POLAND: New German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle aims to improve relations with Poland

Record ID: 749443

  • Title: POLAND: New German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle aims to improve relations with Poland
  • Date: 1st November 2009
  • Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (OCTOBER 31, 2009) (REUTERS) VENUE OF MEETING BETWEEN POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER RADOSLAW SIKORSKI AND GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER GUIDO WESTEREWELLE VARIOUS WESTERWELLE AND SIKORSKI TALKING WESTERWELLE *** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY *** SIKORSKI AND WESTERWELLE ENTER NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) NEWLY APPOINTED GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER GUIDO WESTERWELLE, SAYI
  • Embargoed: 16th November 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Poland
  • Country: Poland
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA7R8HGFYIV1A9079WNUD0GY8NE
  • Story Text: New German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle visited Poland on Saturady (October 31) on his first official trip abroad.
    Chancellor Angela Merkel's new cabinet was sworn in on Wednesday and her coalition government's agreement gave a special mention to Polish-German ties, which had been under strain in recent years.
    "It is no coincidence that I chose Warsaw for my first foreign visit. I am sure that friendship between our countries, friendship between our nations serves not only us, but also Europe." Guido Westerwelle told a news conference after meeting his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski.
    Historical rows dating back to World War Two have traditionally weighed on relations between Warsaw and Berlin and hit rock bottom under Poland's previous, eurosceptic, government of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a conservative.
    "We belong to the same generation, we know that we need to build, we need to create the future together. Obviously we need to remember history as well, we cannot forget it. But on this base we can together create our road in Europe." Westerwelle added.
    Kaczynski's twin brother and Poland's president, Lech, received Westerwelle on his trip to Warsaw.
    Poland's prime minister Donald Tusk said on Friday (October 30) he welcomed the visit as a sign of improving ties between the countries.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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