Visiting Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said in
Washington on Friday he has reached an agreement in principle with
the United States on US plans to install a missile defense system
in the country.
"We're in the middle of the road. We have an agreement in
principle," Sikorski told a press conference with US.Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice.
"There is still a great deal of work for our experts," he added,
"And, as I mentioned, the prime minister and the president will
approve of whatever is done in the meantime, but yes, I'm satisfied
that the principles we have argued for have been accepted,"
Sikorski said.
Sikorski did not outline the terms of the deal, but in a joint
appearance with Rice after a working lunch, the two officials
suggested that the United States should help with Poland's air
defenses, which the latter has asked for in the deal.
"We understand that there is a desire for defense modernization
in Poland, and particularly for air defense modernization in
Poland," Rice told reporters.
"This is something that we support because it will make our
ally, Poland, more capable, it will make Poland, as the foreign
minister has said, more able to operate with us," she said.
(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2008)
