Polish NFIU according to plan - ministers

The formation of a NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU) in Bydgoszcz, north Poland is proceeding according to plan, Defence and Foreign Ministers Tomasz Siemoniak and Grzegorz Schetyna informed Tuesday after inspecting the unit.

PAP © 2015 / Tytus Żmijewski / Bydgoszcz, 06.10.2015. Wicepremier, minister obrony narodowej Tomasz Siemoniak (C) oraz minister spraw zagranicznych Grzegorz Schetyna (L) podczas wizyty w Grupie Integracyjnej NATO (NATO Force Integration Unit - NFIU) w Bydgoszczy, 6 bm. (tż/cat) PAP/Tytus Żmijewski PAP © 2015 / Tytus Żmijewski

The Polish NFIU, in formal operation since early September, is to be combat-ready by mid 2016 before a planned NATO summit in Warsaw. Siemoniak and Schetyna, who head a preparation team for the summit, said the unit's formation was running according to schedule.

The remaining NFIUs in East Europe are located in Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Romania. Their purpose is aiding the deployment of a planned NATO spearhead force in the region.

"Everything is progressing according to plan, we are in the course of completing infrastructure and staff. The first test was the June Noble Jump exercise in Zagan. We are fully prepared to meet our goal, which is the formation of our Polish NFIU before the Warsaw NATO summit", Siemoniak said. He reminded that NATO's Newport summit decided about the formation of NFIUs in East Europe in response to the continent's changed security situation.

Siemoniak added that he was going to Brussels Wednesday for a meeting of EU defence ministers connected with next year's NATO summit in Warsaw, and informed that a summit-related meeting of EU foreign ministers was planned in December.

Schetyna stressed that the Warsaw NATO summit was a major organisational challenge, and that preparations to the meeting were a priority. He added that the summit promised to reaffirm Poland's role in the Alliance and enable it to influence its decisions.

"The NATO summit in Warsaw is a challenge not only because of its subject-matter but also organisationally. We want to show our role in NATO, and have effective influence on the decisions that are taken. Poland has a good reputation in NATO. This unit (NFIU - PAP), the implementation of the Newport decisions and the summit preparations have priority status", Schetyna declared.

The Bydgoszcz NFIU currently numbers 19 officers and NCOs from Poland, Germany and Belgium. Its target staffing will be 42 officers and NCOs, half of them from Poland. (PAP)

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