US state secretary expected in Warsaw

While in the Polish capital, Tillerson was expected to meet with President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz to discuss issues including military ties and energy cooperation.

A high-ranking official in the US Department of State said last week that the main objective of Tillerson’s visit to Warsaw was to strengthen America’s strategic partnership with Poland.

Meanwhile, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said earlier this month that Tillerson would meet senior Polish officials to “discuss a range of issues in the strong U.S.-Poland bilateral relationship, including global challenges, regional security, and economic prosperity.”

Nauert said at a media briefing on Thursday that “the purpose of the Secretary’s trip is really to underscore the importance and the deep alliance and friendship that we share with Poland and the Polish people, especially as one of our closest NATO allies.”

Nauert also told reporters on Thursday that “our relationship with Poland is very important to the United States.” She added that Poland is “one of our closest NATO allies. We have so many areas where we work together and where we are in close agreement.”

Democracy in Poland ‘alive and well’: US official

Meanwhile, a senior US State Department official said ahead of Tillerson’s trip to Europe that Poland was “a sovereign democratic ally of the United States” and “one of Europe’s oldest democracies.”

When asked about the state of democracy in Poland during a conference call with reporters, the official, who was cited by the US State Department website but was not named, said: “Democracy is alive and well there. We leave questions of internal policy to the Poles and trust that any reforms that they’re looking at are consistent with their constitution and the will of their people.”

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR, state.gov