English Section

‘Good talk’ with Polish president, says NATO chief

22.06.2020 14:05
Polish President Andrzej Duda and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Monday held talks by phone on transatlantic ties, collective defence and the alliance’s response to COVID-19.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference at the end of a North Atlantic Council meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 28 February 2020.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference at the end of a North Atlantic Council meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 28 February 2020.Photo: EPA/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

“Good talk with Andrzej Duda on NATO’s response to COVID19 & preparations for a possible second wave of the pandemic,” Stoltenberg wrote in a tweet.

“We discussed the collective defence of the Alliance & the importance of the transatlantic bond in unpredictable times”, he added.

The talk came ahead of Duda’s planned visit to the White House and a meeting with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

Duda and Trump are expected to discuss defence, trade, energy, and telecommunications security when they meet at the White House on Wednesday amid plans for a troop shift in Europe.

Paweł Soloch, head of the Polish president’s National Security Bureau (BBN), said on Sunday that during his visit to Washington Duda would be representing not only Poland but also “NATO and EU member states.”

Duda's trip to Washington is likely to coincide with Trump’s plans to announce an increase in the number of US forces stationed in Poland, according to the politico.com website.

On Monday, Trump said the United States would cut its troops in Germany by 9,500, to 25,000, the Reuters news agency reported.

Duda's visit will be taking place ahead of Poland’s presidential election, which is scheduled for June 28. Duda is seeking another five years in office.

(jh/pk)

Source: PAP