Cimoszewicz stands firm on Nice and Iraq obligations

Foreign Affairs Minister, Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz yesterday said that the government, "Could not imagine a change of the favorable voting system in the EU Council prepared in Nice". Nevertheless Poland has accepted to discuss the issue at the Inter Governmental Conference as soon as possible and Italy agreed to introduce it to the schedule of the Foreign Ministers' meeting in Luxembourg. Cimoszewicz also declared that Poland's contribution to the reconstruction of Iraq would not exceed the previously planned, "Few million". Referring to the conference in Madrid, scheduled for October, 24, he said that he would not promise, "Anything exceptional above the sum we have planned thus far. A few million altogether, plus significant expenses connected to the military existence," said the minister in Luxembourg. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A6) M.K