French PM visits Warsaw to seek compromise on EU issues

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin paid a one day visit to Warsaw yesterday to meet Polish Premier Leszek Miller, with the aim of improving the recently poor Polish-Franco relationship. The subject of the talks were focused on two issues, the idea to relate to Christianity in the European Constitution and the division of votes in the enlarged Union. "France has a lot of understanding for Poland's stance, however after a debate in the Convent and the European Parliament, the text of the Constitution proposed by Valery Giscard d'Estaing had the largest support," said Raffarin, relating to the first issue. Both sides have also not managed to come to an agreement on the second issue, although the French Premier announced that a compromise here is possible. Raffarin also emphasized that he came to Poland with, "friendship and to welcome new members into the EU," and added that the two countries have to cooperate to build a strong and stable Europe. He stressed that the Weimar Triangle of Poland, France and Germany, should now become the engine of Europe. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 4; Rzeczpospolita, p. A1) A.K.