Poland is seeking to convert its status as this year's G20 guest into permanent membership, and the Trump administration is backing that push, U.S. officials told the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, which sought comment directly from the White House.
"A unique voice for Poland in Central and Eastern Europe is needed in the G20, and the United States supports Poland's efforts to gain full membership", the White House said.
Officials pointed to Poland's ranking as the world's 20th-largest economy as justification, saying its weight in global industry is too significant to ignore. They also credited Poland's performance in this year's G20 meetings, which it has attended as a guest at Washington's invitation — the bloc has no fixed rules governing how new members are admitted.
That participation has already been extensive. Polish ministers and the central bank governor joined talks in Washington in April, and further sessions are scheduled for late August in North Carolina and mid-October in Thailand. This year's U.S.-set agenda centers on energy, innovation, economic growth and deregulation. The calendar builds toward a leaders' summit in Miami in December, to which the U.S. president has invited his Polish counterpart.
Poland's Foreign Ministry has framed permanent membership as essential to giving major powers a direct line to what it calls "New Europe" — the bloc of countries that have industrialized rapidly since joining the European Union.
The G20 presidency passes to Britain next year, which could reset the terms of Poland's involvement absent a formal membership decision.
(jh)
Source: Polish Radio