On his first official trip to the EU capital as prime minister, Donald Tusk is visiting Brussels to begin the process of patching up the torn relations the Kaczynskis have left in their wake. The trip is part of Tusk's pledge to better relations between Poland and the EU, and particularly Poland and Germany whose relations have been strained lately. Russia is on Tusk's agenda as well, and the PM will not only meet with EU officials, but with members of NATO for talks on Russia and the US missile shield proposal.
Prime Minister Tusk will meet with both European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer during his one-day visit. Though he has only been in office about a month, this is Tusk's second trip abroad, after visiting Lithuania last week; both trips emphasize the importance of strengthening relations with the EU to the new government. |