Obama pays respects to Smolensk victims
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
28.05.2011 16:06
President Barack Obama laid flowers on Saturday at the plaque commemorating the 96 who died in the Smolensk air disaster at the Armed Forces Field Cathedral in Warsaw, the final event of his two-day stay in Poland.
Photo: PAP/Pawel Supernak
photo - PAP/Pawel Supernak
Earlier in the afternoon, President Obama met with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. At the press conference afterwards, Obama said he discussed with Tusk a wide range of clean air initiatives and energy security and “how, in an environmentally sound way, we can develop natural gas in both the United States and Poland”.
The US and Poland “would exchange experience” on the possibilities of tapping the shale gas deposits in Poland, he said, something which major US companies are interested in being involved in.
“Our country is also ready for cooperation on nuclear energy,” PM Tusk said, as Poland aims to build its first nuclear power station by 2020.
Obama congratulated Poland on reaching the “incredible milestone” of taking over the EU six-month presidency of the EU on 1 July. “This is the first such opportunity for Poland to take on such a role since it joined the EU and it speaks to the incredible progress Poland has made both politically and economically…”
In the morning, President Obama had talks with President Komorowski and political leaders. (pg)