Poland to Decide on Missile Defenses After Election

A Polish decision on housing 10 U.S. missile interceptors is not expected until after parliamentary elections set for Oct. 21, RIA Novosti reported (see GSN, July 25).

Unofficial sources told the Dziennik newspaper that U.S. officials have slowed down negotiations because they want to avoid signing a missile defense agreement with a Polish ruling party that could lose power in the elections.

“Negotiations (with the U.S. on missile defense) will continue for several months.  We are making slow progress, but this is painstaking work,” said Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski.

“There should be no haste or else Poland's negotiating position will be weakened,” he said (RIA Novosti, Oct. 3).

Waszczykowski  and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State John Rood led a fourth round of talks yesterday over the missile defense proposal, the Associated Press reported.  The U.S. and Polish delegations were scheduled to wrap up two days of discussions late yesterday (Associated Press/International Herald Tribune, Oct. 3).

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