Deputy defence min to visit US, talk American troop presence in Poland
Deputy Minister of National Defence Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka will discuss military cooperation, including the presence of American soldiers in Poland, during her visit to the US on Thursday and Friday, the defence ministry has announced.
According to the statement, Sobkowiak-Czarnecka will hold talks with Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas G. DiNanno, Director of the Defence Security Cooperation Agency Mary Beth Morgan and representatives of the US defence industry.
The ministry said that the discussions will concern the presence of US soldiers in Poland as well as bilateral military and industrial cooperation.
Sobkowiak-Czarnecka will also be the only minister from the European Union to attend the EU Defense Night, scheduled for July 23. The event is the European Union Delegation's annual gathering in Washington, showcasing the bloc's expanding role in the defence domain. The ministry announced that Sobkowiak-Czarnecka is set to participate in a discussion panel on US-European industrial military cooperation alongside Duffey and EU Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.
Poland has been pressing for the US military presence in the country to shift from a rotational to permanent basis. In June, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the Pentagon had greenlit Warsaw's bid and was undergoing a "force review" to make further decisions.
His deputy, Cezary Tomczyk, announced last week that the ministry would set up a team in the coming days to negotiate with the US the details regarding a permanent military base in Poland. (PAP)
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