 14 Boeing planes

Warsaw, Sept. 7: PLL LOT has chosen Boeing for the supplier of long-range planes, spokesman for LOT Leszek Chorzewski told PAP on Wednesday. The value of the purchase of 14 planes will amount to 910 mn USD. Chorzewski said that under a related agreement 7 Boeing 787-8 will be delivered. The agreement includes also the option for the purchase of two new planes and commercial rights for five successive machines. A statement issued by the company explains that 910 mn USD is the catalogue price without options and purchase rights. Owing to the purchase PLL LOT will be able to launch direct Warsaw - Los Angeles or Warsaw - Bangkog flights.LOT will be the first European airline to use the version 787 of

Boeing plane. Boeing won over European Airbus. In May LOT bought four Brasilian Embraer 175 planes.

Reserve assets up in August

Warsaw, Sept. 7: The official reserve assets went up in August by 105.3 million euros to 33 billion 830.2 million euros from 33 billion 724.9 million euros in July, the National Bank of Poland NBP announced on Wednesday.

Southern Coal Concern plans investments

Katowice, Sept. 7: The Katowice-based Southern Coal Concern (PKW) will invest around a billion zlotys (316 mn USD) in coal prospecting and new equipment. The company expects its first profits in 2007-2008, its CEO Grzegorz Pawlaszek said Wednesday. This year PKW plans to produce almost 5.2 million tons of coal, next year's target is 5.5 million. Planned in coming years are effectiveness-raising reforms. PKW was founded last January. Its main shareholders are the Southern Energy Concern (PKE) and the Coal Company.

Treasury: PGNiG privatisation not to affect state control

Warsaw, Sept. 7: The Polish Oil and Gas Mining (PGNiG) assets related to gas transmission will be controlled by the state after shares in the company are floated at the Warsaw Stock Exchange, the treasury ministry reported in a statement issued Wednesday. Plans for launching the shares in the company on the WSE shortly before parliamentary elections aroused concern of opposition parties that feared Poland's power sector safety could be endangered. Leader of the Citizen's Platform Jan Rokita had announced nationalisation of assets related to gas transmission if the present government gives them away to private people. The ministry recalled that "a number of mechanisms and safety measures ensuring the state influence at the unchanged or even bigger level" were introduced in the privatisation process. PGNiG shares are to be floated on September 23.

Railways seal modernization accords

Warsaw, Sept. 7: Two modernization agreements to the joint tune of 4,921,000 euros were sealed Wednesday between Poland's PKP national railways and the companies Skanska SA and Bombardier Transportation Poland. Planned is the construction of a 61-metre pedestrian subway at a railway station in Minsk Mazowiecki (Skanska) and the installation of automatic signalling systems on 16 railway crossings countrywide (Bombardier). 75 percent of both projects will be financed from EU funds.

Awards for Poland promoters

Warsaw, Sept. 7: Eighteen persons and institutions most successful in promoting Poland in the world Wednesday received special diplomas from foreign minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld . Among the laureates are Jas Mela , a handicapped teenager who reached the North and South Pole in one year, Jerzy Owsiak , leader of the Great Christmas Orchestra charity project, Four Cultures festival author Witold Knychalski and the rockband Myslovitz.

40th International Wratislavia Cantans Festival opens Friday

Wroclaw, Sept. 7: This year's 40th International Wratislavia Cantans Festival is starting in Wroclaw on Friday to run till September 18. For the first time the event will cross the borders

to reach the Czech Republic and Germany. Nearly 2,000 artists from 18 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Georgia, the USA and Great Britain will come, Lidia Geringer d'Oedenberg , general director of the festival told newsmen. All in all, 47 concerts will be held of which 19 in Wroclaw and 26 at other places, including Walbrzych (Poland) Olava and Goerlitz (Germany) and Hejnice (Czech Republic.) Outstanding soloists will perform: Jose van Dam, Dorothee Jansen, Joseph Malovany, Vincente Ombuena, Jadwiga Rappe and Elena Zaremba. The festival will be inaugurated by Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" conducted by Tadeusz Strugala, Krzysztof Penderecki will lead the world first performance of his Polish Requiem. Outstanding Polish conductor Jerzy Semkow will conduct Sinfonia Varsovia in Mahler's Symphony No. 3. Children will enjoy the production of Britten's "The Chimney Sweeper" prepared by Wroclaw actors and soloists. Lidia Geringer d'Oedenberg, now a European Parliament deputy, will celebrate her jubilee as the festival 10-year director and at the same time she will bid farewell to the Wratislavia Cantans admirers.

Congress of Polish Scientific Societies Abroad starts in Cracow

Cracow, Sept. 7: Representatives of Polish researchers residing abroad are gathering at the 1st Congress of Polish Scientific Societies Abroad which is starting in Cracow Thursday. The main aim of the meeting is to help establish contacts and cooperation between researchers of Polish descent. The congress is organised by the Polish Academy of Arts And Sciences (PAU) which wants to continue the tradition dating back to the 19th century, PAU President Professor Andrzej Bialas said. There is an enormous Polish scientific potential dispersed abroad at present. The PAU wants to create a forum of discussion and exchange of experience and the Academy seems to be a natural forum, Professor Bialas said. The Cracow congress will gather about 50 representative of the Polish Scientific Institute of New York, the Polish University Abroad in London, the Polish Library of Paris, as well as organisations from Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova. A Forum of Polish Students from Abroad and an exhibition "Ignacy Domeyko, Citizen of the World" will accompany the congress.

Stuhr receives Bresson Award in Venice

Rome, Sept. 7: Polish famous actor and film director Jerzy Stuhr has received the Robert Bresson Award granted by the Pontifical Council for Culture. Stuhr received the prize from Patriarch of Venice cardinal Angelo Scola during the Film festival in Venice on Wednesday. "The work of Jerzy Stuhr is a meaningful proof of the search for spiritual meaning in the world of cinema," the justification of the verdict reads. Jerzy Stuhr is the sixth person to receive the Bresson Award. Earlier it was granted to Giuseppe Tornatore, Manoel de Oliveira, Theo Angelopoulos, Krzysztof Zanussi and Wim Wenders.

12th Clean Up the World campaign

Warsaw, Sept. 7: Recycling In All Colours is the main slogan of this year's 12th Clean Up the World campaign on September 16-18, to focus on waste segregation. The campaign's title refers to the Polish government's recent decision to unify waste container colours to make segregation easier. This year's Clean Up the World will also initiate a longterm Public Ecological Education Programme authored by Clean Up the World organizer the Our Earth Foundation.

PAH lauches money-raising action for Katrina victims

Warsaw, Sept. 7: The Polish Humanitarian Action PAH is launching a money-raising campaign for Katrina victims. The funds will be destined for the reconstruction of one of public utility buildings destroyed by the hurricane. "We plan to offer the money for the reconstruction of a destroyed school, a kindergarten, a hospital or other building of that kind," PAH head Janina Ochojska told PAP Wednesday. The US Embassy suggested not to send relief in kind, such as medicines, blankets etc. because of high transport costs, Janina Ochojska explained. The fund raising will continue till October 21. Donations may be paid into the account: BPH 42 1060 0076 0000 3310 0008 4935 with a note "Katrina". According to the Polish Foreign Ministry there are still 22 Poles unaccounted for after Hurricane Katrina hit the USA, but that number may be reduced to 17 as soon as the Polish consular office in Chicago confirms the information that a five-member family from the list of missing was located safe outside the hurricane-hit area.

Politicians on construction of Russia-to-Germany pipeline that bypasses Poland

Krynica, Warsaw, Sept. 8: Prime Minister Marek Belka said Thursday that the construction of a Russia-to-Germany northern pipeline, which would bypass Poland, creates a problem for Poland. We are not very glad as this is a problem of sorts for us, Belka said during a panel discussion of the 15th Economic Forum in Krynica. It seems that this is rather a political problem and not an economic one, Belka said. According to experts, the Baltic pipeline will be much more expensive than the one going through Poland but Russia is in a very good financial situation and Gazprom has a lot of money, Belka added. President Aleksander Kwasniewski described the project as bad for ecological reasons, with serious economic and political defects. According to Kwasniewski, the project carries a risk for Baltic's environment in case of a damage and is less effective than other ways of gas delivery. He criticised the pipeline decision as taken without consultations with Poland and the Baltic states and thus inspiring suspicions that the dimension of the project is predominantly political and is designed to reduce the role of Poland and the Baltic states in Europe's energy system. Sejm speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said Poland's opinion concerning the pipeline remained negative. Speaking to reporters in Warsaw on Thursday Cimoszewicz appealed to politicians to work out a common Polish position on the project. Deputy Economy Minister Malgorzata Ostrowska said in Krynica that Poland did not have any influence on what had happened. Poland could not do anything as this was a business decision. Poland was not the side of the deal, she said.The pipeline deal is expected to be ratified when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Germany on Thursday.

Kwasniewski talks to Yushchenko on Ukrainian government crisis

Warsaw, Sept. 8: President Aleksander Kwasniewski told journalists Thursday that his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yushchenko in a phone talk acquainted him with the background of the current government crisis in Ukraine. Kwasniewski said that it appears from Yushchenko's words that changes in Ukraine are nothing unusual, and "we share this opinion," Kwasniewski said. These changes are an expression of difficult processes which we

know in Poland, connected with the political and economic transformation, the Polish president told a press conference. At the same time they are one of elements of the current campaign prior to the parliamentary elections due in March 2006, he added. Kwasniewski said that Prime Minister Marek Belka talked with the outgoing Ukrainian Prime Minister on Thursday. "The events in Ukraine should not be disregarded but also should not be exaggerated," Kwasniewski said. He is convinced that the changes in the Ukrainian government do not mean a step back from democratisation, market reforms and pro-European and pro-Atlantic orientation. According to Kwasniewski the Thursday developments in Ukraine should not change EU's policy vis a vis that country, especially as regards support for Ukranian EU aspirations. The president expressed such stand in a phone talk with Javier Solana , EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Kwasniewski stressed that Polish-Ukrainian relations will not suffer because of the governmental changes in Ukraine, neither should be corrected in any way. Acting Prime Minister Yury Yekhanurov has Polish roots, is "friendly towards Poland" and has since long supported economic cooperation between the two countries. Kwasniewski also stressed that Ukraine is Poland's strategic partner and political relations between the two countries have a "model character on the European Union scale". The president praised economic cooperation between Poland and Ukraine and in this context he mentioned Ukrainian investments in Warsaw's Zeran car factory and in Czestochowa steelworks. The Polish president assured in conclusion that Ukraine may "count on Poland today and in the future".

Piechota hopes for better cooperation with new Ukrainian cabinet

Krynica, Sept. 8: Economy Minister Jacek Piechota hopes that Poland's economic cooperation with the new Ukrainian government will be better than in the case of the dismissed Yulia Timoshenko's cabinet. Piechota recalled several problems in contacts with the Tymoshenko cabinet, when Polish entrepreneurs were unexpectedly deprived of privileges in special economic zones in Ukraine where they invested some 200 million USD. Equally surprising for Poland was Timoshenko's decision to halt without warning oil supplies to Poland's southern refineries. Piechota noted that Ukraine's new prime minister has economic and administrative experience which is a good sign for future cooperation with Poland. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasiuk recalled his visit to Poland planned for Thursday and Friday, Ukrainian foreign ministry's press services in Kiev reported.

Polish Prime Minister meets Azerbaijan's deputy Prime Minister

Warsaw, Sept. 8: Bilateral relations and economic issues, including oil deliveries, were discussed by Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka and Azerbaijani deputy Prime Minister Abid Sharifov during the 15th Economic Forum in Krynica, the Government Information Centre reported on Thursday.The two politicians stressed the role of intergovernmental contacts and socio-political organizations of both countries. Both PMs agreed that it was necessary to set up a bilateral mixed Polish-Azerbaijani commission for economic cooperation and trade exchange.

Minister Rotfled addresses OSCE anniversary session

Warsaw, Sept. 8: Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld Thursday attended a conference devoted to the 30th anniversary of the signing of the CSCE Final Act entitled "The Roots of the European Security System: Thirty Years Since The Helsinki Final Act," the foreign ministry wrote in a statement. The conference, organised by the Centre of Studies on Security in Zurich, is to review the OSCE most important achievements in building security in Europe and the promotion of human rights. In a lecture inaugurating the debates "The Helsinki Process: Status Quo versus Fundamental Change" the Polish foreign minister stressed the role of CSCE in peaceful transformation in central and eastern Europe. The minister said that apart from the inefficiency of the totalitarian system which led to the formation of the Solidarity trade union the Helsinki process created external conditions and provided legal basis and support for operations of the democratic opposition. Owing to CSCE procedures human rights and access to information ceased to be the exclusive domain of the state which considerably weakened communist systems in Europe and created climate favourable to the formation of Solidarity. The minister stressed that the rule of law and human rights have become the core of international interest and in this context he expressed concern about the situation in Belarus. The conference will last till September 10.

Poland and NATO on meeting of defence ministers

Warsaw, Sept. 8: Polish Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski held a phone conversation with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Sheffer early this morning, Polish Defence Ministry reported on Thursday. The two discussed the state of preparations for of an informal meeting of NATO defence ministers, to take place on September 13-14 in Berlin.

Corner stone laid for future NATO training centre

Bydgoszcz, Sept. 8: Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski on Thursday laid a corner stone for the construction and modernisation of the facilities of the NATO Joint Force Training Centre - JFTC. "The JFTC is the biggest NATO investment in Central and Eastern Europe and the first element of the structure of command in this area," Szmajdzinski said. "It is also a milestone on the road towards a full integration of the Alliance new members with the old ones," he added. The centre will train officers of the NATO member-states and of Partnership for Peace. It is expected that groups of about 400 persons each will attend one of several-week training courses annually. The centre will cover nearly 6 hectares near an airport several kilometres away from the city centre. There is a large park and a palace in the premises, to serve as a conference venue. The Centre will get 4.5 m euros from NATO budget annually. The ceremony on Thursday was attended by General Grigorios Triantyfyllidis representing the NATO Secretary General.

Sejm deputy speaker meets with Belarussian parliamentarian

Warsaaw, Sept. 8: Sejm Deputy Speaker Jozef Zych on Thursday received leader of the International Affairs Committee of the National Assembly Council of the Belarus Republic, Nikolai Cherginets , on a visit to Poland. The two discussed current relations between Poland and Belarus, problems of economic, cultural, educational and tourist cooperation, the Sejm Chancellery reported. The politicians also discussed the need to work out a stand so that to remove tensions connected with the activities of the Union of Poles in Belarus. Polish-Belarussian relations should be the subject of regular contacts between parliamentarians of the two countries, it was stated. Zych was invited to pay a visit to Belarus. The visit will take place shortly. Belarussian Ambassador to Poland Pavel Latushka was present at the meeting.

Tusk and Borys: we want to build alliance for Belarus

Strassburg, Sept. 8: Ousted head of the Union of Poles in Belarus Angelika Borys and leader of the Citizens' Platform Donald Tusk met Thursday with deputies of the European Parliament and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis to present the situation of the Polish minority in Belarus. Europe and the world must be told there are human rights violations in Belarus. Without solidarity and help we will not survive, Borys said during a meeting with the European People's Party faction in the parliament. She also met with a European Parliament committee for Belarus. European Commission representative Anne Koistinen who attended the meeting said the commission was deeply concerned by the situation in Belarus and stressed it wanted to support civic society and democratization. "Step by step we want to build an alliance of the public and political opinion in Europe for the protection of national minorities in Belarus. We do not have a special hope for a quick breakthrough," said Tusk after the meeting. Following a meeting with Davis Tusk did not conceal that it did not bring concrete results but stressed it was good Davis learned about the situation of national minorities in Belarus. Tusk rejected charges that his visit to Strassburg was part of his election campaign. Such charges are an expression of shame or helplessness, he added.

