Leading parties agree to cooperate after elections in hastening EU entry

The country's main political parties agreed yesterday to cooperate after next month's elections, in order to bring Poland into the European Union (EU) as soon as possible. Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek of the Solidarity Election Action of the Right (AWSP), Maciej Plazynski of Civic Platform (PO), Leszek Miller of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), and Bronislaw Geremek of the Freedom Union (UW) all signed up to the "Alliance for Integration", committing their parties, if they come to power, to "scrupulously and in detail" inform the opposition about the course of the negotiations and consult them on negotiating strategy. The document is also to be signed by Jaroslaw Kalinowski of the Polish Peasants Party (PSL) today, although Law and Justice (PiS) representative Ludwik Dorn failed to appear at yesterday's signing. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 5; Reuters) K.K.