Polish, German leaders discuss future EU

Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday discussed respective visions for the future of EU on Tuesday.

"Poland and Germany are two important countries which cooperate with each other. We want to deepen this partnership cooperation," Szydlo said in a press conference following a meeting with Merkel.

Szydlo said a good partnership between Poland and Germany was essential for the success of the European project.

Szydlo expressed gratitude to Germany for its commitment to implementing the resolutions of last year's Warsaw NATO summit.

"Reinforcing NATO's eastern flank is extremely important from the point of view of security in our region of Europe, but also from the point of view of global security," Szydlo said.

Underling caution when it comes to any changes in the EU treaty, Merkel said she partly shared Szydlo's ideas regarding the internal market, energy union, defense and border protection.

"The European Union needs unity and consistency in relations with the United States. Good transatlantic relations are in the vital interests of Europe," Szydlo said.

Both leaders opted for prolongation of sanctions against Russia, claiming that the Minsk agreement has not been fulfilled.

Szydlo also said the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany was unacceptable to Poland.

Poland, together with the Baltic states and Ukraine, are against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.

The planned pipeline aims to deliver 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year from Russia to Germany, but would not lead through the territory of the opposing countries. Endit