WARSAW, October 25 (RIA Novosti, Leonid Sviridov) - Lech Kaczynski, Poland's new president, said Tuesday that his country was ready for "good, close, and mutually advantageous relations with Russia."
"I am sure that our economic relations will continue to advance dynamically," Kaczynski said in an interview with RIA Novosti. He added that he was confident political relations between Moscow and Warsaw would also develop well.
The president said Moscow should abandon old stereotypes, when Poland was seen as a zone of influence. "Then our relations will be simply excellent," he said.
Kaczynski said he was planning to visit Washington on January 16, 2006. He said he intended to take up Poland's military presence in Iraq with President George Bush. "Poland is pleased that it supported the United States in Iraq. But as a loyal U.S. ally we should know the terms on which our mission in that country could continue," Kaczynski said.
When talking about prospects for the introduction of the euro in Poland, Kaczynski said Poland would hold a referendum on the issue. He said abandoning the national currency, the zloty, was an extremely sensitive problem that would be dealt with in due course. The referendum is likely to be held nearer the end of his presidential term, Kaczynski said.
