Poland President Indicates Will Sign Lisbon Treaty But Not When
WARSAW -(Dow Jones)- A spokesman for Poland's President Lech Kaczynski Sunday
indicated that Poland would soon ratify the E.U.'s Lisbon Treaty but fell short
of an explicit commitment or giving details on timing.
Poland and the Czech Republic are the only two countries in the 27-nation
block holding out from ratification of the treaty, which needs unanimous
ratification to come into force.
In a statement carried on the Polish Press Agency, the head of foreign affairs
in Kaczynski's chancellery, Mariusz Handzlik, said "The President has repeatedly
said he would do it without delay."
However, Handzlik didn't explicitly state that Kaczynski would sign or provide
any details of when the President will ratify the treaty.
"The President's decision to refrain from signing the Lisbon Treaty was a way
to express solidarity with Ireland which was a subject to political pressure
regarding its ratification," Handzlik said.
On Friday, Irish voters approved the treaty aimed at streamlining European
Union decision making.
Kaczynski has not made any public reaction to the Irish Yes vote, but has in
the past said he would ratify the treaty if the Irish accepted it.
However he has also linked his signature to new legislation that would clarify
who between the President and Prime Minister Donald Tusk has responsibility for
foreign policy - and this new legislation hasn't even been drafted.
-By Malgorzata Halaba, Dow Jones Newswires; +48601 32 43 18;
malgorzata.halaba@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
10-04-091056ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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