IMF: Poland should join euro zone

Krynica, Sept. 8: Introducing the euro Poland may profit most out of all EU newcomers, believes Susan Schadler of the International Monetary Fund IMF. Addressing a Thursday panel "The road of central and east European countries to Euro," held as part of the 15th Economic Forum in the Polish mountain resort of Krynica, Schadler said that adopting the euro will increase Poland's trade exchange and state revenues as well as decrease transaction costs. It will also make the economic policy more predictable. She stressed that postponing the adoption Poland may run the risk of losing investments that will be located in rival countries. Professor Willem Buiter of London School of Economics warned that keeping national currencies was a luxury. According to government plans Poland is to join the euro zone in 2009 if it meets Maastricht's criteria in 2007.

Monetary Council: euro zone possible before 2010

Warsaw, Sept. 8: Poland has a chance to join the euro zone before 2010, Monetary Policy Council (RPP) member Andrzej Slawinski said Thursday on the TVN 24 news channel. 2010 seems more likely than 2012. I'm optimistic here because all we've still to fulfil are the fiscal criteria. And it looks as if the parties that will form the next government will meet them, Slawinski said. Meanwhile Poland's expected election winners, the centrist Citizens Platform (PO) and conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS), have not yet reached consensus on the matter, PO declaring the euro should be introduced as quickly as possible (2009) and PiS setting no date and reluctant to "rush the issue".

Finance Ministry pays 3.2 mn USD and 8.5 mn euros in debt interest

Warsaw, Sept. 8: The Finance Ministry paid 3.2 million USD and 8.5 million euros in interest on Poland's foreign debt in August 2005 as well as 1.5 million USD and 10.3 million euros in principal, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Interest payments chiefly covered credits of international financial institutions and Poland's T-bonds issued abroad. Principal payments covered exclusively international financial institutions.

Further 11 companies likely to debut on Warsaw bourse in 2005

Krynica, Sept. 8: Further 11 companies, including a foreign one, will likely debut on the Warsaw bourse by the end of 2005, Warsaw Stock Exchange president Wieslaw Rozlucki told journalists during the Economic Forum in Krynica on Thursday. "We are changing our estimates in plus as regards Polish companies and in minus as regards foreign ones. Ten Polish companies and no more than one foreign company are likely to debut on the bourse by the end of the year," Rozlucki said. The likely debutants include the PGNiG Oil and Gas Company, ZA Pulawy chemical company, ENEA energy group, Kozienice power station, Barlinek floor panel producer, Jago frozen food producer, Maks Sport sports shop chain, PC Guard IT company and Bolix construction material comapny. Rozlucki said that the Warsaw Stock Exchange could be privatised in the second quarter of 2006.

BPH and Pekao SA merger to take up to two years

Krynica, Sept. 8: A merger of BPH and Pekao SA banks will take up to two years, with a full integration phase likely to take 6 to 9 months, Andre Moneta , deputy head of the Pekao supervisory board, said. "We need 12, 18 or 24 months for a full merger of the two banks to take place," he said. In mid June UniCredito, Pekao SA owner, and HVB, BPH owner, cleared the merger plans. The merger has still to be approved by the Securities and Warsaw Stock Exchange Commission as well as the Banking Supervision Commission.

Three negotiators bidding for Dolna Odra power plant

Warsaw, Sept. 8: The state treasury ministry will be conducting parallel negotiations on privatising the Dolna Odra power station complex with the Polaniec power station-Electrabel group, Endesa Europa SL and Enel S.p.A, the ministry sa id in a communique on Thursday. The offer foresees the purchase of at least 10 percent of Dolna Odra. The previous tender, in 2003, was invalidated on the grounds that investors bids failed to meet the expectations of the state treasury. The Dolna Odra power plant produces and distributes electric and thermal energy. In 2004 it posted net profits of 14.8 million zlotys with sales revenues at 1.18 billion zlotys.

Experts: High oil prices in sight

Krynica, Sept. 9: Poland and the world have to be prepared for high oil prices, according to participants in a panel discussion on "The fuel sector: restructuring, investments and development" that was held in Krynica on Thursday.Opening the discussions, Igor Chalupec , president of the PKN Orlen fuel concern, said it is possible for oil prices to reach 80 USD per barrel. He blamed lack of big investments in the sector for the present imbalance on the fuel market.Deputy economy minister Malgorzata Ostrowska noted that oil prices hinder Poland's economic growth. Director of the Warsaw's Roland Berger office Artur Pielech stressed that fuel consumption is expected to grow 3 to 4 percent annually in Poland. He believed that there is no threat regarding Russia's oil supplies to Poland.

Jewish Culture Festival starts in Warsaw Sept. 15

Warsaw, Sept. 8: The 2nd Jewish Culture Festival, to be held in Warsaw between September 15 and 18, will feature scientific sessions, exhibitions, performances, workshops, meetings with authors and poetry evenings. The festival, entitled Singer's Warsaw will end with a concert given by Polish music stars including Ewa Bem, Beata Rybotycka, Bohdan Lazuka, Jacek Wojcicki and Janusz Tylman. The festival was held for the first time last October to honour the 100th birthday anniversary of Isaac Bashevis Singer , whose novels written in Yiddish brought him the Nobel Prize in literature in 1978.

Concert to commemorate Nine Eleven anniversary

Warsaw, Sept. 8: Christians, Jews and Muslims will perform in a concert commemorating the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington to be held in Warsaw on Sunday. The concert is titled "Indifferent people view differently." "Condemnation of (attacks) and focusing attention on facts that should not occur is what the concert is about" the leader of the Muslim commune in Bialystok Halima Szahidewicz said during a press conference in the headquarters of Polish Episcopate on Thursday. "Any violation of human life and health deserves to be condemned" she stressed. Polish Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich mentioned that this concert is intended to talk about 0 percent support for terrorism and 100 percent for tolerance. The concert is held under the patronage of the leader of Muslim Religious Federation in Poland Tomasz Miskiewicz, Polish Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich, the Chief Governor of the State Fire Force Piotr Buk and Warsaw Mayor Lech Kaczynski.

Pole elected head of Internationall Society for Archaeostromy

Warsaw, Sept. 8: Stanislaw Iwaniszewski of the Warsaw State Museum of Archaeology has been elected president of the International Society for Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture, ISAAC. The society, gathering scholars from around the world focuses on supporting the and dissemination of research of seemingly two very different disciplines, archaeology and astronomy.

Russia-to-Germany northern pipeline harmful

Warsaw, Sept. 9: President Aleksander Kwasniewski repeated on Friday that the construction of a Russia-to-Germany northern pipeline, which would bypass Poland, was in fact harmful. The president recalled that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder stressed on Thursday that "this cooperation is not directed against anyone." One should expect that this is not only a declaration and that it will be followed by some necessary steps, as for instance consultations, that should be attended by Poland and the Baltic states, the president told Radio One. Former Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek told Radio Zet that Poland must build as soon as possible the second stretch of the Yamal pipeline and that the Norewgian deal should be reviewed again. The point is to return to the project concerning the Yamal pipeline or the Amber pipeline which is very good for Poland as it is not going through Belarus but through the Baltic states. The two projects are good for Poland and four or five times cheaper that the Baltic pipeline. Buzek also added that Poland should examine again the Norwegian deal annulled in 2003. On Thursday German companies E.On AG and BASF AG and Russia's Gazprom sealed an agreement to build a Baltic Sea gas pipeline.

Sejm committee wants special meeting on northern gas pipeline

Warsaw, Sept. 9: The Sejm Foreign Affairs Committee in a Friday resolution called for the holding of a special meeting of parliament to allow the government to present a report on the

contract on the construction of the northern gas pipeline signed by Russian and German companies in Berlin on Thursday. The resolution was prepared by Antoni Macierewicz , leader of the far-right Catholic National Movement (RKN). According to Macierewicz the contract threatens Poland's security and independence. The RKN leader also expressed his highest concern over the government of Prime Minister Marek Belka approach to the issue.

Polish proposals on UN reform

Warsaw, Sept. 9: President Aleksander Kwasniewski will present Poland's position on UN reforms at next week's UN General Assembly session in New York. The UN session, to begin Wednesday, will discuss in house reforms, especially of the UN Security Council, whose enlargement proposed by the so-called G-4 Group (Germany, Japan, Brazil, India) has been opposed by the U.S. and China. Poland is among the 24 countries backing G-4. The four countries have proposed the Security Council's enlargement by the G-4 countries and two African states, who would, however, have no veto right like the "old" Council members (the U.S., Russia, France, Britain and China). Kwasniewski said today on Polish Radio One that no final decisions regarding Security Council reforms should be expected at the New York meeting. In his UN address Kwasniewski is also expected to touch upon the idea of Solidarity as a Polish contribution to European and international relations, and issues like hunger, poverty and failing security.

Foreign investments to grow to USD 10 bn in 2005

Warsaw, Sept. 9: Foreign investments will grow to close to 10 billion USD in 2005, deputy economy minister Marcin Kaszuba said. At least 10 new investments are due to be announced by 25 September, including two U.S. investments and three in the automotive sector. In 2004 direct foreign investments grew by 23 percent to 7.86 billion USD, with close to 15,000 new jobs created by foreign investors.

Economic Forum on European challenges

Warsaw, Sept. 9: A solidarity-based financial policy, a common foreign and security policy and further EU enlargement are the main paths to overcoming the EU's current crisis, Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski said Friday at the 15th Economic Forum in Krynica, south Poland. Kwasniewski said at a panel debate on European challenges that the EU's present stalemate was the result of France's and Holland's rejection of the Constitution Treaty, he also advocated "further expansion of European ideas" as a way out of the situation. The Polish president also spoke out for admitting Bulgaria and Romania to the EU and mapping out access plans for Ukraine. He also critcized Poland's political elites for ignoring European topics in the ongoing election campaign. Lithuanian president Valdas Adamkus said his country's relations with Poland were an example for other EU members. I believe in the concept of an economically strong Europe developing in commonly-accepted directions, Adamkus said, adding that international cooperation should "be based on more openness". Adamkus expressed hope Bulgaria and Romania "make an effort to speed up their EU accession" and reminded that the EU faces "lengthy debates on Turkey". In his opinion no decisions regarding Tukey's EU membership were to be expected in the coming 3-4 years. Referring to Belarus Adamkus said that the country's prompt EU access was impossible for political and institutional reasons, but added that this "did not mean the EU was closing its doors" to Belarus. Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (Citizens Platform) accused Europe of "betraying its roots" in turning away from Christian values. Europe is full of hypocrisy, hedonism and consumerism and fails to see that it is shrinking as a democracy, Gronkiewicz-Waltz admonished, warning that if the situation continued Europe risked "a revolution of incomparably greater size that the 1968 social unrest in western Europe". She also suggested that Europe "did not really believe in democracy" as it tolerated human rights violations in Russia and Belarus. Belgian journalist Leopold Unger said the EU's crisis had many reasons, including lacking leadership.

EU and NATO entry prospects will consolidate Ukrainian democracy

Krynica, Sept. 9: Clearly defined prospects of Ukraine's presence in the EU and NATO will have a good effect on democratic processes in Ukraine, President Aleksander Kwasniewski said. "I believe that U.S. and European politicians have to say clearly that there is such prospect, without speaking about the dates, as these are processes," Kwasniewski said Friday during a panel discussion on "Promotion of democracy as a challenge for the European Union and the United States in the 21st century" at the economic forum in Krynica. The president appealed for supporting Ukraine in its overcoming problems connected with shifting to the market economy, and opening chances for young Ukrainians to study and travel in EU, by liberalising the EU visa regime. Kwasniewski called on his successor to continue his Ukrainian policy.

Investment agreement with LG. Philips signed

Warsaw, Sept. 9: An agreement between the Polish government and LG. Philips concern on its planned investment in the Kobierzyce commune near Wroclaw, south-western Poland, was signed in Warsaw on Friday. The agreement was signed by representatives of LG.Philips, the

finance, treasury, infrastructure and economy ministries as well as those of local government, the Agency for Industry Development and the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency PAIiIZ. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Marek Belka . The Korean LG. Philips concern plans to start construction of a liquid crystal displays LCD manufacturing plant in the first half of 2006. The initial production is planned at 3 million displays annually. The company wants to invest 429 million euros in the plant by the end of 2011. Planned employment is to be at 3,000 people. The Korean concern also plans the construction of six subsidiary plants and a AGD plant in Kobierzyce. Total LG investment are expected to reach 850 million euros. Prime Minister Belka hoped that the signed agreement is not the last such ceremony of this type adding that there is growing interest on the part of foreign investors in Poland. The Ambassador of South Korea to Poland Sang-Chul Lee said he is convinced that the LG investment will have an influence on decisions of other, not only Korean companies to invest in central and east Europe. The Ambassador also stressed that LG's strategy is to build in Poland after her EU accession a base of LG's expansion on European markets. Representative of local authorities praised the positive influence of the new investment especially on the local labour market and growing possibilities of regional development.

Poland comes under criticism for excise tax lowering

Manchester, Sept. 10: Finance ministers of EU member states called on oil producers to increase investments to ensure sufficient oil supply. During an informal debate of EU finance ministers (Ecofin) in Manchester, Britian, Poland was strongly criticised for lowering excise tax on petrol. "Ecofin called for refraining from taking measures that could rise demand for fuels. Poland was criticised for lowering excise tax," Poland's finance minister Miroslaw Gronicki said. "If prices on fuel markets should return to their level from before the Katrina hurricane, we will seek to take decisions to eliminate the excise tax reduction," Gronicki added. On Monday the Polish finance ministry said that the excise tax on petrol will be lowered by 25 groszes per litre from September 15 until the end of the year.

EBI to lend Warsaw 125 mn euros for infrastructure

Warsaw, Sept. 11: The European Investment Bank granted a 125 million euro loan to Warsaw to be allocated to upgrade urban infrastructure. The deal was signed by Warsaw's deputy mayor Slawomir Skrzypek and EBI deputy president Ivan Pilip . The loan will be allocated to small and medium urbanization projects, investments in city transport, environment protection, education and cultural heritage protection. Since 1990 EBI lent Poland 10 billion euros.

Poland to get 8 bn euros annually as part of cohesion policy

Katowice, Sept. 9: Poland is likely to get 56 billion euros as part of EU's cohesion policy in 2007-2013, or 8 billion euros annually, according to deputy head of the regional development commission in the European Parliament Jan Olbrycht . In order to be ready to effectively use the funds Poland, and in particular Poland's local government bodies, should streamline and adjust internal procedures and create necessary structures to meet EU requirements. Olbrycht called on local government bodies to watch closely relevant EP legislation in view of changes in the implementation principles of EU co-financed projects scheduled to take place from 2007. Poland faces prospect of failing to use all the funds allocated for 2004-2006 unless changes are carried out in internal administrative procedures, which might be an argument for

reduction of available funds in the future.

