Fuente : UK Government
http://www.open.gov.uk/

PM's press conference with the Polish President

/noticias.info/ PRIME MINISTER:

Good Afternoon everyone. First of all can I express the warmest possible welcome to the President of Poland and say how delighted we are to see him here in London for this State Visit, and to say he and Jolanta are good friends of myself and Cherie and we are delighted on a personal basis as well as a political basis to see you here. And the relationship between Britain and Poland is a strong relationship. We have agreed already that we want to see that relationship strengthened still further in the years to come, as I am sure it will do as partners in the European Union. We were champions right from the outset - Britain - of Poland's membership of the European Union, of its swift accession to the European Union and we are thrilled to see you as part of the new Europe that is being created.

I can describe very briefly to you the discussions that we have had so far that we will then continue later. They centred around Iraq obviously, where I would like to thank profoundly the contribution that has been made by Poland to the situation there, and we have obviously discussed all aspects of that and no doubt you will ask us questions about it. And secondly in relation to Europe, the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference, the need obviously to make sure that we get the right treaty that can take Europe forward.

But I would just like to conclude my opening remarks really by giving once again a very warm welcome, and also saying that of course the President of Poland, as you probably know, is someone with a long experience of this country, who first came here some 30 years ago as a student, and as you probably know became an Arsenal supporter in the course of that - which everyone can have their views on. But it is a real pleasure to see him here. He is someone who has I think a great affection for our country, and I can say this to you Alex, that people in Britain, we have got a new relationship obviously inside the European Union, but people in Britain will never forget the contribution Poland made in the struggle against fascism, a struggle you then had to repeat against communism, but we remember you as allies, we remember the
bravery of your people, those who came and fought alongside us to defeat the Nazis, and that is something that creates a very strong bond and relationship between our two nations. So as I say both personally and politically, welcome here.

PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI:

I will speak in Polish, if you allow me, for Polish journalists. Prime Minister, it is a very special moment for me, and a symbolic one too, not only because of the first time I am in London as the President of Poland, as a man who can observe the marvellous reception I was given, the Polish flags on the Mall, this is deeply touching and it confirms how much Poland and Great Britain are together in Europe. It is also symbolic that my first official visit after Poland's accession to the Union is to Great Britain. We wish to give thanks to Britain for the aid we received from Britain on our pass to the European Union, but it also defines the good prospects for us together for the future. Both sides wish to work for a strong Europe, for a Europe in which we will be able to feel that we as nations, we as states, will have a role in Europe which will be effective, which will be ... competitive, which will also open towards a huge number of people, almost half a billion people who are ... of this European space.

I am convinced that our cooperation in Iraq will end successfully, this is something which is close to our heart. We would love to end the mission in a way in which power is handed over to the Iraqis so that they can run and administer their own country in safety, and offer that safety to their neighbours too.

I again would wish to express my gratitude for this visit and to say that I never expected that it would be such a marvellous visit, and that it will be combined with the Prime Minister's birthday. And on this occasion can I convey to you my best wishes. This is also symbolic, isn't it, that on a day like this we can be together and that sort of strengthens our excellent personal contacts.

QUESTION:

Prime Minister, why have you appointed John Scarlett as the new head of MI6? Is it, as your opponents are claiming, a reward for a job well done in the Hutton Inquiry, or is it because Alastair Campbell describes him as a friend?

PRIME MINISTER:

Or is it perhaps because he was recommended by an independent panel. This was a recommendation, given by an independent panel. You can only imagine what you guys would have been saying to me if I had interfered with that process. He is someone who is a fine public servant, who has served Conservative and Labour governments over many, many years, and I think it is very unfortunate if it becomes a matter of political comment in that way, I really do.

QUESTION:

Mr President, do you see any realistic calendarium for the withdrawal of Polish troops from Iraq? One of your coalition partners in Poland wants such a diary. I would also ask Prime Minister Blair to answer the same question.

PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI:

We are in Iraq to stabilise the situation and to withdraw, so any question concerning when will we withdraw does not make an awful lot of sense. As far as the timetable is concerned, having spoken to Prime Minister Blair, I believe that a timetable should be possible whereby by 30 June there will be a temporary government which will take partial responsibility for the country. By then there will also be a UN resolution, and on this one Britain can actually speak more than we can because it is a Permanent Member of the Security Council, then on the basis of a UN decision the Iraqi temporary government will be able to play a greater part in making Iraq stable. I also believe the UN decision will help to persuade other countries to join the mission to Iraq. But today the question about the timetable, when will Polish troops withdraw, does not make sense. This is an irresponsible question. We need to fulfil our mission, we cannot exchange a stability mission into an instability mission. We are prepared to send the third contingent of Polish troops to Iraq, we are prepared for talks concerning what then, what after 30 June, but we will do nothing which could possibly increase the chaos in Iraq, or to threaten the lives of our soldiers or the lives of our friends. The Poles and the British know very well, when yesterday it was really pouring and I was putting flowers in front of the Polish Memorial, 2,000 Poles who died in the Royal Air Force, and they died for us. An alliance is an alliance. We have certain obligations, we propose to carry them out. We will do nothing to create problems, but of course we are hoping for the best for the future, and with Tony Blair we are of one mind on this one. The sooner there are good decisions, the sooner there is stability in Iraq, the sooner we can go home.

PRIME MINISTER:

I am in total agreement with everything the President has said.

QUESTION:

I hope this is not another unhelpful question. But staying with the issue of intelligence, for obvious reasons which everyone understands, the intelligence services have become much more powerful, they have had more money, and we now see a new head of MI6 who like his predecessor is going to stay in the shadows. Given the new importance and power of the intelligence services inside British government, would it not be more appropriate to move to something more like the American system with the CIA and have a boss of the intelligence services who was open, who was known, who could answer questions, given as I say the power that he will be wielding?

PRIME MINISTER:

I think these are questions that we keep under consideration the whole time, because I think the system has already changed quite considerably. The people who head up these organisations have a different and higher profile than they have had before, and we have actually tried, sometimes with difficult consequences, to be more open about the intelligence we see and the intelligence that we act upon. I can't really be sure how this debate will go, but I think you are right in the sense that people look upon this now as an important part, not just of our own security, but of our own almost constitutional system if you like, and I am not offering any specific changes today, but it is something that we do keep under consideration and I think you have seen a development of a greater openness about it, and that is something in the end I think most people will welcome.

QUESTION:

Mr President, have you found support with Mr Blair for Poland when it comes to the European constitution?

PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI:

We have discussed the subject of the European Constitution, we have been looking for a compromise to reach and ... our conviction is that when it comes to Poland there should be a referendum on the European Constitution and I would like to constantly remind ourselves that the issue had been discussed earlier ... convinced that because in 1997 we had a constitutional referendum, and in 2003 we had the referendum on European integration. The discussion over the constitution should also end up with a referendum, but I think that ... inspiration from Great Britain, or maybe there is even more Polish inspiration ... British inspiration that comes to a practical decision. On top of that, the constitution treaty has an important element of the European Union, not something that ... of the European Union, but a treaty which makes it easier for us to work together in the enlarged Europe by 10, now a Europe of 25 and in the future a Europe of 28 or so. We treat this treaty, as former treaties, as a significant element of the process, I repeat and emphasise the word process. So this is why I believe that some critics who say that the constitutional treaty has ... declares the establishment of the European state is completely untrue, this is not true at all, and I think that with these arguments we will we be able to convince our public opinion for it to ... entirety of the European Constitution. And I want to re-emphasise that this is a significant element of the European process, but it does not deprive of us of national rights, national ambitions and national positions in building a common Europe.

