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| Forget Iraq Split, Let's Cooperate Chirac Tells Poland |
| 2005-02-28 |
| Paris and Warsaw must move on from splits over the war in Iraq and learn to work together in the expanded European Union, focusing on their common interests, French President Jacques Chirac said in an interview on Monday. But Poland must also avoid policies that might hurt ties with Russia, as good relations with Moscow were vital, the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper quoted him as saying ahead of Monday's summit with Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski. "If it happens that our positions are not always the same, and that happens between countries with a strong identity, we should be constantly looking to cooperate in a climate of full and complete confidence," he told the paper. The two leaders will meet in the northern French town of Arras. Chirac has in the past criticized Poland and other east European states for siding with the United States over the war in Iraq, saying they "missed a good opportunity to shut up." The two countries have also clashed over voting rights in the newly expanded EU. ... |
| Posted by:.com |
| #9 I'd send the Coast Guard - Poland will be an ally |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-02-28 9:30:22 PM |
| #8 Someone used an apt description of Poland's situation a while ago, which I think is still valid: Poland is like a row boat in the middle of the Atlantic, rowing towards America. Good idea? You decide. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2005-02-28 9:15:08 PM |
| #7 Rafael, I thought they were pro-American? What happened? From personal observation, it's roughly a 50-50 split, with the side that is anti-American falling into two groups: After 15 years of capitalism, some folks are seeing that, hell, they had it better under communism. Since capitalism is equated with things American, this group of people will not look favorably on American interests. The second group is of course anti-Jewish: everything wrong with Poland right now is because of the Jews (mainly in government). And of course anyone who is anti-Jew is automatically anti-American. There are other reasons, such as the visa issue, lost contracts in Iraq, etc. that get a lot of air-play on TV and the papers. The current government is pro-American, for reasons relating to the fall of communism and the movement away from Moscow. Whether this will be the case after the next elections remains to be seen. If enough Poles realize that the EU isn't the panacea they were promised, then the next government could still be mildly pro-American. It's a long shot however. Maybe Jacques could help out by telling them to shut up again, or this comment today that they should still cozy up to Moscow, after all those years under the Muscovite thumb. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2005-02-28 9:09:18 PM |
| #6 Paris and Warsaw must move on from splits over the war in Iraq and learn to work together in the expanded European Union, focusing on their common interests, French President Jacques Chirac said in an interview on Monday. Why not just tell them to "shut up" like the last time, Jacques??? |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-02-28 7:51:28 PM |
| #5 Or long-time joooooooo haters, right Rafael? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-02-28 5:01:17 PM |
| #4 IIRC, a Polish Foreign Ministry person already has commented upon relying upon the French for security. |
| Posted by: Elmagum Elmelet3878 2005-02-28 4:35:41 PM |
| #3 Rafael, I thought they were pro-American? What happened? |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2005-02-28 4:35:00 PM |
| #2 But Poland must also avoid policies that might hurt ties with Russia, as good relations with Moscow were vital That's a big slap in the face for Poland, and I hope this serves as a wake up call for Poles, that in case of trouble, they shouldn't expect much help from western Eurostan. After 50 years of "good relations" with Moscow, that is the last thing that Poland needs right now. Yet the majority of people are still rabidly anti-American. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2005-02-28 12:42:30 PM |
| #1 Yea forget all that and bend over. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2005-02-28 6:04:59 AM |