Polish-Vietnamese Economic Forum in Warsaw

Warsaw, Sept. 11: To-date economic cooperation between Poland and Vietnam does not reflect the economic potential of the two countries, Vietnam's ambassador to Poland Dinh Xuan Luu told the Polish-Vietnamese Economic Forum in Warsaw on Friday. "I think that the forum represents a good beginning for the development of our cooperation that is not big given economic potential of our countries, " Dinh Xuan Luu said. The ambassador identified the shipping industry, the power industry and tourism as the most important spheres of Polish-

Vietnamese cooperation. Processing of farm and sea product, IT, environment protection and

antibiotic production are the sectors of the Vietnamese industry that "are waiting for foreign investors," Dinh Xuan Luu said. The ambassador said that Vietnam is creating special industrial zones and so-called "growth triangles" with tax privileges to attract foreign investors There are over 200 Vietnamese firms operating in Poland. According to data released by the Central Statistical Office, Poland's trade deficit in the exchange with Vietnam was 11.6 million USD in January to October 2004, with turnover at 170.4 million USD.

Centralwings to post first profit in 2007

Warsaw, Sept. 11: Polish low-fare carrier Centralwings is planning to post first profit in 2007. In 2006 the firm wants to have a 40 percent share in the cheap carrier market, Centralwings CEO Piotr Kociolek said. Centralwings has five Boeings 737 now. In 2006 the number of planes is to rise to ten. Centralwings expects to have carried 700 thousand passengers by the end of 2005, and 1.5 million in 2006. Centralwings services 26 links from airports in Warsaw, Cracow, Katowice and Poznan.

Record number of exhibitors at Polagra-Food 2005 Fair

Warsaw, Sept. 11: 1,300 exhibitors from 36 countries will take part in this year's International Fair of Food Industry Polagra-Food 2005 due to be held on September 20 to 23, deputy president of Poznan International Fair Przemyslaw Trawa said. The number of exhibitors represents a 30 percent growth against last year, Trawa said. On display will be foodstuffs, food additives, machines and equipment for catering, refrigerating industry products, franchising and shop equipment products. There will be 19 national pavillions, including French, Spanish, German, Armenian, Brazilian.

Polish Film Festival starts in Gdynia Monday

Warsaw, Sept. 11: The 30th Polish Feature Film Festival is starting in Gdynia on Monday. The event will feature 130 films, 21 of which will be shown in the main competition. The jury will be chaired by Andrzej Wajda . All films produced in Poland last season are in the programme of the festival. Sixteen films competing for the laurels will have their premieres in Gdynia, among them Krzysztof Zanussi's "Persona non grata" already acclaimed in Venice, "I Am" (Jestem) by Dorota Kedzierzawska , "Maestro" (Mistrz) by Piotr Trzaskalski , "Pittbull" by Patryk Vega , "The Call of the Toad," (Wrozby kumaka) by Robert Glinski , based on Guenter Grass's novel, and "Kochankowie Roku Tygrysa" (Lovers of the Year of Tiger) by Jacek Bromski , made in cooperation with a Chinese crew, with a Chinese actress in the main female role. The jury will be chaired by Andrzej Wajda, laureate of many prestigious international festivals and an Oscar for the Lifetime Achievement. Another Polish Oscar winner, set designer Ewa Braun will sit on the jury with Magdalena Piekorz , last year's Grand Prix winner in Gdynia, and world renowned cinematographer Pawel Edelman . Films produced abroad with a considerable Polish contribution will be shown outside the competition, among them Hungarian born Marta Meszaros's "The Unburied Man" and Greg Zglinski's "Tout un hiver sans feu / All Winter Without Fire". Eleven films will be shown in the Independent Cinema competition. The festival audience will have an opportunity to see a review of the Golden Lions-awarded films of the past Polish Feature Film Festivals. German film director Volker Schloendorff will be among foreign guests to the festival.

Kwasniewski pays tribute to Sept. 11 victims

San Francisco, Sept. 12: President Aleksander Kwasniewski on Sunday paid tribute to the memory of victims of terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001. The Polish president, his spouse and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom attended a worship for the victims. "Our today presence here is the expression of solidarity with the victims, rescuers and all people who fight terrorism, evil and disasters which may come from around every corner," Kwasniewski told journalists. Kwasniewski underlined that the idea of solidarity has not grown old. "We have to show solidarity with each other if we want to cope with problems of the contemporary world," Kwasniewski stressed pointing at the importance of solidarity in view of such tragic elements as Katrina. On Monday morning (Polish time) the president attended a meal together with people involved in the establishment of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. The museum is to be built near the Monument to the Heroes of Warsaw Ghetto next year.

Belka on National Development Plan

Cracow, Sept. 12: Rejection by the next government of the National Development Plan will mean an at least 18-month loss of time in the absorption of EU funds for Poland which translates into billions of euros, Prime Minister Marek Belka said. The prime minister took part in a debate on the National Development Plan in Cracow on Friday. "We decided not to formally accept the document so as not to politically stigmatize it. We are leaving a final decision to the next government," Former Economy Minister Jerzy Hausner said. The Plan foresees the allocation of 130 billion euros to Poland's development in 2007-2013, of which 80.5 billion will come from EU funds, and the remainder will be Poland's co-financing.

French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy comes to Poland

Warsaw, Sept. 12: French Minister for the Interior and the UMP Party leader of the National Assembly Nicolas Sarkozy on a visit to Poland will meet Tuesday with Prime Minister Marek Belka, Minister for the Interior and Administration Ryszard Kalisz in Warsaw and Citizen's Party (PO) leaders Donald Tusk, a presidential runner and Jan Rokita in Gdansk and. The one-day visit is paid at the invitation of the PO. The French minister will be accompanied in Gdansk by former Foreign Minister Herve de Charrette and leader of the Franco-Polish parliamentary friendship group Jean-Luis Leonard. The guests will also meet with European Parliament Vice President Jacek Saryusz-Wolski and former Interior Minister Marek Biernacki in Gdansk. "The talks will concern all major problems of the Polish-French and European policies, questions of terrorism, the EU budget for 2007-2013 and relations with the USA, Saryusz-Wolski told PAP. He stressed that the Eastern policy will also be discussed. "We will strive to win Minister Sarkozy's support for the policy vis a vis Belarus and Ukraine, he said. Sarkozy is also to meet ex-president Lech Walesa. Apart from Belka and Kalisz, the French minister will meet in Warsaw with City Mayor Lech Kaczynski, another presidential runner.

Polish convoy fired on in Iraq

Warsaw, Sept. 12: A Polish convoy came under fire as it headed to the Polish base in Baghdad from an airport, foreign ministry spokesman Aleksander Checko said Monday. The convoy was taking a Polish diplomat to the airport "There are no victims, no killed and no injured," Checko said.

Minister: army changes best for land troops

Warsaw, Sept. 12: The ongoing modernization of Poland's armed forces will most benefit land troops, defence minister JerzySzmajdzinski said Monday in Warsaw at a gala to mark Infantry Day. Our land units may now breathe more freely. There were several difficult and financially lean years, but the past few years were decidedly better, Szmajdzinski said. The minister reminded that in the last few years Poland's land forces had exchanged their outdated weaponry and equipment for modern technology, and had raising their combat effectiveness and safety. He also referred to Poland's Iraq mission, which he called "the most difficult military mission since the end of the war". Infantry Day in Poland is celebrated on September 12, the date of Polish King Jan II Sobieski's historical 1683 victory over the Turks at Vienna.

Ukrainian military official train in Poland

Warsaw, Sept. 12: Twenty-four Ukrainian defence ministry and military officials Monday arrived for a two-week training course organized by the Polish defence ministry. Among others the Ukrainians will learn about Poland's experiences in applying for NATO membership. Polish defence minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said the training course was part of Poland's efforts to help Ukraine reform its army to NATO standards. He added that more courses were planned and that other NATO states have launched similar programmes for Ukraine.

Politicians on construction of Baltic pipeline

Warsaw, Sept. 12: Poland needs diversified sources of gas supplies, according to representatives of main political parties who attended Monday a debate organized by the Rzeczpospolita daily and TVN24 television. They also suggested Norway should be one of such sources. Marek Borowski of the Social Democracy of Poland (SdPl) repeated that an European power security system should be set up and that Poland should join the West European transmission system. On Thursday German companies E.On AG and BASF AG and Russia's Gazprom sealed an agreement to build a Baltic Sea gas pipeline. The Russia-to-Germany northern pipeline will bypass Poland. According to Kazimierz Ujazdowski of Lawand Justice (PiS), Poland should not accept the pipeline going through its economic zone and in this way block the investment. Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (the Citizens' Platform) criticized Germany for signing the deal and described its behaviour as "incompatible with the principle of European solidarity." He also said Poland should renegotiate the Norwegian deal and seek gas deliveries from Caspian deposits. Wojciech Olejniczak (the Democratic Left Alliance) said Poland needed diversified gas sources but stressed the Russian gas was the cheapest. Jaroslaw Kalinowski (the Polish Peasant Party) suggested the necessity to increase extraction of Polish gas deposits.

Socha: PGNiG capital increase to raise Poland's power safety

Szczecin, Sept. 12: The Polish Oil and Gas Company (PGNiG) capital increase is a step to raise Poland's power safety, Treasury Minister Jacek Socha said. Socha told journalists in Szczecin on Monday that the present issue of PGNiG shares is a "right step in increasing PGNiG's operation force." He stressed that PGNiG's privatisation provides additional development opportunities. The funds acquired from the issue are to be used to increase gas and oil output, extend gas and oil storage facilities. Late in August PGNiG CEO Marek Kossowski said that the company expects between 2.2 and 2.7 billion zlotys in inflows from the issue. He said the funds are planned to be allocated to accelerate work on diversification on gas supplies to Poland. PGNiG is scheduled to debut on the Warsaw Stock Exchange on September 23.

Lublin province presents itself in European Parliament

Brussels, Sept. 12: Traditional regional outfit, landscape photos presenting favourite tourist spots of the region, pine-forest scent, local cuisine delicacies are the elements of a four-day Lublin province's presentation in the European Parliament in Brussels, starting on Monday. Main ceremonies, such as the opening of an exhibition and the "From the Union of Lublin to the European Union" performance are planned on Tuesday`s afternoon. The whole undertaking is to make Europeans acquainted with history, culture and tourist values of the Lublin region by means of photos and audio-visual presentations depicting the region and its inhabitants. There are also panel discussions planned on Wednesday pertaining to the possibilities of investments in the region. The idea of the event was authored by EU deputy Zbigniew Zaleski and chairman of the Social Initiatives Centre Dariusz Jedlina. The State Forests Regional Office in Lublin is the main co-organiser of the event.

July's C/A deficit at 302 mn euros

Warsaw, Sept. 12: July's current account deficit was 302 million euros, against June's surplus of 222 mn euros and the analyst-expected deficit at 65 mn euros, the National Bank of Poland said on Monday. July's commodity turnover deficit was 355 mn euros, against a surplus of 29 mn euros in June. Exports were at 6,028 mn euros in July, and imports at 6,383 mn euros. Exports rose 14.8 pct year-on-year, and imports 11.3 pct.

Exhibition on history of Ukraine opens in Warsaw

Warsaw, Sept. 12: "History of Ukraine in Archival Documents from the 9th to the 21st Century" is an exhibition opened in the Main State Archives seat in Warsaw on Monday. Two hundred documents illustrate the most interesting events in the thousand-year history of Ukraine. The oldest document written in the oldest Slavonic alphabet comes from the 9th century, the most recent ones are graffiti from the "orange revolution" era. The display was prepared by the State Committee of the Ukrainian Archives as part of the Year of Ukraine in Poland (April 2005 - April 2006). The programme of the Year envisages several dozen cultural events in Warsaw, Gdansk and Cracow.

Kwasniewski: UN needs deep reforms

Los Angeles, Sept. 13: President Aleksander Kwasniewski continuing his week-long stay in the U.S. stressed that the start of an inside reform of the United Nations is a primary task. The president will present Poland's position on the issue during the U.N. General Assembly in New York. "The UN needs reforms while world needs the UN, we do not have a better alternative. We have to talk with the Americans who present a very sceptical attitude towards this organization," Kwasniewski told reporters. He stressed that the liquidation of zones of poverty, all ills of contemporary world and thanks to this the elimination of the base of sources of terrorism and fundamentalism remain to be the key tasks of the UN. "However, to achieve these goals, we need a reformed, efficient and less sluggish UN, enjoying increased support of all countries," said Kwasniewski. According to him "if the United States, China, Russia, Europe do not show interest in the strengthening of the UN, the organization will just speak about goals having problems with their implementation." While in Los Angeles Kwasniewski held a friendly talk with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger covering a wide range of topics from politics to the popularity of the film star in Poland.

Defence ministers of Poland and Bulgaria discuss cooperation

Warsaw, Sept. 13: Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski who is attending a meeting of NATO states defence Ministers in Berlin on Tuesday held talks with his Bulgarian counterpart Vesselin Bliznakov. This was the first discussion the two politicians held after the parliamentary elections in Bulgaria. During the talks Minister Szmajdzinski highly evaluated commitment of Bulgarian soldiers in stabilising actions of the Multinational Division Central South in Iraq under the Polish command. He also presented the stand as regards Poland's further military presence in Iraq. Discussing bilateral cooperation the two politicians drew attention to the need to expand military cooperation and cooperation in technology, as well as the use of Polish experience in transformation of the Bulgarian armed forces.

Soldiers from nine countries in CPX 3 exercise in Szczecin

Szczecin, Sept. 13: Almost three hundred soldiers from nine countries are taking part in a two-day exercise staged at the headquarters of the North-East Multinational Corps in Szczecin. The "CPX 3" staff exercise is aimed to check the structures and procedures in case of a possible deployment of the unit to Afghanistan in 2007 as part of the InternationalSecurity Assistance Force.The exercise which started on Tuesday is attended by soldiers fromBulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Turkey and Poland.

Visegrad Group presidents to meet in Poland on Sept. 30

Warsaw, Sept. 13: The presidents of states of the Visegrad Group will meet in Wisla, southern Poland, on September 30. President Aleksander Kwasniewski has invited the presidents of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, the presidential press office wrote in a Tuesday press release.

Poles vote at 162 overseas electoral commissions

Warsaw, Sept. 13: Poles staying abroad will vote at 162 overseas district electoral commissions in 92 countries, ambassador Witold Rybczynski, the foreign minister's plenipotentiary for elections and referendum, said. Rybczynski estimated the number of Poles staying abroad at 2.5 million. There will be 14 district electoral commissions in the United States, six in Australia and Canada, five in Germany, France and Ukraine, four in Russia and three in Belarus. Overseas polling stations will be open from 0600 to 2000 hrs local time.

LPR, PO against Germany's permanent membership in Security Council

Warsaw, Sept. 13: The League of Polish Families (LPR) Tuesday opposed Germany's permanent membership in the UN Security Council and demanded the same stance from the Polish government at the Wednesday-opening UN General Assembly. LPR leader Roman Giertych said Poland had "no earthly reason" to back Germany's Security Council ambitions. If Germany signs a gas contract behind our backs, depriving Poland of its natural transit function, then there's no earthly reason why Poland should back Germany in its plans, Giertych explained. He added that Poland should also oppose Germany's Security Council access as "permanent membership in the Council should not be granted to countries which started the 2nd world war". Donald Tusk, leader of the Citizens Platform (PO) and presidential candidate, said today that "the current atmosphere did not encourage" support for Germany's Security Council permanent membership. There is no reason why Poland should back the ambitions of a country that doesn't necessarily support us in our most vital interests, Tusk said.

