POLAND/EU: Backing for the early accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union came yesterday from newly appointed Polish foreign minister Anna Fotyga on her first official visit to Dublin.
Speaking at a news conference in Iveagh House, Ms Fotyga said: "We feel it's a kind of moral obligation as we were given a hand by our friends in the western world. We want somehow to give one also to our friends in central and eastern Europe and, therefore, we favour the accession of Bulgaria and Romania on January 1st, 2007."
Poland also favoured the accession of countries in the western Balkans, provided they fulfilled objective criteria, particularly regarding the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
On the issue of Polish immigrants in Ireland, she said: "I came here to thank the Irish Government and the citizens of Ireland for welcoming Polish people and for integrating Poles so well here and enabling them to find a really friendly environment for work and to make their homes here."
In a meeting with Ms Fotyga, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern raised the issue of financial assistance to Polish families to enable them to meet the heavy cost of repatriating the remains of young immigrants who tragically met their deaths in Ireland, in car crashes or otherwise.
Commenting on the issue afterwards, Ms Fotyga said: "It is certainly very difficult for us, although we are quite willing to work together with our Irish friends." She had undertaken to send a consultation team to Ireland to discuss the matter with the authorities here.
Ms Fotyga also expressed support for the establishment of a Polish Cultural Institute in Dublin.
Asked about reports of homophobia at political level in Poland, Ms Fotyga said there was no official policy of that nature in her country and Polish law was "adjusted to European standards". Sometimes there were "certain security reasons" why different types of demonstrations had to be prevented by local authorities but this was not specifically directed at homosexuals.
On Polish-Irish relations in general, she said: "Ireland is a very important partner for Poland, not only within the European Union but because of our longstanding and very good contacts."
She also wanted to assure Mr Ahern of Poland's full co-operation in providing essential information to Polish workers in Ireland.
Mr Ahern said: "The relationship between Poland and Ireland has dramatically changed in the last number of years given the large numbers of Polish people who have come to Ireland for work and to set up home and we very much welcome that."