President Kwasnieski makes prediction after long climb out of EU stand at Expo

President Aleksander Kwasniewski opened the Polish stand at the Expo 2000 fair in Hannover. "This place is not only our window looking out on the whole world. It is also a place where business people can meet. It is us who decide what Poland we present to the rest of the world. It is my wish, that we reach success even greater than this place and this exposition," said Kwasniewski. Unlike other countries, Poland focused on the two first elements of the fair's motto "Man-Environment-Technology". The European Union (EU) stand, however, heavily loaded with electronics gave the visitors an unpleasant surprise. A round shaped platform-elevator representing a Euro coin that took visitors on a time journey from the 1950s up to recent times broke down shortly after the stand had been opened trapping the President and his aides inside. Kwasniewski had to leave the elevator by climbing up the ladder. "This means, that once Poland gets into the EU it will never get out," he joked after the incident. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 1,24, Prawo i Gospodarka, page 7) J.K.