Kaczynski: "no" to gas pipe in Poland's sea economic zone

Warsaw, Sept. 13: Law and Justice candidate Lech Kaczynski said Tuesday that Poland will not agree for placing the northern gas pipeline in Poland's economic zone. Meeting representatives of the diplomatic corps, he stressed that present German-Russian relations are one of the two planes of Polish-German relations which arouse his concern. The second issue

is the existence of historic revisionism regarding World War Two in some German circles. Kaczynski stressed that Poland's partnership with the US and NATO is of strategic importance. As for the EU, the candidate said that his party wants to restore structure the spirit of solidarity which has been presented by the founders of the community.

Brazauskas on fiasco of Polish-Lithuanian power bridge

Vilnius, Sept. 13: The building of a power bridge between Poland and Lithuania ended in a fiasco, Lithuanian PM Algirdas Brazauskas said Tuesday. He told journalists that the building of the Lithuanian-Swedish power bridge, more promising, is an alternative solution to the Polish-Lithuanian undertaking. According to the Lithuanian side Poland was not enough interested in the bridge even though it was placed on the priority list of cross European undertakings and some 360-300 mn euros was assigned for it in the EU budget for 2007-2013. According to estimates of the Polish economy ministry, the Lithuanian-Swedish bridge will cost 10 mn euro more.

Financial Times: Investors return to Poland

Warsaw, Sept. 13: Poland is regaining its reputation as the most attractive location for foreign investors in central Europe, after being trumped for several years by more aggressive rivals such as Slovakia, the Financial Times writes on Tuesday. The daily recalls that last month Poland beat the Czech Republic to win a 430 million euro flat screen factory from LG Philips LCD, the Korean-Dutch joint venture. Symbolically the factory will be located in Kobierzyce, in south-west Poland, which had been expecting a car plant from South Korea's Kia before losing out to Slovakia last year. Last month MAN, the German truck manufacturer, announced a 100 million euro investment in a truck factory near Krakow, which beat an offer from Slovakia. To ensure victory the government changed the system of financial support for investors in just two weeks, an unusual display of flexibility. The current optimism contrasts with the gloom that prevailed in the Polish government last year after Kia opted for Slovakia, one year after carmaker PSA-Peugeot Citrokn also shunned Poland for Slovakia and three years after the Czech Republic wooed a Toyota-Peugeot project. The Financial Times stresses the over the last year the technocratic administration that took power after the collapse of a corruption-ridden government has devoted enormous time and energy to attracting investors.Poland has also learned how to attractively tailor its offers to investors without giving away more than it can afford, as may have happened with Slovakia's agreement with Kia, a Hyundai affiliate. The daily adds that also important for Poland regaining its investment lustre was a new flat corporate tax of 19 per cent, and Poland's return to economic growth after two years of stagnation, buttressed by Warsaw's entry into the European Union last year. Investors also appear to be pleased with the outlook for coming elections in parliament and for the presidency: both contests are likely to be won by the centre-right opposition, which promises to reduce taxes and regulation.

Foreign trade deficit at 5.1 billion euros after July

Warsaw, Sept. 13: Poland's foreign trade deficit fell to 5 billion and 108.5 million euros after July 2005 from 7 billion and 44 million after July 2004, the Central Statistical Office (GUS) said Tuesday. Foreign trade deficit in dollars fell to 6 billion 585.5 million USD from 9 billion and 345.2 million USD after July 2004.

Pilarczyk: losses in agriculture caused by drought at 1.4 bn zlotys

Warsaw, Sept. 13: This year's losses caused by this summer's drought amount to 1 billion 369 million zlotys, Agriculture Minister Jerzy Pilarczyk told PAP on Tuesday adding that the number of drought-struck farms stands at nearly 119,000. The minister added that applications for disaster loans had come from 6 provinces. The so-called disaster loans are low interest credits (1.2-1.32 percent) subisdized by the Agriculture Restructuring and Modernization Agency (ARiMR). The credit must be used to resume agricultural production. ARiMR announced earlier it would spend 8.5 million zlotys this year to subsidize interest on disaster loans.

Japanese NSK to open steering system plants in Walbrzych zone

Wroclaw, Sept. 13: Japanese NSK Steering Systems Europe (Polska) Sp. z o.o. will open a new plant making electric power steering systems in Walbrzych special economic zone on October 13, Paulina Koksa of NSK reported on Tuesday. The new plant has already employed 100 people and by the end of the next year the employment will grow to 350 people.

Lotos Paraffins to build candle making plant

Bielsko-Biala, Sept. 13: A modern candle producing plant will be built in Czechowice-Dziedzice near Bielsko-Biala by Lotos Paraffins (LP) Company, a Lotos Group`s (GL) branch-company. The undertaking is to be completed in January 2006. The total value of the project is estimated at over 14 million zlotys, Lotos Group`s press office reported on Tuesday. The new plant will be equipped with most up-to-date machines to produce candles of all sizes and weights. "The decision to start a new kind of business stems from a strategy accepted by the Group on the paraffins market," explained GL`s president Pawel Olechnowicz. The project comes as one of investment goals of the Group and one of major elements of restructuring southern refineries belonging to the Lotos Group. Lotos Group comprises Petrobaltic Company, Czechowice Refinery, Jaslo Refinery, Nafty Glimar Refinery and 15 other companies. GL employs around 5.25 thousand persons. The total net profit of Lotos Group in 2004 amounted to 572 millions zlotys.

Minimum gross wage at 899 zlotys

Warsaw, Sept. 13: The government passed Tuesday a regulation under which a minimum gross wage will stand at 899 zlotys (ca. 290 USD) as of January 1, 2006, deputy social policy minister Agnieszka Chlon-Dominczak told a press conference after a cabinet meeting. The move follows the Sejm decision which in July amended a minimum wage bill that foresees annual indexation of minimum wages on the basis of inflation and GDP growth indexes. Under the new law the minimum wage in a given year will be subject to indexation if it falls short of a half of the average gross wage in the national economy. The minimum gross wage stands now at 849 zlotys.

Rzeczpospolita: Brussels checking Polish medicines

Warsaw, Sept. 13: The European Commission is checking whether or not Poland prior to its EU accession, had registered medications in unclear circumstances, Rzeczpospolita daily writes on Tuesday. The daily has gained access to a letter of the EC to Poland's Ambassador to the EU Marek Grela in which it claims it has received complaints concerning the legal state of some medical products. Foreign medicine makers claim that just before May 1, 2004, a number of Polish products were registered via an extremely fast pace and in astonishing circumstances, including generic drugs. Thanks to this move all drugs were placed on the list included in the Accession Treaty and can be offered by pharmacies. The European Federation Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) after checking the list stated that part of drugs are produced with the infringement of EU patent regulations. The federation, which filed its complaint with the EC, went as far as to state that Poland placed on the list non-existent drugs, the daily writes.

European Commission allocates EUR 50,000 to Gniezno Congress

Warsaw, Sept. 13: The European Commission allocated 50 thousand euros to the 6th Gniezno Congress that will be held on September 16 to 18 under the motto "Europe of dialogue - To be a Christian in pluralistic Europe." When asked about reasons for allocating the funds Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, spokesman for commissioner responsible for communication strategy Margot Wallstroem, said: "This are very important meetings for the discussion that is to serve Europe's identity." During the Congress Jews, Christians and Muslims are to pray together for the first time in Poland. Planned are debates on European issues. Up to 800 people from 15 European countries are expected to attend the congress, chiefly leaders of the opinion-forming Christian circles from 150 organisations, well-known politicians, artists and mass media representatives from the West and the East. The 1st Gniezno Congress was held in March 1000 when emperor Otto III arrived at the grave of Christian martyr St. Adalbert.

2004 a breakthrough year for anti-piracy

Warsaw, Sept. 13: 2004 was a breakthrough year for anti-piracy in Poland, with over 100 million zlotys' (31.3 mn USD's) worth of pirateware confiscated by authorities, a report by a government copyright violation monitoring team revealed Tuesday. Commenting the report, Polish culture minister Waldemar Dabrowski stressed that "intellectual property protection standards in Poland have risen". He also reminded that Poland was recently removed from a so-called "list of shame" of countries with highest piracy figures. The minister said copyright protection was one of the government's top priorities as its level was "a basic credibility measure on the international arena".

Kwasniewski: If you can't get what you want...

New York, Sept.15: If you can't get what you want, be pleased with what you have is how president Aleksander Kwasniewski commented on the draft final declaration of the UN World Summit in New York. The document is the result of hard bargaining, it was formulated by a 32 strong group of negotiators. It provides for the establishment of a Peace Building Committee to help countries emerging from crises after armed conflicts. The draft also calls on highly developed states to devote 0.7 pc of their GDP to the struggle against poverty. "I will say this on this draft: if you can't get what you want, be pleased with what you have," Kwasniewski told newsmen here Thursday morning. He stressed the UN needed reforms. "It is good that this step was taken, it is not complete but it goes forward." The president added that the world needed the UN: "we have no better alternative and the organization faces really serious tasks."

Foreign Minister: U.N. secretary-general selection criteria should be changed

New York, Sept. 15: "The ongoing U.N. summit may have impact on the selection of the successor of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the position which at present rotates by geographic region," Poland's Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld has said. "I believe it is a complete misunderstanding when people are selected according to colour of skin, or place of birth," Rotfeld said. Unofficially Poland's President Aleksander Kwasniewski is mentioned as as a candidate to the position of U.N. secretary-general. The president said these are "rumours, press speculations." On Thursday Kwasniewski is chairing a Round Table sessionat the U.N. summit.

Poland against EC-proposed sugar market reform

Warsaw, Sept. 15: A European Commission proposal concerning a sugar market reform is unfavourable for Poland and Poland will reject it, Agriculture Minister Jerzy Pilarczyk has said. The reform foresees that minimum sugar price will be reduced by 39 percent within twoyears from 2007 and that of sugar beets by 42.6 percent. "Spain, Portugal, Finland,Ireland, Greece, Italy also voiced reservations to the EC proposal," the minister said. "We think that the reform is necessary but should not be carried out in the way it was proposed," Pilarczyk said.

Poll: PO and PiS can get 348 seats in new Sejm

Warsaw, Sept. 15: If the parliamentary elections were held this between September 8-12 the Citizen's Platform (PO) would win with a 36-percent support, and together with the Law and Justice (PiS) which could count a 23 percent backing would get a total of 348 seats in the new Sejm, according to the latest poll run by TNS OBOP public opinion polling centre.

Table:

number of seats support

Citizens Platform 218 36 pct

Law and Justice 130 23

Democratic Left Alliance 42 9

League of Polish Families 41 8

Samoobrona 22 7

SdPL-UP-Greens 2004 5 5

German minority 2 1

The poll was carried between September 812 on a sample group of 950 persons.

Tusk leads Kaczynski by 41 to 23 pc -OBOP

Warsaw, Sept.15: Donald Tusk with 41 pc voter support leads the latest poll conducted by TNS OBOP institute just before Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz's resignation from the race. Tusk is followed by Lech Kaczynski (23 pc) and Cimoszewicz (15 pc). Compared with a similar poll taken two weeks earlier Tusk gained 11 pc in support, Kaczynski gained 2 pc, while Cimoszewicz lost 9 pc. They are followed by Lepper (8), Borowski, Giertych, Kalinowski (all 4) and Tyminski (1).

"Two visions of Poland"

Warsaw, Sept.15: Presidential candidate Lech Kaczynski said here Thursday that his dispute with Donald Tusk was about two different visions of Poland, a liberal one and one dominated by solidarity. Kaczynski was certain there would be two rounds of presidential elections, i.e. he ruled out victory in the first ballot. After the pullout by Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz the dispute between presidential runners moved onto another plane, Kaczynski told newsmen. "Cimoszewicz represented the postcommunist formation, his whole biography attests to this. Conversely, neither Donald Tusk nor myself have anything in common with that formation (..) The dispute between the two of us concerns the future and shape of of Poland," Kaczynski explained. He claimed that Tusk's Citizens Platform (PO) proposed a "liberal experiment" for Poland. "People now fairly well-off, well-off and rich will become well-off, rich and very rich, respectively. But the situation of those in the middle of the income ladder and those below average will deteriorate," Kaczynski claimed. He termed his Law and Justice (PiS) party concept for Poland "the solidarity concept." It was "more attuned to cooperation between various social groups, on institutionalized solidarity" and relied on different factors for future economic growth than the liberal vision. Kaczynski said he was certain there would be a run-off election and said he counted on businesslike debates with his main rival, Donald Tusk.

"Campaign between liberal and socialist"

Warsaw, Sept. 15: Presidential runner Donald Tusk believes Poland's presidential campaign will boil down to rivalry between "a liberal and a socialist". He also said he would appeal to Lech Kaczynski, his main election rival after leftwing candidate Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz's Wednesday withdrawal from the running, to "fight down his urge to carry on a socialist economic model". According to Tusk Poland's 3 million unemployed were the effect of a "socialist-style tax system and excessive state interference in the economy". This is why I plan to encourage Mr. Kaczynski and our Law and Justice (PiS) partners to abandon their daydreams about a socialist economy, Tusk said. If I win, I intend to stand guard of Poland as an open country with friendly ties to its neighbours and a good international position.

"Referendum on euro adoption possible"

Warsaw, Sept.15: Presidential candidate Donald Tusk did not rule out holding a referendum on the date for joining the euro zone. It could be held if the future ruling coalition failed to agree on a date, he explained. In an interview granted Reuters Thursday Tusk also supported

Turkey's membership of the EU and came out for Leszek Balcerowicz's continued leadership of the central bank after 2007. Tusk said he favoured a speedy adoption of the euro in Poland, but added that adjustment to Maastricht criteria was more important than the date. "We should be advocates of Turkey's full membership of the EU. It is in our interests and in the EU interest. Turkey can either be in Europe, or against Europe. This is a crucial security issue," Tusk said.

Tourist values of Lower Silesia

Wroclaw, Sept. 14: A two-day away session of the European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism started in Wroclaw Thursday. The EP deputies are to be acquainted with the tourist values of Lower Silesia and problems hampering development of tourism in this south-western province. Provincial deputy governor Andrzej Pawluszek hopes that the visit will help create a positive tourist image of the region. The visitors will get acquainted with transport problems in the region and thus help launch positive lobbing in Brussels and Warsaw "so that such investments as the S-8 expressway to Warsaw and the A4 motorway could be completed without delay and let tourists go this way to Dresden in 2006 and to Berlin a year after, Pawluszek told PAP. The Eurodeputies will tour the whole Lower Silesia to see its unique qualities. One third of Polish health resorts are situated there, and Karpacz alone offers beds for 11 thousand. All this needs promotion, Pawluszek stated. A Lower Silesia promotion programme will be launched on January 1, 2006, at the coast of 2 million euros. Of this sum 1.5 m euros is to come the EU funds. The Eurodeputies are accompanied by a group of journalists who also will tour the most interesting sites of the region.

New production line starts in Toyota Polish works

Wroclaw, Sept. 15: Another production line was started Thursday in the Toyota Motor Industries Poland plant in Jelcz-Laskowice near Wroclaw. The plant will turn out 180,000 diesel engines annually. "The whole engine is assembled here already. A few elements of it

are still imported from Japan. Early next year a foundry will be started here and all parts of the engine will be produced and assembled on site," a spokesman for the company said Thursday. The plant was built between October, 2002 and March 2005, when mass production of the new diesel engines was launched. The engines are mounted on Avensis and Corolla Verso models, manufactured in Britain and Turkey. The plant employs 670 people, it will hire 200 more by the end of next year.

