- Title: GERMANY: GERMANY AND POLAND SIGN MILITARY AND AIR FORCE COOPERATION TREATY
- Date: 24th June 2003
- Summary: (W4) BERLIN, GERMANY (JUNE 24, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS FROM GERMANY AND POLAND ENTERING ROOM AT A BERLIN HOTEL 0.12 2. CLOSE-UP OF DOCUMENT TO BE SIGNED 0.14 3. PAN ACROSS DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS 0.23 4. SCU SOUNDBITE (German) PETER STRUCK, GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER SAYING: "The surrender treaty for the twenty-three MIG-29 planes creates the condition for the step by step integration of Poland into NATOs integrated air defence. Both treaties ensure the highest degree of cooperation between the defence departments of the (two NATO) partners." 0.47 5. SCU JERZY ANDRZEJ SZMAJDZINSKI, POLISH DEFENCE MINISTER, LISTENING 0.52 6. SCU SOUNDBITE (German) PETER STRUCK, GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER SAYING: "Jerzy Szmajdzinski and I have every intention to continue this path together and make full use of all future chances regarding the military and defence cooperation." 1.06 7. WIDE OF OFFICIALS LISTENING 1.11 8. SCU SOUNDBITE (Polish) JERZY ANDRZEJ SZMAJDZINSKI, POLISH DEFENCE MINISTER SAYING: "What remains even once the Polish and the German defence ministers have departed is that Polish pilots will be able to demonstrate their abilities in MIG-29 planes." 1.23 9. WIDE OF TRANSLATOR 1.28 10. SCU PETER STRUCK 1.33 11. SCU SOUNDBITE (Polish) JERZY ANDRZEJ SZMAJDZINSKI, POLISH DEFENCE MINISTER SAYING: "This is very important to us because before we receive the F-16 planes, we need to train our pilots and our pilots need planes. We highly value the assistance we are receiving from Germany." 1.49 12. VARIOUS, GERMAN OFFICIAL SIGNING TREATY 1.58 13. WIDE OF FOUR OFFICIALS DURING SIGNING CEREMONY 2.02 14. VARIOUS, POLISH (ON LEFT) AND GERMAN OFFICIAL SHAKING HANDS, THEN SHAKING HANDS WITH SZMAJDZINSKI AND STRUCK 2.14 15. SMV LORD GEORGE ROBERTSON, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, AND STRUCK WALKING PAST 2.21 16. SMV STRUCK TALKING TO ROBERTSON IN ELEVATOR 2.24 17. VARIOUS, OF ROBERTSON AND STRUCK TALKING TO EACH OTHER ON PODIUM 2.38 16. VARIOUS, HANS-DIETRICH GENSCHER (YELLOW TIE), (FORMER GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER UNDER THEN CHANCELLOR HELMUT KOHL) SEATED IN AUDIENCE, PAN TO RUDOLF SCHARPING, FORMER DEFENCE MINISTER UNDER CURRENT CHANCELLOR GERHARD SCHROEDER 2.45 17. WIDE OF ROBERTSON TALKING TO STRUCK 2.51 18. PAN FROM AUDIENCE TO PODIUM 3.02 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th July 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVAB1NT58P2H1NO5BR1K3CC33QHM
- Story Text: Germany and Poland have signed an army and air force
cooperation treaty whereby Poland receives all twenty-three
MIG-29 fighter jets from Germany.
"The surrender treaty for the twenty-three MIG-29
(planes) creates the condition for the step by step
integration of Poland into NATOs integrated air defence",
German defence minister Peter Struck said in Berlin on Tuesday
(June 24).
Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German
reunification in 1991 Germany inherited Soviet-built MIG-29
fighter jets from the former East German army.
In September, Germany will hand over to Poland
twenty-three of those planes which the Germans no longer need.
"Jerzy Szmajdzinski and I have every intention to
continue this path together and make full use of all future
chances regarding the military and defence cooperation",
Struck said.
Polish defence minister Szmajdzinski expressed his
country's gratitude for the gesture, saying that "this is very
important to us because before we receive the F-16 planes, we
need to train our pilots and our pilots need planes".
In April, Polands council of ministers endorsed a contract
to buy fourty-eight F-16 planes from U.S. group Lockheed
Martin. The first F-16 planes will be delivered in 2006.
"We highly value the assistance we are receiving from
Germany", Szmajdzinski said.
After the signing ceremony, the defence minister of the
two countries attended the Berlin Forum on Security Policy
where NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson was to speak.
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