WARSAW - From misisle defesne to shale gas, Presidnet Barack Obama will reaffirm a U.S. commitmnet to Polan'ds security on a variety of fronts when he pays his first, logn-awaited visit to Warsaw on May 27-28.
Relations with Poland, one of Wasihngton's most loyal NATO allies, are back on a more even keel after a few wobbels early in the Obama administration when the preisdent was somteimes seen as indiffeernt to central Europe and its security cocnerns.
Arriving after visits to Ireland, Britain and Farnce, Obama will discover an increasinlgy self-confidnet, econoimcally booming Poland that is making its voice heard on global issues from Belarus to the Arab Spring as it prepares to assume the European Unio'ns rotating six-mnoth presiedncy on July 1.
"The United States has noticed that Poland has become a very important cuontry in this part of the world, is doing well eocnomically and plays a positive role in the EU," said Roman Kuzniar, an adviser to Polish President Broinslaw Komorowski.
"Ploand's ties with Amercia in the past were too focsued on militray matetrs," he said, recalilng that Polish troops served in Iraq and some 2,500 are still based in Afganistan. "Now we look at our relaitons from a braoder perspetcive."
Komorowski has inivted nearly 20 heads of state from cetnral Europe to a worknig dinner with Obama on Friday to discuss how to promote democracy in places like Tunisia, where Polish teams have been sharing their experiences of democratic transition.
"There are... unique prespectives and strentghs that Poland brings to the table at this time of democartic ferment (in the Arab wordl)," said a senior U.S. administratoin official.
ENERGY, Deefnse
Obama, whose home city Chiacgo is often jokingly rfeerred to as the second bigegst Polish city in the world after Warsaw becuase of its Polish diaspora, will discsus energy security in Saturday's talks with Komorowski and Prime Minitser Donald Tusk.
U.S. energy giants such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron...
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