QUESTION:

On the appointment of John Scarlett, clearly confidence in the intelligence system is vital and should be above party politics. Is it a matter of concern for you, and if it is what are you going to do about it, that many people may not have confidence in a man who is a crucial part of the barrier against terrorism. And if I may on a completely different topic, the oil price today soared through record levels. Do you regard oil and petrol prices as just one of those things, or is it something government has a real concern about the impact on consumers?

PRIME MINISTER:

In respect of the first, I honestly don't know that I have got anything more to add to what I said just a moment or two ago, because I think that the very reason for having an independent process and someone actually making a recommendation is to try and take it outside of party politics, and I think it is unfortunate if it gets embroiled in party politics, or people try to make political capital out of it. In respect of the oil price, of course we take a very keen interest in this, that is why we get into constant discussion with Opec, with the oil producers, it is why we look very carefully at the impact of oil prices on the world economy, we certainly do, and where we can and where we are able to, we try and take action. Now in part, what is happening is there has been a significant spike in demand, but this is something obviously we discuss with allies and partners and we discuss with the oil producing countries, because as we have learnt from history, it can have a severe impact on our economy, quite apart obviously from the consumer.

PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI:

And now the last question from the Polish side. I have such impression because you ask so much about intelligence in Britain, and our Chief of Intelligence resigned some days ago and we are together in Europe and we have an open labour market, we think this is a good candidate maybe.

PRIME MINISTER:

It comes a bit late in the process.

QUESTION:

The American government's admission of numerous abuses, amounting to torture, on Iraqi detainees, and at least 2 murders by US Service personnel, reflects badly on the whole coalition in Iraq. I would like to ask you both, do you accept that American political and moral leadership in Iraq has been damaged beyond repair by this? What must the Americans do, considering the suspicions that remain of cover-ups of other incidents, and what conditions will you now place on your future participation under American leadership in Iraq?

PRIME MINISTER:

I want to say something about this because I think it is a very important issue. First of all let me make it clear that the abuse of prisoners, the torture of prisoners, degrading treatment of people in the custody of coalition forces, those things are completely and totally unacceptable, they are inexcusable and there can be no possible justification for them. And we must do everything that we can do, and need to do, in order to root out such practices and bring to justice those people who are responsible for them. I want to add one other thing however. There are American soldiers losing their lives virtually day in, day out in Iraq, there are British Servicemen that have died, there are British and Polish soldiers and other coalition soldiers who are risking their lives every single day in Iraq to help the people of Iraq, to help that country towards stability and democracy and prosperity. And I think at the same time as we root out any of those people that shame what we are trying to do, we pay tribute to the thousands of soldiers who will be as appalled as we are at any such inhumane treatment, but who are actually doing a job for their country and for the people of Iraq that needs to be done. So I simply say to people to get a proper sense of balance where we take the action that is necessary to ensure this does not happen again, and that we root out those people who are responsible for such things because there can be no place for them whatever. We went to Iraq to stop that type of thing, not to do it ourselves. But I know from the British soldiers I have spoken to out there, I know, and I am sure this is true for Polish and American soldiers too, that they will be appalled at that, but it should not take away from them the work they are doing for ordinary people in Iraq, which is the only hope the people in Iraq have.

PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI:

We want to share the Prime Minister Blair's opinion. There is absolutely no justification for those types of actions and they should be completely rooted out and condemned actually amongst the stabilisation force in Iraq. I am convinced that what we have been speaking about is only a margin, but a margin that calls for an immediate and decisive reaction. It should not happen anywhere and we need to apologise vis a vis those who have ... But politically speaking, it is another argument for me to try to find non-military solutions in Iraq, because the prolonging struggle and acts of terror and reactions to acts of terror in Iraq, the acts of violence unfortunately generates a situation ... lots of violence you lose the demarcation between good and evil, and the tasks of the United Kingdom, the United States of America and that of the Republic of Poland is to bring peace to Iraq and to delineate very precisely the areas of good and evil, and I think that this is the task that we are facing in the upcoming months.


06/05/2004
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