NATO Secretary General consults with Polish leaders
During his first official visit to Poland on 12 March, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen met with Polish President Lech Kaczynski and held talks with Foreign and Defence Ministers Radoslaw Sikorski and Bogdan Klich.
Mr Rasmussen congratulated his Polish counterparts on the 11th anniversary of Poland joining NATO, describing the country as an active and solid Ally. He also thanked the Polish authorities and public for the significant contribution Polish soldiers have made to the NATO stabilising mission in Afghanistan.
Discussions focused on NATO's new Strategic Concept, Afghanistan, NATO’s relations with Russia and its open door policy.
In the afternoon, the Secretary General travelled from Warsaw to Bydgoszcz to visit the Joint Forces Training Centre (JFTC) – part of NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT) military body. The JFTC prepares officers for deployment to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
Addressing a group of ACT commanders – including the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, Adm. Luciano Zappata – staff members, and course participants, which included Afghan officers, he said: “Your involvement in the work here at the JFTC in Bydgoszcz is crucial to our common goal: to give Afghanistan a new lease on life.”
Before departing, Mr Rasmussen briefly visited NATO’s Third Signal Battalion and met with local representatives.