ROMANIA: The EU constitution under discussion as Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Romanian president Traian Basescu meet.

Record ID: 783535

  • Title: ROMANIA: The EU constitution under discussion as Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Romanian president Traian Basescu meet.
  • Date: 5th February 2007
  • Summary: (CEEF) BUCHAREST, ROMANIA (JANUARY 2, 2007) (REUTERS) POLISH PRESIDENT LECH KACZYNSKI SHAKING HANDS WITH ROMANIAN PRESIDENT TRAIAN BASESCU ROMANIAN AND POLISH FLAGS BLOWING IN THE WIND VARIOUS OF KACZYNSKI AND BASESCU WALKING UP THE RED CARPET VARIOUS OF KACZYNSKI AND BASESCU WATCHING PARADE/ SOLDIERS MARCHING PAST
  • Embargoed: 20th February 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Romania
  • Country: Romania
  • Topics: International Relations,European Union
  • Reuters ID: LVA5100O1UR1897BSI8G9D0C4632
  • Story Text: The Polish and Romanian presidents discuss the nations' bilateral relations and the EU's constitutional treaty during an official visit in Bucharest. Polish president Lech Kaczynski met with Romanian counterpart Traian Basescu on a one day official visit to Romania on Friday (February 2). The two heads of state discussed boosting bilateral relations between the two European Union member states and the future of the EU's constitutional treaty.
    Germany is trying to revive the discussion and gather proposals for a new document during its current six-month EU presidency.
    German Chancellor Angela Merkel has put the issue at the top of her European agenda.
    But Poland has been sceptical of an EU constitution and is among nine countries that have not ratified the treaty, which aimed to streamline the workings of the bloc, now containing 27 members.
    "It's necessary to take into account the position of France, Poland, Holland and other countries which still haven't approved the constitutional treaty," Basescu said during Kaczynski's visit.
    According to opinion polls, more than 60 percent of Poles are in favour of an EU charter and Poland is expected to present its proposals on a new constitution in March.
    Andrzej Krawczyk, the Polish president's foreign policy adviser, has previously told Reuters that Kaczynski would decide whether to hold a referendum on the constitution when there was some progress in talks within the bloc.
    "As you know, Poland will make its position public in the first half of the German presidency," Kaczynski said.
    Basescu and Kaczynski also discussed issues related to the political situation in the Western Balkans, including Kosovo.
    Kaczynski is the first president from an EU member country to visited the Black Sea state since it joined the wealthy bloc on January 1, 2007.
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