Joint press conference

by NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk

MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, we'll start straight away. The Secretary General will be followed by Prime Minister Tusk.

JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER (Secretary General of NATO): Let me start by also here formally welcoming, congratulating Prime Minister Tusk with his prime ministership and the new Polish government. It's the first time, of course, the Prime Minister comes to NATO in his prime ministerial capacity, but I remember very well meeting him here two years ago for a talk on current affairs.

And if I say current affairs, that is, of course, what we did over the past half hour-plus; the Prime Minister informing me about Polish foreign policy, the lines his government is going to take and is taking, and I, for my side, the NATO side, discussed with Prime Minister Tusk all the issues on the agenda in the run-up to the Foreign Ministers' meeting in this very building coming Friday. But more importantly, in the run-up to the summit in Bucharest.

So we discussed all the issues on the agenda, including, of course, and I said upstairs and I say it now here again, including the fact that Poland, and that is no protocol at all, is one of the staunchest supporters of NATO's operations and missions. That goes for Afghanistan, that goes for Kosovo, where Poland is really very prominently present. And when I look at Afghanistan I see a Polish Battalion without caveats, in the more volatile part of the country. So I say again, it is not just a compliment and just protocol. NATO can always rely on Poland and on Polish contributions, Polish soldiers in its operations and missions.

I said, again, we discussed the NATO calendar and the NATO agenda as you are familiar with it and I can say that it was a great pleasure to meet Prime Minister Tusk here. I'm looking forward to meet Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski coming Friday here and later, of course, Prime Minister Tusk's other colleagues in the government, like Defence Minister Klich.

But it's a pleasure, Prime Minister, to have you here.

DONALD TUSK (Prime Minister of Poland): Thank you very much.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm very happy about what I've heard from Mr. Secretary General of NATO here. Not only because it was a very warm meeting, like all the ones we had before, but also because it's hard to see a better proof of the assessment of Polish position and the actions of our troops, and such a positive assessment, to hear it here, in the Headquarters of NATO from the Secretary General of NATO.

We discussed our involvement in NATO and I'm quite happy to say that on the challenges in front of NATO we see eye to eye.

I'm also very happy... I think it's not a secret, definitely not a military secret, so I can reveal it to you, next year we will have the pleasure to host Mr. Secretary in Poland two times. The first time will be in January, when we will be discussing issues related to energy security in a NATO context. And in June we will also have another chance for a more professional talk in Bydgoszcz.

And the last thing—I think the Polish media will understand very well why I would like to particularly mention this—it was a particular joy for me to hear very positive assessment of my co-operators, my collaborators from Mr. Secretary General, Minister Klich and Minister Sikorski and that makes me very happy because it means we will have very good partners to work with NATO.

MODERATOR: Okay, there's a very busy schedule so we have time for two, maximum three questions. Please.

Q: To the Secretary General, (inaudible)... Polish Television, TV N24. probably do you know that there are some Polish soldiers from Afghanistan who are accused that they committed a crime against the civilians, so I'd like to ask if the NATO will analyze this case and did you talk about this with Mr. Prime Minister (inaudible)... or not? (SPEAKING IN POLISH)...

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Let me answer you briefly that we did not discuss that subject. I'm, of course, aware of it, but NATO does not play a role, does not want to play a role, and should not play a role in what we consider an internal Polish debate and discussion. So we did not discuss it.

TUSK: Well the first issue was not discussed, and the issue of Polish soldiers in Afghanistan, and I think this is the best proof that Poland meets all the standards and this does not raise any emotions.

Now I would rather not comment on domestic affairs here. I will meet the president tomorrow.  

Q: (inaudible)... (SPEAKING IN POLISH)...

Est-ce que l'OTAN va changer ce plan de défense? Est-ce qu'il va défendre dans le futur les éléments de ce système anti-missile qui sera en Pologne?

TRANSLATOR: A question on missile defence to Prime Minister Tusk. What is your vision of how the elements of the shield will be protected? Have you asked for any guarantees from NATO?

And a question to Mr. Secretary General, does this change defence plans of NATO? Does it mean that in the future, for example, you will be protecting the elements of the missile defence as well?

TUSK: We did not discuss the technical solutions, of course, but it is obvious that Poland, in the context of missile defence is interested in the tightest cooperation with NATO that is possible. We would like NATO to become the best guarantor of security for all member states. We hope in the future it will also be possible to cover such installations by protection.

DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Vous préférez me répondre en français ou anglais, c'est à vous de le dire. In English? En anglais, d'accord.

I could only add that, of course, the discussions going on between Poland and the United States on the so-called third site are bilateral discussions. NATO does not participate and should not participate in those discussions. If and when it would come to a U.S. third site in Europe, but mark my words, if and when it would come to a third site, there is, of course, a NATO discussion which should be linked to these developments because NATO as such, the Alliance as such is already discussing missile defence since 2002, the Summit in Prague and once again it was discussed in Riga last November.

Why is there a NATO responsibility as well? Because the NATO allies agree there is a missile threat, and are discussing—no decisions have been made, no conclusions have been drawn—what a NATO answer to that missile threat should be.

So there is a NATO angle in this and there is also a question put to us by the Heads of State and Government of NATO in Riga.

So we are discussing this but no decisions have been taken, no conclusions have been reached. Thank you.

MODERATOR: One question from the non-Polish press just to be... okay. Please. Last one.

Q: Martinez de Rituerto, El País, Spain. For the Prime Minister, it's in relation, again, with the missile defence. You are... the previous Polish government was thinking in having some agreement with Washington early in 2008. Do you have a calendar, possible calendar of agreements and starting the building on the site? Thank you.

TUSK: We are determined to start a round of talks to define the details as soon as possible, but let me stress one thing, there is no rigid doctrine about the missile defence negotiations. What we need to do, above all, is to strengthen the Polish security in reality, both installations and the surrounding political context, in full participation with NATO and the EU.

But I'd like to ask you to have a little more patience. There will be no radical moves and no breakthrough. Nothing surprising.

MODERATOR: Secretary General, Prime Minister, thank you very much.