Reuters AlertNet Lite - Poland says could block Russia WTO entry-paper

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Poland says could block Russia WTO entry-paper

27 May 2007 09:44:42 GMT
Source: Reuters

ZURICH, May 27 (Reuters) - The European Union might block Russia's entry to the World Trade Organisation if Russia does not compromise in a row over Polish meat imports, Poland's President Lech Kaczynksi was quoted as saying in a Swiss paper.

"If Russia remains as uncompromising as it has been so far, I don't rule that out," Kaczynski told Swiss Sunday newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung am Sonntag.

"But again: We are not looking for a confrontation with Russia. That's a myth."

Russia imposed a ban on imports of Polish meat and other agricultural products 17 months ago, citing cases of forged certificates. Warsaw said the ban was politically motivated to punish it for moving out of Moscow's orbit.

Kaczynksi said that Poland had to be consistent in its positions in the relationship with Russia.

"We only want that our Russian partners understand that there is no basis for a renewed Russian dominance over Eastern Europe," he told the newspaper.

"It's less about being tough. It's about being consistent... We want real co-operation and no blackmailing in the energy area or unrealistic 'friendship prices'."

The Polish president, a conservative euro-sceptic, also said the EU remained pivotal for Poland's foreign policy but he was not satisfied with Poland's position within the bloc and stood against only a few of its members dictating policy.

"We don't want to be the most important country," he said.

"But I am against a directorate that determines EU policy: against the so called small directorate, made of Berlin-Paris and maybe London, but also against a large directorate, which would include Warsaw."

He also said Poland had no intentions to withdraw its troops from Iraq and actually wanted them to take a more active role.

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Last updated:Sun May 27 09:48:15 2007