On Wednesday, presidents of Poland and United States will announce the results of talks regarding US forces presence in Poland - the Minister of Defense of Poland, Mariusz Błaszczak told reporters on Tuesday in Washington. In his opinion, the scale of the event "will match Poland's accession to the NATO".
President Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda On Tuesday afternoon set off to the United States where on Wednesday they will begin an official visit.
On the first day, the 12th of June, the presidential couple will pay an official visit to the White House, where they will be hosted by President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump. An increase of American military presence in Poland is expected to be the main topic of the talks.
Błaszczak: it will be a historic event
On Tuesday afternoon in Washington, the Minister of Defence Mariusz Błaszczak spoke with the US National Security Advisor John Bolton. After the meeting, Błaszczak spoke with Polish journalists.
"I'm very grateful to Mr Ambassador Bolton for his determination and involvement. The results of our meetings - this one being third - will be known tomorrow when Polish and US presidents will announce the decisions taken to the public opinion," said the minister.
He underscored that "this will be an important event, an important point in the history of our nation". "It's a historic event, of a scale that will match match Poland's accession to the NATO," Błaszczak said.
"This will mark the first stage of negotiations regarding the increase of US military presence in Poland. It's the conclusion of the first stage. We shall carry out the decisions made by the presidents. The outcome will postively affect Polish Army's capabilities, as well as the security of Poland and the Polish people," the defense minister reassured.
Security the top priority of PiS
"Poland is safer. If anyone said that we rest our security only in the hands of our allies, they would be wrong. No. We are active within the NATO, the Polish Army is growing in numbers," said Błaszczak.
In this context, he listed the new 18th Division that is being formed in the eastern part of the country, as well as modernization of the military and providing "the latest equipment compatible with that of the US Army". He announed that 185 billion zlotys was earmarked for technical modernization by 2026.
The minister stressed that Poland invests in the infrastructure that will serve the American troops in Poland, as well as Polish soldiers.
Asked about the costs of the planned purchase of F-35 jets, he replied: "We can afford to buy new aircrafts. My decision to replace the Soviet-era jets with the latest machines is justified. Security is priceless. Thanks to Poland being safe, Polish economy can thrive and we can attract investement to our country. Therefore, security is the top priority for PiS government".
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: tvn24