2.7 m euros for support to ex-metallurgists

Katowice, Sept.15: Over 1,600 former metallurgical workers from 7 provinces will benefit from the 2.7 m euro Phare Initiative III EU programme starting Thursday. The scheme will offer financial and consulting support to former workers starting their own businesses and to firms hiring former steel workers. Earlier 12.76 m euros in support funding was offered in investment subsidies for the areas hosting metallurgical works. It is estimated that some 1,000 ex-metallurgists will find work thanks to the programme, and several hundred others will use

consulting services. The Phare Inicjatywa III programme follows earlier cushion packages for restructured industries. All in all some 61 m euros in EU funds were spent on assistance to miners and metallurgical workers losing jobs as a result of restructuring.

Czestochowa offers new incentives for investors

Czestochowa, Sept.15: Czestochowa is the first town in Poland to have obtained permission from the EU Commission to introduce additional incentives for investors willing to operate in the special economic zone area. Such investors will be exempted from property tax, the spokesman for the townhall told PAP Thursday. He added that the decision could help generate a few thousand new jobs. The EU-approved programme of tax exemptions on real estate in the Czestochowa section of the Katowice special economic zone applies to firms which will create at least 25 new jobs in a new investment that will last at least 5 years.

Budget deficit at 52.8 percent of plan after August

Warsaw, Sept. 15: The budget deficit after August 2005 amounted to 18 billion 490.1 million zlotys, or 52.8 percent of the planned sum of 35 billion zlotys, the Finance Ministry said in a communique on Thursday. The state expenditure stood at 135 billion 775.5 million zlotys, or 64.7 percent of the 2005 plan. The state budget revenues totalled 117 billion 285.4 million zlotys, or 67.1 percent of the plan. Deputy Finance Minister Elzbieta Suchocka-Roguska said earlier that the deficit after eight months will be around 50.0-51.0 percent of the 2005 plan. The deficit after July reached 49.9 percent of the plan.

GUS: Average year-on-year wage up 2.8 percent in August

Warsaw, Sept. 15: The average gross wage in August 2005 totalled2,480 zlotys (725 USD) and was 2.8 percent higher than in August 2004 and 1.0 percent lower than in July 2005, the Central Statistical Office GUS said on Thursday. The average wage without payments on earned profits totalled 2,476.17 zlotys, up 3.0 percent on August 2004 figure and fell 0.1 percent on July 2005 figure. Corporate units in March employed 4 million and 775.9 thousand

people or 2.0 percent more than in August 2004. Compared to July 2005 the number of employed grew by 0.1 per cent.

Telcom: Orange to replace Idea on Sept. 19

Warsaw, Sept. 15: Orange will enter the Polish market on September 19 with Idea operator changing its name to Orange, president of the Telekomunikacja Polska SA Marek Jozefiak told a press conference on Thursday."Our goal is to become Poland's biggest mobile phone operator," Jozefiak said and added that this should be achieved next year. At present the Polish mobile operator Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa, (Era and Heyah), places first on the Polish market. At he end of June, 2005 Centertel, the Idea network operator, had over 8.6 million customers. According to Jozefiak, the number of Orange customers should exceed 9 million by the end of the year. Orange was launched in the UK on the 28th April 1994. Now an international company, Orange operates in 18 countries with 50 million customers worldwide.

Baltic Commission proposes higher cod fishing quota

Warsaw, Sept. 15: Next year's cod fishing quota in the Baltic Sea will likely be higher than now. The International Baltic Sea Fishing Commission set the quota for EU states at 45.339 thousand tons in 2006, against 39 thousand tons in 2005, director at the Fishery Department of the Agriculture Ministry Grzegorz Lukasiewicz said. This means the quota for Poland will be raised by 2 thousand tons, from 13.2 thousand tons in 2005.

France: Polish shipyarders contemplate strike

Paris, Sept. 15: Poles employed in west France's Saint-Nazaire Shipyard are contemplating strike action after some of their colleagues launched a protest Wednesday morning in demand of back pay. On Wednesday evening the French AFP news agency reported that 13 Poles at Saint-Nazaire were on strike demanding wages for July and August and back overtime. Poland's general consul in Paris Jaroslaw Horak told PAP Thursday that talks were underway between the Sain-Nazaire management and the Kor-Pa factoring company through which it employed the Poles.

International conference on Holocaust held in Katowice

Katowice, Sept. 15: Outstanding scholars from Israel, the USA, Germany and Poland gathered on Thursday at the international scientific conference on Holocaust in Katowice, south-west Poland to discuss the extermination of the Jewish population on the Polish territories annexed to the Third Reich during World War 2. The conference has been organised by the Institute of National Remembrance and the German Historical Institute in Warsaw. A similar conference on Holocaust in the part of the Nazi-occupied Poland which Germans named General Gourvernement was held two years ago. This time the scholars from both institutions discuss the situation on the Polish territories incorporated into the Third Reich, largely inhabited by Jewish population. Only several percent of the Jews living on this territory survived the war. The conference will continue till Saturday, the day to be devoted to panel discussion on the post-war settlement of accounts with persons responsible for the Holocaust. A Polish and German publication will be published following the conference.

Centre of Film Art to be created in Katowice

Katowice, Sept. 15: Centre of Film Art will be created in a year in Katowice, to serve as a cinema, a film archive, and a didactic centre. The investment worth 10.5 million zlotys (over 3.3 million USD) will be financed in three fourth from the EU funds.The construction site was visited by Culture Minister Waldemar Dabrowski and Senate Speaker Kazimierz Kutz, the outstanding filmmaker. They unveiled a plaque presenting details of the venture. The Centre, badly need for many years in Katowice, is a result of what had been done in Poland 15 years ago, Kutz said at the ceremony. The Centre will serve to preserve Polish and foreign classical

works of the art of film, especially materials concerning Silesia and its history, and to make them accessible for research and didactic purposes. The visitors to the Centre will have at their disposal two cinema halls and a conference hall. The idea to create the centre originated at the Film Institution Silesia Film in Katowice.

Declaration of Polish Muslims

Warsaw, Sept. 15: Muslim League in the Republic of Poland, Muslim Education and Culture Association and Muslim Student Association signed a declaration on faith, life in society, civic freedoms and tolerance. "The declaration is nothing new as regards principles of faith, it gets certain touchy issues in order" head of the Muslim League Iwona Alkhalaya said Thursday. The declaration recalls that Islam is the religion of peace that propagates moderation, accepts gender equality, rejects racism. It defines Jihad as an effort in fighting one's weaknesses or as defensive fight. It recommends that Muslims should integrate with the society in which they live and accepts the right of Muslims as Polish citizens to participate in political life.

"Last Polish Jews" exhibition opens in Warsaw

Warsaw, Sept. 15: Photographs from the collection of Polish artist Tomasz Tomaszewski,taken between 1981 and 1985 are on show at the exhibition titled "The Last Contemporary Polish Jews" opened in Warsaw synagogue on Thursday. The photographs were first published in Tomaszewski's book "Remnants, the Last Jews in Poland" to which he collected material touring the whole Poland with his wife Malgorzata Niezabitowska, calling on Jewish communities in big and small towns. The photographs show everyday life of Polish Jews, social life, ceremonies and prayers on Jewish holidays, and Warsaw's Jewish Theatre performances. The book was published in the USA in 1986, and next in Austria, Switzerland and Germany. It was possible to publish it in Poland only in 1993. The display is part of the 8th Days of Jewish Book to be held in Warsaw from September 18 to 21 and the Jewish Culture Festival currently held here under the motto "Singer's Warsaw".

David Lynch will shoot film in Lodz

Torun, Sept. 15: Famous American film director David Lynch is going to shoot his new film "INLAND EMPIRE" in Lodz, central Poland. The picture will be made in cooperation with Tumult Foundation as co-producer, PAP has learned from Marek Zydowicz, the founder of the Camerimage Festival of the Art of Cinematography in Lodz and president of the Foundation. The main roles will be played by Laura Dern and Jeremy Irons with Polish actors Krzysztof Majchrzak and Karolina Gruszka. The American film unit will come to Lodz some time at the end of November. Lynch first came to Camerimage festival he was so fascinated by the city's architecture that he began to plan a film set in this scenery.At this year's festival in Cannes the filmmaker officially announced that the Torun-based Tumult Foundation will be the co-producer of "INLAND EMPIRE" (Lynch insists on writing the title in capital letters) responsible for the Polish part of the production.The film tells the story of a woman lost in San Gabriel Mts., California. The title refers to an estate situated at the verge of Los Angeles. It is planned that the film will have its premiere at next year's Cannes festival.

Kwasniewski honours Wiesenthal

Warsaw, Sept. 20: President Aleksander Kwasniewski expressed words of respect for Simon Wiesenthal and sorrow after his death on Tuesday. He stressed Wiesenthal's special contributions to the process of revealing the truth about world's contemporary history. "He was a man who devoted his entire life to the quest for truth and search for those guilty of the biggest crime mankind has experienced, the holocaust," stressed Kwasniewski. Simon Wiesenthal died in his sleep at his home in Vienna, Austria, on Tuesday. He was 96.

Kwasniewski appeals for participation in elections

Warsaw, Sept. 20: President Aleksander Kwasniewski on Tuesday appealed for participation in the Sunday parliamentary elections and later on in presidential elections.The president said that one can speak of a civic society when citizens take active part in elections adding that "democracy is strong when election turnout is high, not low." Kwasniewski said he would prefer the political scene to be divided between the right and left and not dominated by one option. He stressed that right-wing's advantage in the polls should not discourage left-wing supporters from casting their votes. Commenting on the results of German elections, Kwasniewski said that regardless of the shape of the future German government, Poland should closely cooperate with the new government. According to the president, Gerhard Schroeder from Poland's point of view was a good German chancellor, and most likely Poland will benefit if he continues to hold the office. "The decision belongs to the Germans," stressed Kwasniewski, "the only thing Poland could wish for is that it is made as quick as possible."

Fourteen remain in presidential race

Warsaw, Sept. 20: Professor Zbigniew Religa has been officially crossed out from the list of presidential candidates by the State Election Committee on Tuesday. Following the resignations of Zbigniew Religa and Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz fourteen presidential candidates remain in the race. Religa announcing his resignation on September 2 backed Citizens' Platform candidate Donald Tusk. Cimoszewicz resigned on September 14.

Foreign Ministry: More Poles to vote abroad

Warsaw, Sept. 20: More Poles than ever before will vote in election districts abroad, Ambassador Witold Rybczynski, the Foreign Ministry commissioner for elections and referendum believes. At a press conference organised by the Foreign Ministry and the Polish Press Agency PAP Tuesday representatives of the ministry and the State Election Commission presented the mode of holding Polish elections abroad. Rybczynski said at present there are about 15 million Poles living abroad, of whom 6 million in the USA, 10 thousand in Iceland, and 80 thousand in Ireland. Rybczynski estimates that 2.5 million of Poles abroad are eligible to vote. According to him the growing number of Poles voting in foreign countries is the result of Poland's EU entry. Head of the PAP Press Centre Kazimierz Bilanow informed journalists that the computer-equipped Centre will be open for foreign journalists on the coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Live relays from election evenings and PAP on-line news in Polish and English will be available.

Preparations for parliamentary elections in Polish military bases in Iraq

Diwanija, Sept. 20: Over 1.4 thousand Polish soldiers are entitled to vote in Polish parliamentary elections in Iraq. The vote will be held in three district polling stations in Diwanija, Hilli and Kuta. The polling stations will be open from 0600 hrs to 2000 hrs local time and due to different time zones the vote in Iraq will finish two hours earlier than in Poland. Polish citizens staying in Iraq can vote only in Polish military bases. There will be no district polling station in the embassy in Baghdad.

Presidential campaign to pause for silent weekend

Warsaw, Sept. 20: Almost all current presidential candidates will pause their campaigns on the coming weekend, ordained as "silent days" pending the September 25 parliamentary ballot. Poland's election law does not forbid presidential campaigning during a parliamentary election silence, however Poland's National Electoral Commission appealed to presidential runners to pause their canvassing. To date only democratic presidential runner Henryka Bochniarz declared she would run her TV spots despite the silent days. League of Polish Families (LPR) candidate Maciej Giertych has not yet decided whether to pause his campaign. Adam Bielan, spokesman for the Law and Justice Party (PiS) whose candidate Lech Kaczynski is a major runner for the presidency, said campaigning during an election silence would be "distasteful".

Three rounds of presidential debates in October

Warsaw, Sept. 20: The Civic Committee for Presidential Debates plans to stage three rounds of debates between presidential candidates, on October 6, 13, and 20. Organizers plan to invite to the first debate four candidates who have a minimum 5 per cent support in polls. The next two debates would be attended by two candidates who advance to the second round of elections. The committee has been set up last August by representatives of nongovernment institutions and organizations. Committee secretary Krzysztof Bobinski expects that the first debate would be held between Marek Borowski, Lech Kaczynski, Andrzej Lepper and Donald Tusk.

Walesa: Increased cooperation with EU one of challenges facing Poland

Brussels, Sept. 20: Ex-president Lech Walesa thinks that intensification of cooperation with the European Union and the EU member countries is one of major challenges facing politicians who will take over in Poland after the oncoming parliamentary and presidential elections. Walesa met Polish deputies to the European Parliament in Brussels during his visit connected with the celebrations of the Solidarity 25th anniversary on Tuesday. Asked about parliamentary elections in Poland and changes that may take place afterwards, Walesa said that "frankly speaking, very little depends on Polish politicians, Polish activists." Increased cooperation between Poland and the EU and its member countries may help boost Polish economy, he said. Walesa does not see "greater chances in politics" for himself. He thinks there is no room for him in the country because "things are forejudged, direction and solutions defined, everything goes," the ex-president said. Asked by journalists about Turkey's EU membership Walesa said negotiations with Ankara should be conducted in a way satisfying all member countries. If Turkey accepts the common solutions "it should not be left out."

OSCE Human Rights conference in Warsaw on refugees and immigrants

Warsaw, Sept. 20: Participants in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Tuesday discussed the situation of refugees and immigrants in various countries and the need of legislative changes to improve their situation. The conference stressed the need for cooperation between states and said that migration policy should be shaped so that new citizens could have the sense of belonging to the country that received them. Representatives of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights recalled the situation in the countries of former Yugoslavia an ds appealed to the authorities of those states to observe human rights. Tuesday was the second day of the conference which will continue debates till end of September. Taking part representatives of OSCE countries and NGOs who discuss democracy on the country and local level, ethnic tolerance and non-discrimination, freedom of association and gathering, situation of media, counteracting tortures and human traffic, and equal chances for women and men.

Rokita for AP on need of market reforms in Poland

Cracow, Sept. 20: Leader of the Citizens' Platform (PO) Jan Rokita told Associated press on Tuesday that if he was appointed prime minister he would implement pro-market reforms to activate the Polish economy. Rokita announced a departure from the social economic model

functioning in Germany and France. Poland is facing a choice of whether to follow the path between the German-French model of social stagnation and the Spanish-British-Irish model of

liberalizing the economy and society, Rokita said. Next, Rokita expressed the hope that the entire Central European region can serve as a dynamic counterpoint to the European Union's

traditional powers. It is my goal to transform the region of Central Europe into a region of higher competitiveness within the EU, AP quoted Rokita.

