Mr Kaczyński goes to Brussels

Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński used his first foreign trip to assure Brussels that Poland is on a pro-European course.

After meeting the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, Kaczyński said that he is reaffirmed in his view that "three years ago we made the right decision to support Poland's membership in the EU.

"Our membership in the EU is a success," Kaczyński said, adding that his government's main goal is making use of the opportunities the EU offers.

The Prime Minister also reassured the EU about his government's respect for human rights and democracy. "Please do not believe in the myth of an anti-Semitic, homophobic and xenophobic Poland," he appealed. He said homosexuals are not discriminated against in Poland as they have their own clubs and magazines and hold high public posts, even on the right of the political scene.

In his talks with Barroso, Kaczyński confirmed his belief in the free market. The two discussed Poland's public help for the shipyard industry, which the EU has criticized, and Kaczyński promised to send restructuring plans for the sector to Brussels. Barroso, in turn, promised to help Poland resolve the Russian ban on Polish meat. On the subject of the draft EU Constitution, Kaczyński said that he would not present it to parliament for ratification, but promised that in autumn Poland will present its stand on the treaty.