Russian FM Hopes for Stronger Ties with Poland

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on Wednesday finished his two-day visit to Poland, during which he conveyed hopes for improvements in bilateral ties with this eastern European country.

At a meeting with his Polish counterpart Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, Ivanov promised that without Poland's presence, Russia will not make any decisions regarding Poland's interests or territory.

The Russian foreign minister pointed out that although Russia and Poland cannot agree on all issues, the two countries do share common views on most problems and Russia will take an "active and constructive" role in cooperating with Poland.

Both foreign ministers highlighted the improvements of bilateral ties at a joint press conference after the meeting.

Ivanov also discussed a natural gas pipeline project with Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek. Buzek expressed great interest in the utilization of Russia's natural gas and the construction of a new pipeline to carry Russian gas through Poland to Western Europe.

Ivanov said that Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov is expected to visit Poland soon to continue the negotiations on the pipeline.

Ivanov also met Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, who invited Russian President Putin to visit Poland. It's reported that Putin might embark on the tour in the first quarter in 2001.

During the meeting, Ivanov conveyed Kwasniewski a letter from Putin, in which he said Russia is interested in developing a stable neighborly relationship with Russia.

Polish-Russian ties, which have been frigid in recent years, touched bottom when the two countries expelled each other's diplomats early this year. The deportation incident prompted Ivanov to cancel a scheduled trip to the country. The ties have begun to thaw after Kwasniewski's visit to Russia this June.

Ivanov is leaving Warsaw to continue his six-day visit to European countries. His next stop is Vienna, where he will sit in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on November 27-28.






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