Episcopate to mark forgiveness letter anniversary

Warsaw, Sept. 20: A plenary session of the Polish Episcopal Conference on September 23-24 in Wroclaw will mark the 40th anniversary of the 1965 exchange of forgiveness letters by Polish and German bishops, Episcopate spokesman father Jozef Kloch told PAP Tuesday. Present at the meeting will be delegates of the German and Ukrainian (Greek-Catholic) episcopates. The sitting's highlight will be the signing by Polish and German bishops of a final statement referring to the 1965 letters.

PGNiG wants longterm market leadership

Warsaw, Sept. 20: Poland's PGNiG oil and gas corporation wants to maintain its leading position as a domestic gas supplier on a longterm basis, PGNiG CEO Marek Kossowski said Tuesday at the European Gas Forum in Warsaw. We plan to lead the market with a 60-70 percent share, Kossowski announced. According to Kossowski Poland's gas market will double in the next 10-12 years, with sales reaching 20 billion cubic metres. Economy viceminister Piotr Rutkowski said domestic gas covered 32 percent of Poland's demand in 2004. PGNiG's stock market debut is planned for September 23 The European Gas Forum attended by around 200 delegates from all over Europe was organized by the Polish Gas Industry Commercial Chamber (IGG) and partner organizations from Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Chech Republic and Italy.

Puls Biznesu: Statoil withdraws from undersea gas pipeline

Warsaw, Sept. 20: The Norwegians have lost their desire for building a gas pipeline to Poland, Puls Biznesu writes on Tuesday adding that Statoil might cooperate with Poland's Oil and Gas Mining but on a much smaller scale. The Russian-German agreement on the northern gas pipeline caused that Polish politicians, especially those from the right-wing, refer with sentiment to plans of building an undersea pipeline which was to pump gas from Norway to Poland. Presidential candidate Lech Kaczynski just recently stressed the need for the return to such project. However, writes the daily, there is one problem, Statoil lost interest in this gigantic venture. The Norwegian concern, unlike Russian Gazprom which is not concerned by costs, assessed that the undersea pipe would not be profitable. In light of this the Polish Oil and Gas Mining company plans to turn towards Central Asia as a possible source of gas, the daily wrote.

Nafta Polska eyes selling Lotos Group stake in 2007

Warsaw, Sept. 20: Nafta Polska is mulling selling a stake in the Lotos Group to a strategic investor with an access to crude oil deposits in 2007, Nafta Polska CEO Adam Sek said. Sek added that no decision had been made as to the size of the stake to be sold but ruled out that all Lotos Group shares owned by Nafta Polska could be sold. Nafta Polska has 59.91 percent of voting rights at the Lotos Group General Shareholder Meeting.

Gas Forum: Poland should raise supplies to Western Europe

Warsaw, Sept. 20: The expansion of Europe's gas forwarding network should ensure Poland a bigger part in gas supplies to western Europe, economic viceminister Piotr Rutkowski said at Tuesday's European Gas Forum in Warsaw. Rutkowski said Poland planned to apply to the EC for participation in the Nabucco project involving a gas pipeline from Iran to Europe via Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria. He also mentioned the Sarmacja scheme to draw a gas line along the Black Sea bed, through Ukraine and Poland to west Europe.

Rutkowski also suggested the construction of a Baltic terminal for Russian LPG, possibly in Poland.

Polish Pope, general Rowny awarded by Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation

Washington, Sept. 20: The U.S.-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation has conferred its annual distinctions, the Freedom Medals of Truman and Reagan, on the late Pope John Paul II and retired general Edward Rowny, a former disarmament negotiator. The official ceremony of announcing the decision on the distinctions will take place in the Polish embassy in Washington on December 13, the anniversary of martial law introduction in Poland. The founders of free trade unions in Poland Lech Walesa, Anna Walentynowicz and Andrzej Gwiazda have been invited to the ceremony, Lee Edwards, the chairman of the Foundation, told PAP. Among the invited there is also papal nuncio archbishop Gabriel Montalvo. The Foundation has decided to erect a monument to Victims of Communism in Washington. It will be a replica of the already existing "Goddess of Freedom" statue erected by Chinese students on Tiananmem Square in 1989.

High Polish distinction for Professor Jan Ciechanowski

Warsaw, Sept. 20: Professor Jan Ciechanowski, the outstanding historian residing in London, was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Polonia Restituta Order conferred upon him by President Aleksander Kwasniewski for his participation in the work of the Polish-British commission for the investigation into the activities of Polish intelligence during the Second World War. "This honourable distinction is a modest token of thanks for all Professor Ciechanowski, guided by his patriotism and the sense of civic duty, had done for his country," Kwasniewski said at the ceremony in Warsaw on Tuesday. The president said that Ciechanowski's activity promoting Poland in the British opinion-shaping circles was especially valuable in the time of Poland's striving to join NATO and the European Union. The report published by the Polish-British commission last July showed that the contribution of the Polish intelligence service considerably contributed to the victory of the allies over the Nazi Germany.

More Polish tourists go abroad

Warsaw, Sept.20: July and August turned out to be exceptionally profitable months of this year's summer season for travel agencies, hotel owners and carriers, Gazeta Prawna daily reports. Although holiday months were full of unrest on an international scene, 20 percent more Poles left for holidays abroad as compared to the previous year.This season was one of best for tourist sector and confirmed all optimistic forecasts predicting a growth in sales as compared to the last year. The ratio reached 50 percent this year. "We faced a slight standstill after terrorist attacks in Egypt but the situation quickly went back to normal," Andrzej Studnicki of Orbis Travel agency told Gazeta Prawna. Sylwester Strzylak of Alfa Star travel agency revealed that immediately after the attacks in Egypt approximately 20 percent of customers decided to swap Egypt for some other country like Tunisia, Greece or Cyprus. In 2005, just like in previous years, Poles most frequently visited Germany, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Slovakia and Italy. Nonetheless, many decided to spend their holidays in more exotic places like Egypt, Tunisia, Cyprus and Majorka.

Piekarska: Cimoszewicz election gadgets for charity

Warsaw, Sept. 20: Campaign gadgets and sweets from resigned presidential candidate Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz's electoral office have been given to various charities, Cimoszewicz election staff boss Katarzyna Piekarska said Tuesday. Half a ton of "election" sweets has been distributed to several childrens' homes, a childrens' hospital in Warsaw and the Warsaw-based Child Foundation. Several hundred windbreakers with Cimoszewicz's campaign slogan "Let Poland Unite Us" were sent to the Markot and Karan anti-drug programmes and a homeless aid association. The Karan association also received a computer system used by Cimoszewicz's election staff. We're pleased the campaign materials and sweets found their way to charities. This way we were able to help some people, Piekarska said.

President Aleksander Kwasniewski on UN role and future

Warsaw, Sept.22: Although the UN mechanism was jamming and the organisation needed reforms, the world still needed the UN, president Aleksander Kwasniewski told the "United Nations. Balance Sheet and Prospects" conference here Thursday. Last week's summit meeting at the UN in New York marked the opening of a certain process of change, but change is never fast in organisations like the UN, the president remarked. He said the reform of the Security Council was also necessary but there were diverging concepts on how to go about it. There was not a shadow of an agreement in New York on this matter last week, he

said. If the UN reforms itself in a manner enhancing its political influence, then it should be headed by a politician, but if it remains more or less like it is at present then a diplomat would

be more appropriate, Kwasniewski opined. In that latter case there is no place for my candidature for the secretary general, he added. He recalled that two world regions aspire to fill the secretary general post: Eastern Europe, including Poland, and Asia. The next year will be a time of discussion and battle for the post, Kwasniewski predicted.

Over 30 million eligible voters in parliamentary election

Warsaw, Sept. 22: Over 30 million Poles are eligible to vote in the September 25 parliamentary elections. Poles will cast their votes during the Sunday elections in 24,382 polling stations in Poland, 162 abroad (in 92 countries) and eight on Polish ships. Polling stations in Poland will be open from 0600 hrs to 2000 hrs. There are 14 polling stations in the U.S., six in Australia, six in Canada, five in Germany, five in France, five in Ukraine, four in Russia, and three in Belarus.

PGB poll: PiS, PO - 29 per cent each

Opole, Sept. 22: The Law and Justice (PiS) caught up with the Civic Platform (PO) according to PGB's last poll before the Sunday general elections. Both parties may count on a 29 per cent support. Compared to results of PGB's previous poll PiS gained 2 percentage points while PO lost 4 pp. The two parties were followed by: The League of Polish Families (LPR) - 11 per cent, Samoobrona - 10 pct, Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) - 8 pct (up 2 pp), Polish Peasant Party (PSL) - 5 per cent (up 1 pp). According to PGB's forecast PO would win 155 seats in the 460 seat lower chamber, PiS - 154, LPR - 55, Samoobrona - 42, SLD - 38, PSL - 14. In tune with the law German minority receives 2 seats irrespective of the election results. The poll has been conducted on a group of 1,177 adult Poles on September 21-22.

CBOS: Tusk - 44 pct, Kaczynski - 26 pct

Warsaw, Sept. 22: Donald Tusk of the Civic Platform (PO) would win the presidential elections with the 44-pct support if they were held in mid-September, the newest survey run by CBOS polling centre shows. Lech Kaczynski of the Law and Justice (PiS) could count on a 26-pct support. Next would come Andrzej Lepper with 15 percent, Marek Borowski - 7 pct and Jaroslaw Kalinowski - 3 pct. Tusk would be the winner of the second round of the presidential ballot with 58 percent of votes. Kaczynski would be supported by 42 percent of voters.

Tusk: does PiS want a coalition?

Gdansk, Sept. 22: The Kaczynski twins should decide whether they want a government coalition or not, Civic Platform (PO) leader Donald Tusk said Thursday commenting the recent criticism of his party by Jacek Kurski , election aide for the Kaczynski-led Law and Justice Party (PiS) expected to form a post-election government with PO. On Wednesday Kurski criticized PO in the ultra-Catholic Radio Maryja station, saying that Tusk's image was "built on fiction". Tusk also protested against recent PiS overtures to the ultra-conservative League of Polish Families (LPR), Samoobrona and Catholic Radio Maryja broadcaster in what he called, "a dangerous political strategy". For the last time I am forwarding a friendly appeal to the Kaczynskis to abandon this dangerous political strategy and confirm their will to build a good, wise and responsible government together with PO. If Jaroslaw and Lech Kaczynski think they'll be able to build a wealthy and safe Poland hand in hand with Giertych, Lepper or father Rydzyk and simultaneously cooperate with PO, then they'd better think again. You can't build a safe Poland with people whose main driving force are hatred, obsession and hangups, Tusk said, adding that his words should be understood "as a request and a warning".

Law & Justice "sure" about coalition with Platform

Warsaw, Sept. 22: Law and Justice (PiS) leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski Thursday said his party's post-election alliance with the Civic Platform (PO) was not only "certain" but "a necessity", and denied plans to "sink" PO as suggested yesterday by its leader Jan Rokita . I'm 100 percent sure a coalition will be formed, although we're not at one on what we will do with Poland, whether we'll embark on a new liberal experiment, a kind of new Balcerowicz plan, or try to rebuild social responsibility, Kaczynski said. His words came in response to PO leader Donald Tusk's earlier statement that his party would not be able to form a government with PiS if PiS's campaign continued under the influence of Jacek Kurski . On Wednesday Kurski, an election aide for PiS, criticized PO in the ultra-Catholic Radio Maryja station, saying that Tusk's image was "built on fiction". Kaczynski said he was unaware of what Kurski had said in Radio Maryja but noted that Tusk'a statements about the impossibility of a coalition were "irresponsible". We understand that nerves are taut at the end of the campaign and we understand the mental stress felt by those who were sure of victory and now are not so sure, nonetheless we are surprised at such statemenmmts, Kaczynski stated.

Poll: 74 pc believe things going in wrong direction

Warsaw, Sept. 22: Social moods in Poland got slightly worse (by 1 pc, to 74 pc) in September as compared with August. The group of those who maintain that things in the country improved dropped by 2 percent to 17 pc according to the recent poll run by TNS OBOP. Those optimistic are mostly young people between 15 and 18 years of age, better well-off and educated persons, managers and specialists, private businessmen, students. Pessimism prevails among elder people between 50 to 59, and over 60, usually with no higher education. 28 percent in September are convinced that the Polish economy is developing (33 pc in August) but 69 pc claim the opposite (64 pc in August). Those satisfied with the state of Polish economy are mostly young people with higher education, aged between 15 to 19, residents of big towns. Those who think the country's economy is in crisis are respondents between 40 to 49 years of age and over 60, chiefly pensioners and farmers. The poll was conducted between September 8 and 12, on a representative sample of 1005 Poles aged 15 and more.

3rd quarter GDP growth slightly higher

Warsaw, Sept. 22: Poland's GDP growth in the 3rd quarter of 2005 will be slightly higher than the 2.8 percent in the 2nd quarter, vice-president of the Central Statistical Office Halina Dmochowska said. According to a poll conducted by PAP early in September, the 3rd quarter economic growth was 3.7 percent. The Central Statistical Office is due to release GDP data late in November. The GDP grew 2.8 percent in the 2nd quarter and 2.1 percent in the 1st quarter of 2005.

World promotion campaign of Polish economy kicks off

Warsaw, Sept. 22: A large promotion campaign of the Polish economy featuring adverts in BBC World, CNN International, Time magazine, Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal will start on Oct.3, deputy minister of economy Marcin Kaszuba and head of PAIiZ foreign investment agency Andrzej Zdebski announced Thursday. The campaign is hoped to help change the way Poland was presented to date. "We depart from European bisons, thatched roofs and horse-driven carts that used to depict Poland," Kaszuba said. "We want it to be perceived as a dynamic country with 2 millions of university students and a large pool of highly skilled professionals, a country whose major capital is its people and one that can become the R&D, service and capital hub of east-central Europe."The campaign aims to change the prevalent image of Poland in developed countries, trigger an inflow of foreign direct investments to the tune of 10 bn USD annually and help create 25,000 new jobs annually, Kaszuba said. Research done prior to the campaign launch has shown that Poland was now perceived as a backward country, with lots of red tape and high level of corruption, cold climate unwelcome for tourists and old-fashioned agriculture.

2005 grain crops down to 26.3 mn tons

Warsaw, Sept. 22: Grain crops will be 26.3 million tons in 2005, down 11.3 percent from 2004, including crops of staple grain with mixes at 24.3 tons, down 10.8 percent from 2004, the Central Statistical Office said in a preliminary estimate on Thursday. Rape crops are estimated at 1.4 million tons, down 12.2 percent, and potato crops at 11.0 million tons, down 21.4 percent. Outdoor vegetable crops are estimated at 4.8 million tons, down 1.8 percent from 2004.

Polagra fair reflects success of Polish food products, minister

Poznan, Sept. 22: Agriculture Minister Jerzy Pilarczyk said that this year's Polagra fair reflects successes achieved by the Polish food processing industry. Pilarczyk stressed that Polish companies can be satisfied with exports results to European Union countries. The minister stressed that while last year's fair was dominated by concern over competition on the EU market, this year there much more optimism and confidence in success. The minister said that Poland's joining the Union had a very positive influence on agri and food trade - turnover surplus reaches over 1 billion USD. The main award of the fair went to Sokolow meat plant for its "Polish export beef".

