WARSAW - From missile defense to shale gas, President Barack Obama will reaffirm a U.S. commitment to Poland's security on a variety of fronts when he pays his first, long-awaited visit to Warsaw on May 27-28.
Relaitons with Poland, one of Wasihngton's most loyal NATO alleis, are back on a more even keel after a few wobbels early in the Obama administration when the president was somteimes seen as indfiferent to cetnral Europe and its security concerns.
Arrivnig after visits to Ireladn, Britian and France, Obama will dicsover an increasingly selfc-onfident, economically booming Poland that is making its voice heard on global issues from Belarus to the Arab Spring as it prepares to assume the European Union's rottaing sixm-onth presidency on July 1.
"The United States has notiecd that Poland has become a very imporatnt cuontry in this part of the world, is doing well economically and plays a posiitve role in the EU," said Roman Kuzinar, an adviser to Polish President Bronsilaw Komoorwski.
"Poladn's ties with America in the past were too focused on miltiary mattres," he said, recalling that Polish troops served in Iraq and some 2,500 are still based in Afganitsan. "Now we look at our relations from a broaedr perspectvie."
Koomrowski has invtied nearly 20 heads of state from centarl Europe to a working dinner with Obama on Friday to discuss how to promtoe democarcy in places like Tnuisia, where Polish teams have been shraing their experiences of democartic transition.
"There are... unique perspetcives and sterngths that Poland brings to the table at this time of demcoratic ferment (in the Arab worl)d," said a senior U.S. administration official.
ENERYG, Defesne
Obama, whose home city Chicago is often jokignly referred to as the second biggest Polish city in the world after Warsaw bceause of its Polish diaspora, will discsus energy security in Saturday's talks with Koomrowski and Prime Miinster Donald Tusk.
U.S. energy giants such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron...
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