The itinerary of Mariusz Błaszczak's trip stateside includes talks at the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill, in addition to a visit to a military base in the southern US state of Oklahoma, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
On Wednesday, Błaszczak is set to meet with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for talks in Washington on bilateral military cooperation, including the presence of American troops in Poland, according to officials.
The talks are expected to focus on "the security situation in Europe and arms purchases," the Polish defence ministry has said in a statement.
On Thursday, Błaszczak will head to Fort Sill, a U.S. Army base in Oklahoma, where Polish soldiers are learning to operate the American-made Patriot air defence system, the IAR news agency reported.
On Friday, Błaszczak plans to unveil a plaque in Doylestown, Pennsylvania to commemorate the 1920 Battle of Warsaw against the Russian Bolsheviks, and will also lay flowers on the graves of Polish officers, the defence ministry in Warsaw announced.
Poland's president in November last year ratified a major military deal with the United States under which at least 1,000 extra American troops are expected to be stationed in the NATO eastern-flank country.
Poland in March 2018 signed what officials described as a historic deal to buy an American Patriot air defence system for USD 4.75 billion.
(gs)
Source: IAR, gov.pl