Three measures of core inflation unchanged, 1 up, 1 down

Warsaw, Sept. 22: Three measures of core inflation did not change in August, one moved up, and one fell in August, the central bank announced Thursday. The net inflation went down to 1.3 pc, from 1.4 pc in July (market expectations were between 1.3 pc and 1.5 pc). Core inflation excluding volatile and fuel prices remained at 0.7 pc, while core inflation excluding controlled prices rose to 0.6 pc, from 0.2 pc in July. Core inflation excluding volatile prices remained at 1.3 pc. The CPI calculated by GUS Central Statistical Office reached 1.6 pc in August, vs. 1.3 pc in July.

Donna Brown at "Warsaw Gospel Days 2005"

Warsaw, Sept. 22: Concerts by American vocalist Donna Brown and The Golden Gospel Pearls will be the highlights of the "Warsaw Gospel Days 2005" held between the coming Friday and Sunday. Apart from the Americans, nine Polish gospel ensembles will perform, among them the Belchatow Gospel Singers, Ars Antiqua vocal group and the Soul Connection Choir. Concerts will be held in Warsaw and neighbouring localities. The Golden Gospel Pearls will sing at the inaugural convert in Warsaw's Evangelical Augsburg church on Friday and Sunday. Music workshops are organised within the festival, with and Donna Brown instructing. Donna Brown has a B.A degree in conducting of The Juilliard School of Music. Outstanding musician Lee Brown , priest of the Baptist Church is a special guest of the festival, director of the festival Aleksandra Puacz-Markowska said. Pastor Brown has been conducting gospel workshops in many countries, eg. Italy, for ten years now. He founded The Freedom Family and The German Family ensembles. "I am all gospel, it makes the essence of my existence; it is the music and voice of Africa who for years were slaves on the American continent, Lee Brown told PAP. The Sunday concert will be recorded live and a CD will be issued by the end of this year. This year's festival is held under the honorary patronage of US Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe and Warsaw Mayor Lech Kaczynski .

Kwasniewski, Belka discuss election results

Warsaw, Sept. 26: President Aleksander Kwasniewski and Prime Minister Marek Belka met on Monday to discuss the results of Sunday general elections, the presidential press office wrote in a press release. The two also reviewed procedures linked with the announcement, by the president, of the date of the first meeting of the new Sejm and the appointment of a new government. The Prime Minister also briefed the president on his planned visit to the United States.

Six parties enter Sejm

Warsaw, Sept. 9: Law and Justice (PiS), Civic Platform (PO), Self- defence (Samoobrona), Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), League of Polish Families (LPR) and Polish Peasant Party (PSL) are the six parties that enter the Sejm after the Sunday election, according to an official report by the State Electoral Commission PKW released on Tuesday morning. Deputies of the German Minority and the Silesian German Minority will be also present in the Sejm. PKW reported that 11,804,676 valid votes were cast in the election. 3,185,714 (26.99 pct) Poles voted for PiS, 2,849,259 Poles (24.14 pct) for PO, 1,347,355 (11.41 pct) for Self-defence, 1,335,257 (11.31 pct) for SLD, 940,762 (7.97 pct) for LPR and 821,656 (6.96 pct) for PSL. Under separate regulations, representatives of the German Minority Voters' Committee with 34,469 votes (0.29 pct) and Silesian German Minority Voters' Committee with 5,581 votes (0.05 pct) will also enter the Sejm. The official results of the election are expected to be released at 1800 hrs on Tuesday, the PKW said.

Unofficial results to Senate from 90 pc of polling stations

Warsaw, Sept. 26: The Law and Justice (PiS) won 48 seats in the Senate, according to unofficial results from 90 pct of polling stations published by the State Election Commission on Monday early afternoon. The Civic Platform (PO) got 35 seats, League of Polish Families (LPR) - 5 seats, Samoobrona - 4 seats and Polish Peasant Party (PSL) - 3 seats. The remaining five seats were won by election committees of voters of Bogdan Borusewicz, Kazimierz Kutz, Maciej Plazynski, Marian Milek and Jaroslaw Lasecki.

Foreign Ministry welcomes Swiss referendum outcome

Warsaw, Sept. 26: The Foreign Ministry received with satisfaction the positive result of the Swiss referendum on the extension of an agreement between Switzerland and the European Union on the free flow of people, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release issued Monday. We believe that the positive result of the referendum is in line with the Swiss strategy of bilateral cooperation with the EU, the statement goes on. We are convinced that the decision following the referendum secures long-term interests of Switzerland, including the access of that country's citizens to the uniform European market. The Polish side also takes it as an expression of support for the new EU member states which will obtain in Switzerland the same status as the old EU member states, the Foreign Ministry concluded.

Tusk, Kaczynski would support Kwasniewski's candidacy for UN Secretary General

Warsaw, Sept. 26: Both Civic Platform's and Law and Justice presidential candidates Donald Tusk and Lech Kaczynski declared they would support Aleksander Kwasniewski's efforts to assume the post of the United Nations Secretary General. Speaking during a TV presidential debate on Monday evening Kaczynski said he would support Kwasniewski's efforts as being in Poland's interest. Tusk said he would also do so although without much enthusiasm. He said it was in Poland's interest to support a Pole who seeks a high position. Tusk and Kaczynski were agreed that if they were Poland's president they would entrust leader of a victorious party with a government formation mission. Speaking about Poland's presence in Iraq Lech Kaczynski said that there is no "strict deadline" regarding the pull-out of Polish troops from Iraq. "There is no strict deadline (of Polish troops withdrawal from Iraq) as the decision, difficult as it was, significantly contributed to enhancing Poland's status, at least in certain parts of the world and in the United States." Tusk stressed that neither he nor Kaczynski knew "real circumstances and terms of the Polish-U.S. deal" regarding the presence of Polish troops in Iraq. "We should begin serious talks about the Polish interest during this mission and about ending our participation (...)," Tusk said. Commenting Polish-Russian relations, Kaczynski noted that president Kwasniewski "met with considerable defeats as regards relations with Russia." "His method of six visits in Moscow, in return for one short visit of president Putin in the Polish Sejm, turned out to be ineffective," Kaczynski said. Tusk said he would prefer if Poland had to mend Polish-Russian relations rather than to demonstrate aversion.

Foreign politicians on Polish elections

Warsaw, Sept. 26: Poland is France's key partner in the European Union, spokesman for the French foreign ministry Jean-Baptiste Mattei said commenting the outcome of parliamentary elections in Poland. EU's foreign minister Javier Solana expressed regret on the low turnout in Poland's elections, attributing it partly to an electoral crisis in Europe. "This situation is visible not only in Poland but in whole Europe. It should be resolved and Europeans should be mobilised to vote," Solana said. Polish election results were no surprise in Ukraine. The future

government in Warsaw will not change policy towards Kiev, Ukrainian experts thought. Ukranine's acting foreign minister Borys Tarasiuk was convinced that Poland's new government will not introduce changes in Warsaw-Kiev relations. Foreign minister in Hungary's leftist government Ferenc Somogyi expressed the hope that Polish-Hungarian relations will remain good after the elections. He believed there was a good chance for further cooperation of the Visegrad Group countries (the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary) and for other forms of cooperation. Russian political scientist Fiodor Lukianov said he expects no changes in the currently very bad Russian-Polish relations after the victory of the right wing in the elections. "There will be no major changes in the relations between Russia and Poland. There will not be changes for the worse since the relations are so bad that they cannot get any worse. No changes for the better should be expected," Lukianov said. Germany's CDU and CSU parties congratulated Law and Justice and Civic Platform on their election victory. They voiced the hope for considerable improvement in German-Polish relations, spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction Friedbert Pflueger said. "When Poland needs reforms, populism and reactionism of the Law and Justice has won," head of the liberal and democratic faction (ALDE) in the European Parliament Briton Graham Watson said. "They succeeded in convincing the Poles that they can eat their cake and still have it," he noted.

Foreign press on Polish elections

Warsaw, Sept. 26: The German daily Berliner Zeitung described the scale of the weakening of the Polish left as "surprising and dangerous," and said that Poland's relations with the EU, including Germany, might be "disturbed". "After the elections Poland will be the country with the left which is extremely weak on the European scale. This is surprising and dangerous. Poland's social problems are known. Poland needs a reform of the old-age pension system, health service, labour market and taxes," the daily said. "Poland - the country without the left," "Poles are turning right," such are the headlines in the French press on Monday following Sunday's election in Poland. "Liberals and conservatives are replacing the post-communist left as a result of the election marked by low turnout," the conservative daily Le Figaro wrote, adding that the presidential election, to take place in two weeks, should confirm this direction. The daily stressed that the Polish left could not expect anything else as it was weakened by a series of scandals. In its commentaries concerning the general election in Poland the British press stressed that the low turnout showed that Poles were clearly disenchanted with the todate government and politics. The Guardian stressed that Sunday's election confirmed the tendency that since 1989 Poles have been "throwing away" every cabinet after elections. A disappointed Poland is turning right but the majority of voters stayed at home, The Times said. The Polish elections without a surprise, the left is weakened, low turnout - such are the headlines of the Belgian press on Monday. Le Soir stressed that in accordance with the expectations the coalition of Law and Justice (PiS) and the Civic Platform (PO) would be in power for the next four years. But it is still unknown who will be appointed a new PM as this will be decided after the presidential election, the daily said. The left is drowning. And populists are quite well, the daily wrote speaking about the results of Samoobrona and the League of Polish Families. In the opinion of the Czech liberal daily Lidove Noviny, Sunday's parliamentary election in Poland and the forthcoming presidential election will bring significant changes in the Polish foreign policy, which so far "has been connected with President Aleksander Kwasniewski as a clear representative of a "new Europe." Kwasniewski managed to change from a communist into a rational statesman who focused on European integration and close cooperation with the U.S., the daily wrote and added that the president supported the left but lost. The left has been eliminated and Poland's EU membership has been criticized because of Brussels' alleged harmful influence, the daily said. In the opinion of the Lithuanian press, Polish voters "punished the left after a series of corruption scandals." In the first elections after Poland joined the EU all forecasts speak of an election victory of the right and end of the left rule, Respublika wrote. The election victory of Law and Justice means that Poles have turned right. One should seek an explanation of such situation in the climate of corruption in Poland. The trust of Poles in the political class has considerably weakened and testifying to this is the low turnout, the Spanish ABC daily said. The Italian La Repubblica described PiS as a nationalist party with a cold attitude towards the EU in a commentary headlined "Victory of twin brothers from the right."

OBOP's newest presidential poll: Tusk-45.2, Kaczynski-34.1 pct

Warsaw, Sept. 26: Civic Platform presidential candidate Donald Tusk would receive a 45.2 per cent backing in the first round of presidential elections scheduled for October 9, according to the newest OBOp poll conducted for TVP. The poll was run following Sunday general elections. Law and Justice candidate Lech Kaczynski would receive a 34.1 per cent backing while Samoobrona leader Andrzej Lepper - 10 pct. 6 per cent of the polled said they would vote for head of the Democratic Party of Poland Marek Borowski.

EC appeals to Polish politicians to quickly form stable cabinet

Brussels, Sept. 26: The European Commission on Monday appealed to Polish political leaders to quickly set up a stable government in Poland. We hope a new government will be formed as soon as possible, one of EU spokesmen Mikolaj Dowgielewicz told reporters. The European Commission hopes that a new Polish government will join a debate on the new EU budget in order to reach agreement in December, Dowgielewicz said. We also count on Poland's significant contribution to a debate on Europe's future, he added.

Tarasiuk: Polish-Belarussian-Ukrainian talks on Thursday

Kiev, Sept. 26: A Polish-Belarussian-Ukrainian meeting will be held on Thursday to discuss cooperation problems between the three countries, Ukrainian acting foreign minister Borys Tarasiuk said. The meeting in Kiev will be attended by secretaries of national security council from Poland and Belarus Jerzy Bahr and Henadz Nevyhlas, and the Ukrainian acting foreign minister. "Belarus is ready for friendly cooperation (with Poland -ed.) and this is the context in which the meeting will be held," Tarasiuk said. He added that the talks will focus on development of Polish-Bealrussian-Ukrainian partnership in border regions.

Farewell to Polish soldiers going to Afghanistan

Kielce, Sept. 26: Ninety four soldiers departing to Afghanistan as part of the Polish Military Contingent were bidden farewell in the military training centre in Kielce on Monday. The soldiers had undergone a monthly training at the centre to get acquainted with the region of heir mission, local culture, customs and religion, press officer major Tadeusz Banaszek told PAP. Polish soldiers will stay six months in Afghanistan. The Polish contingent stationed at base Bagram is engaged in removing mines, land engineering and supplies. The Polish contingent of about a hundred men has been operating in Afghanistan within the anti-terrorist coalition since March, 2002. The aim of the mission is to ensure peace and restore stabilisation in that country.

PiS: Budget gap at 30 bn zlotys, no hurry to enter euro zone

Warsaw, Sept. 26: The likely future coalition government of Law and Justice (PiS) and Civic Platform (PO) should curb the budget deficit to 30 billion zlotys in the years to come and should not focus on replacing the zloty by the euro, according to PiS economic leader and candidate for the finance minister post Cezary Mech. "We are planning (the so-called budget deficit) anchor at 30 billion zlotys. We are planning spending at 221.7 billion zlotys, and revenues by 30 billion zlotys lower," Mech said in an interview for PAP. Finance minister Miroslaw Gronicki projected the budget deficit at 32.6 billion zlotys in a 2006 budget plan. Budget revenues were planned at 189.228 billion zlotys, against 178.870 billion zlotys in 2005, and expenditures at 221.803 billion zlotys, against 209.704 billion zlotys. The new government's main aim will be to increase employment in order to bring the jobless rate down to 9 percent in 2009 and accelerate the GDP growth to 7 percent. PiS intends to create new jobs by means of tax deductions and incentives, and by lowering PIT and CIT. "Our government will have to focus on improving operation conditions for entrepreneurs and on lowering labour cost. But we are not planning changes in CIT and VAT in the first stage," he added. PiS programme foresees privatisation revenues at 7-10 billion zlotys annually. Mech said that changes in tax rates might be introduced only from 1 January 2007. PiS is planning to reduce CIT from 19 to 18 percent. PiS wants to do away with the Monetary Policy Council rate setting body with its role to be taken over by the central bank governor. Mech reiterated that Poland's euro zone entry is not the aim of the PiS government.

5.6 thousand enterprises covered by privatisation process over 15 years

Warsaw, Sept. 26: A total of 5 thousand 686 state enterprises were covered by the privatisation process from 1 August 1990 until the end of August 2005, the treasury ministry said Monday. Privatisation of 354 firms began during the present term of the Sejm. One thousand 124 state enterprises were in the National Economy Register on 30 June 2005. According to data of 31 August 2005, one thousand 575 state enterprises were transformed into companies. In effect, 1 thousand 558 state owned companies were formed and 17 companies with participation of creditors. From January to August 2005, 13 state enteprises were privatised.

Weaker zloty, cheaper shares, market waiting for new cabinet

Warsaw, Sept. 26: On Monday morning the zloty weakened against the euro by 1.5 percent, the yield of bonds went up and the value of shares of majority of stock exchange companies went down, such are the first market reactions to the results of Sunday's parliamentary elections. The zloty went down against other currencies from Friday. This has been caused by a a worse result of the Civic Platform (PO), Krzysztof Rogalski of Export Credit Insuring Corporation (KUKE) told PAP on Monday. According to the Citibank Handlowy, chances for forming a new government fast are rather small. Until the result of the forthcoming presidential election is known the two parties will not be willing to make and concessions in order not to diminish chances of their candidates, it said.

