Polish and Italian presidents in talks
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
17.05.2016 17:14
President of Poland Andrzej Duda and First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda met with President of Italy Sergio Mattarella on Tuesday in Rome.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella (R) with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda during their meeting at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, Italy, 17 May 2016. EPA/PAOLO GIANDOTTI /
The talks preceded a speech by Duda at the NATO Defense College in the Italian capital.
“Europe is facing a radical change in the realm of international security, both in the East and the South,” Duda said in his address, which comes in the run up to July's NATO summit in Warsaw.
“The annexation of Crimea [by Russia] and the aggression in eastern Ukraine have undermined the foundations of European security, namely respect for international law, internal sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
He repeated Poland's call for a consolidation of NATO forces on the territory of its eastern member states.
“We do not intend to isolate Russia,” he said
“We have no interest in a return to the Cold War,” he continued.
Earlier on Tuesday the president prayed at the tomb of the late Polish pontiff John Paul II.
Poland's presidential couple arrived in Italy on Monday for a three-day visit, beginning with a meeting with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. (nh)