NATO secretary praises Poland's progress, says much more work lies ahead

During his official visit to Poland on Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General George Robertson praised Poland, stating that it had in a very short time become an integrated member of the alliance. He added, however, that although political integration is virtually complete, a lot remains left to be accomplished in terms of military integration. According to Robertson, Poland is still not spending enough on modernizing its out-dated army. At the same time, Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek declared that Poland would continue to support Slovakia's and Slovenia's efforts to join the NATO alliance. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A6; Gazeta Wyborcza, p.2) J.K.