Conference "700 Years of Jewish Presence in Cracow"

Cracow, Sept. 26: The history of the Jewish community in Cracow, from the Middle Ages up to the present day are discussed by historians at an international conference "700 Years of Jewish Presence in Cracow" which started in Cracow on Monday. The event is co-organised by the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences (PAU.) Professor Jerzy Wyrozumski, PAU Secretary General stressed that after the 40 years of a deliberate silence on the coexistence of

Poles and Jews on the Polish lands the issue has become the subject of ever greater number of dissertations and scientific conferences. Numerous publications prove then growing interest in the theme of Jewish presence in Poland and Jews' contribution to the Polish history, Wyrozumski pointed out. The history of Polish Jews shows that for many centuries the Jewish community was the most important and the strongest in the Republic of Poland. The oldest mention of a Jewish street in Cracow found in municipal books indicates that the street might have existed already in the 11th century, Wyrozumski believes. Professor Jozef Gierowski, the founder of an interdepartmental Institute of the History and Culture of Jews in Poland at the Jagiellonian University claims that thanks to its history Cracow is one of few cities in Poland which has preserved continuity of Polish-Jewish relations through centuries up to the WW2. Taking part in the conference are outstanding experts and historians from Poland, Israel, Great Britain, Germany and the USA.

Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz exhibition at National Library

Warsaw, Sept. 26: Books and photographs are displayed at the exhibition titled "Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz, a European Writer" opened at the National Library in Warsaw Monday. A scientific session was also devoted to the European aspects in Iwaszkiewicz's creative work. "Iwaszkiewicz was an European writer because he was a Polish writer, formed by the Polish literary tradition, history and experiences, one who grew amid Polish landscapes, Professor Waclaw Sadkowski said. "He saw all this in the context of the European history and the European, Ukrainian, Italian and Scandinavian landscapes," Sadkowski added. The exhibition also presents Iwaszkiewicz as a translator of European literature. Iwaszkiewicz's books are still the most often translated into foreign languages. Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz (1894-1980) was one one of the founders of the Polish section SEC - Societe Europeenne de Culture - and its lond-time president. The Polish SEC is the main organiser of the exhibition.

Cesaria Evora to perform in Szczecin

Warsaw, Sept. 26: Cesaria Evora, a famous singer from Cape Verde, will perform in Szczecin on October 6. It will be her sixth visit to Poland. Last time she came to Poland in April this year to collect an award for her albums: "Voz D'Amor", "Cafe Atlantico" and "Best of". The concert will be held at the International Szczecin Fair hall. Evora will also meet her fans and sign her records in Szczecin's Multikino. Evora started singing at the age of 16. At the end of the 1960s her records were released in Portugal and the Netherlands. In mid 1970s she quit singing and returned to it in 1985. She published four albums in the years 1988-1992. At the end of 1990s she released records that brought her an enormous success, "Cabo Verde", "Mar Azul" and "Cafe Atlantico". She received the Grammy award for her "Voz D'Amor" album in the best album category.

Celtic settlement found under speedway

Warsaw, Sept.26: A Celtic settlement has been unearthed in the locality of Podleze, southern Poland, with a fine collection of twenty fragments of bracelets made of cobalt glass. According to Gazeta Krakowska daily, this is the biggest collection of bracelets coming from the regions of the Czech Republic, Moravia and Slovakia ever found in Poland. The archaeologists found also many ornaments, mainly bronze and iron robe buckles. Thanks to the works conducted on the building site of the Cracow-Tarnow speedway and the excavation financed by the General Highway and Speedway Management, it was possible to unearth the whole settlement and not only single Celtic objects, the daily reported on Monday. The village dates back to the 3rd-4th century before Christ and consists of around dozen dug-out cottages. The archaeologists found numerous kind of basements with ceramic fragments and a

potter's stove.

Volleyball overshadows elections

Warsaw, Sept. 26: Sunday's women's European volleyball championship final between Poland and Italy drew more TV viewers than the simultaneously broadcast parliamentary election, proving once more that Poles preferred bodily grace to political jousting. Poland's public TV informed Monday that the match, won by Poland after an enticing 4 sets, was watched by 5.6million people while the election coverage by only 3.4 million.

Prime Minister goes to Washington

Warsaw, Sept. 27: Prime Minister Marek Belka is going to Washington for a one day visit Wednesday to meet US Vice-President Dick Cheney, the Government Information Centre said in a press release sent to PAP Tuesday. The Prime Minister will also hold talks at the departments of State, Treasury and Commerce and the US National Security Council. It is a farewell visit designed to review the state of bilateral relations between Poland and the USA and questions concerning international policy.

Belka government to resign on day of new Sejm's first meeting

Warsaw, Sept. 27: Prime Minister Marek Belka on Tuesday said he plans to resign on the day of the first meeting of the new Sejm. The president is expected to call the first meeting between October 17 and 24. Belka stressed that the government will refrain from opening any

new privatization processes. "We want to leave our successors a clean sheet and avoid controversial decisions." Asked at a Tuesday press conference on his future political plans Belka said he is a candidate for the new OECD head. "But the decision is to a large degree beyond my control," he said.

Marcinkiewicz Prime Minister candidate

Warsaw, Sept. 27: Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz is the election-winning Law and Justice Party's (PiS's) PM candidate, PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski informed today. Kaczynski added that the decision had the support of the PiS leadership. Kaczynski said he had decided to nominate Marcinkiewicz as this "was the quickest guarantee of a government", he also assured Marcinkiewicz was well-prepared for the function. Marcinkiewicz said today that Jan Rokita, leader of PiS government partner Civic Platform (PO), should co-form the future government.

Tusk: PiS decision on Marcinkiewicz is surprising

Warsaw, Sept. 27: Leader of the government-co-forming Civic Platform (PO) Donald Tusk at a press conference Tuesday evening described the decision of Law and Justice (PiS) to nominate Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz for the premiership as surprising. Tusk, who admitted that the news about Marcinkiewicz's nomination reached him minutes before the conference, said his party's "best people" will go into the new government and that he "took full responsibility for their qualifications and performance". Tusk also expressed hope that the new government "forms quickly and in full public view". We do not understand the reasons behind Jaroslaw Kaczynski's decision, Tusk said. Tusk stressed he did not want a repetition of the situation from 1997, when Jerzy Buzek was PM but (...) the government was actually steered by the head of the Solidarity Election Action (AWS) Marian Krzaklewski. Tusk also remarked that a good beginning to government talks between his party and PiS would be PiS' public explanation of its choice of Marcinkiewicz as PM and declaration of support for the future government.

PKW: official results of elections to Sejm and Senate

Warsaw, Sept. 27: Law and Justice (PiS), Civic Platform (PO), Self-defence (Samoobrona), Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), League of Polish Families (LPR) and Polish Peasant Party (PSL) are the six parties that have entered the Sejm after the Sunday election, head of the State Electoral Commission PKW Ferdynand Rymarz told a press conference on Tuesday evening. The turnout in the Sunday parliamentary election was 40.57 percent, Rymarz said. PiS gets 155 seats, PO - 133, Self-defence - 56 , SLD - 55, LPR - 34 and PSL - 25. The German minority gets two seats. PiS secured 49 seats in the Senate, PO - 34, LPR - 7, Self-defence - 3, PSL - 2, the State Electoral Commission said. New Senate 2005 Electoral Committee, Kazimierz Kutz Electoral Committee, Marian Milek Electoral Committee, Maciej Plazynski Electoral Committee and Bogdan Borusewicz Electoral Committee received one Senate seat each. Rymarz said that there were 30,229,031 Poles eligible to vote, and that 12,263,640 voting cards were distributed. The number of valid voting cards amounted to 12,244,903, the number of invalid votes amounted to 440,227, or 3.6 percent of the total. The number of valid votes amounted to 11,804,676, or 96.40 percent of all votes. PKW reported that 3,185,714 (26.99 pct) Poles voted for PiS, 2,849,259 Poles (24.14 pct) for PO, 1,347,355 (11.41 pct) for Self-defence, 1,335,257 (11.31 pct) for SLD, 940,762 (7.97 pct) for LPR and 821,656 (6.96 pct) for PSL. PKW must publish the election results in the Legal Journal (Dziennik Ustaw). Any voter protests must be forwarded in seven days. The Supreme Courtmust rule on the validity of the elections by December 24, 2005.

Fiscal criterion may be met in 08, Belka says

Warsaw, Sept. 27: The public sector deficit may fall below 3 per cent in 2008, Prime Minister Marek Belka has said stressing that this would mean that Poland meets the Maastrich fiscal criteria allowing the country to enter the euro zone. "The (2006) budget also includes a three-year forecast for the shaping of public finances according to which we will implement without any difficulties the convergence criterion - a 3 pct deficit of the public finances sector. Thus this will cease to be a cause why Poland should not join the monetary union," Belka said at a Tuesday press conference following a government meeting.

Cabinet accepts 2006 draft budget

Warsaw, Sept. 27: The government adopted on Tuesday the 2006 draft budget, Prime Minister Marek Belka has said. "The draft will be conveyed to the Sejm at the date specified in the Constitution, that is the coming Friday," the PM told a press conference following the cabinet meeting. "The budget envisions the acceleration of economic growth and higher employment. This makes it possible to plan a deficit of 32.5 billion zlotys," he said. The budget deficit will grow in 2006 to 32,575 million zlotys from 30,833 million zlotys in 2005.

PiS plans to amend 2006 budget bill

Warsaw, Sept. 27: The Law and Justice (PiS) will propose changes to the 2006 budget plan late in November, PiS's Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz said. The PiS is planning to eliminate a number of government agencies and funds. "The budget drawn up by the present government is the budget of stagnation, we want a budget of development." "We want more funds for (road and railway) investments and for co-financing of projects financed from EU funds," Marcinkiewicz said. On Tuesday the government accepted the 2006 budget bill with deficit at 32.575 million zlotys, revenues at 191,297 million zlotys and spending at 223,872 million zlotys. Civic Platform's deputy Zbigniew Chlebowski said that the 2006 budget bill is too optimistic and will require changes. Chlebowski mentioned in particular too optimistic assumptions regarding CIT, PIT and VAT revenues, and an over 4 percent growth of public spending. He thought that too little funds were allocated to projects financed from EU funds.

Gronicki: 2006 privatization revenues at 1.1 billion USD

Warsaw, Sept. 27: Finance Minister Miroslaw Gronicki said the 2006 net privatization revenues should reach 3.8 billion zlotys (1.17 billion USD). Gronicki speaking at a Tuesday press conference said that the public sector deficit will fall from 4.5 per cent of the GDP to 1.3 pct of the GDP in 2008.

Tusk to meet EC president and NATO general secretary on Friday

Strasbourg, Sept. 27: Leader of the Civic Platform (PO) and its presidential candidate Donald Tusk will pay a visit to Brussels on Friday to meet President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and NATO General Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, PAP was told Tuesday by a source close to PO at the European Parliament. The meetings will be held at Tusk's request, the source said. NATO and EC press services told PAP such meetings have been planned.

Poles about EU

Warsaw, Sept. 27: Fifty two percent of Poles do not see any impediments in EU's functioning according to results of a poll run CBOS. 27 percent of Poles share a different view and every fifth (21 percent) had no opinion on the matter. The majority of Poles named among the EU threats a few general factors such as lack of agreement within the EU. Next came problems with the passing of a budget and the adoption of a EU constitution as well as low economic growth in respective member countries. Among EU`s greatest beneficiaries Poles name Germany (72 percent), France (69 percent), and the UK (59 percent). Only 8 percent of Poles think that Poland has benefited most from being EU`s member. Sixty two percent think the EU experiences "temporary difficulties", 22 percent consider those difficulties as a "major crisis". 16 percent demonstrate no view on the issue.

International police cooperation agreement signed

Warsaw, Sept. 27: Police chiefs from four European capitals - Tallin, Riga, Vilnius and Warsaw - signed a cooperation agreement as part of the EU programme Leonardo da Vinci - "Joint Europe - joint safety. New dimension of European metropolises." The agreement foresees exchange of experiences. Senior police staff and 70 officers are due to visit the capitals of the Baltic states shortly, as well as Berlin, Copenhagen, the Hague and Dublin.

Philip Morris to open service centre in Cracow

Cracow, Sept. 27: Philip Morris International (PMI) plans to open a new service centre in Cracow next year. The centre is deal with general bookkeeping and servicing transactions of the concern's European companies, PMI director for external relations Greg Prager told PAP on Tuesday. According to unofficial information the centre, PMI's third such centre in the world, is to employ some 300 persons by 2007. Prager said Cracow has been chosen due its human resources with appropriate education, expertees and language abilities as well as existing infrastructure.

Rozlucki: New companies will be listed on WSE

Warsaw, Sept. 27: President of the Warsaw Stock Exchange Wieslaw Rozlucki said that new companies will be listed on the bourse after government change. Rozlucki noted that to-date privatisations proved very successful and any government would like to go ahead with them. The WSE could be privatised in the first half of 2006 with pre-privatisation analyses nearly ready, Rozlucki said. He stressed that WSE privatisation will hinge on a decision of a new treasury minister.

LG Electronics to invest 103 m USD in Poland

Seoul, Sept. 27: LG Electronics Inc. plans to invest 103 million USD in a new refrigerator and LCD monitors plant in Poland, the concern said Tuesday. The investment will allow for the annual production of 500 thousand refrigerators and 3.5 million monitors.

Germany, Poland to aid investors

Warsaw, Sept. 27: Poland and Germany will channel more aid to mutual investment under a protocol sealed Monday in Warsaw by Polish deputy foreign minister Jakub T. Wolski and German ambassador in Poland Reinhard Schweppe. The protocol, drawn up in Berlin on May 14 2003, supplements a 1989 investment protection agreement between Poland and Germany and foresees equal treatment of both countries' investors in the other country, also regarding arbitration. Bogdan Zagrobelny from the Polish economy ministry said the protocol was necessary in view of the 1989 accord's incompatibility with current economic relations between Poland and Germany. Today we are a big investor in Germany and this will help investors feel safer on the German market, Zagrobelny said.

Bishop: underground belongs to past, fight for Poland still on

Warsaw, Sept. 27: The days of Underground Poland are gone but the battle for Poland and the Poles is still on, field bishop Tadeusz Plonski said at a Tuesday mass marking the 66th anniversary of the formation of the Polish Underground State in Warsaw's Military Cathedral. The mass, celebrated by Polish catholic primate Jozef Glemp, honoured Poles involved in underground resistance against the country's Nazi occupants in 1939-45. In his sermon Plonski reminded that the Polish wartime underground "was and remains proof of the Polish nation's strength" and that "Poland never was, nor will be, a land of slaves". The mass was attended by Warsaw authorities, war veterans, the military, police, scout units and a crowd of Varsovians.

Works of German expressionist in Wroclaw

Wroclaw, Sept.27: Works by Ludwig Meidner, one of the most famous German expressionists, will be exhibited in Wroclaw`s city museum starting from Friday. The exhibition will comprise 80 works dated between 1910-1926. "The artist was an extraordinary, unhumble painter, whose life reflected the complexity of his times", Joanna Marecka, museum`s spokesman, said. Meidner created apocalyptical paintings depicting the city`s destruction and heralding the oncoming war. After World War One he took to writing. He was brought up in a Jewish merchant family. Considered by Nazi Germans as a "corrupt artist" he was pressed to leave Germany. Meidner studied in Wroclaw and Paris. His spent his adult life in Berlin, Cologne and London. He died in Germany in 1966. The exhibition will last until the end of November.

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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