Poles in UK will be treated fairly: British PM
PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk
28.11.2016 17:53
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday after talks with her Polish counterpart Beata Szydło that Poles working in the UK will be treated fairly.
British PM Theresa May (right) welcomes Polish PM Beata Szydło to 10 Downing Street in London. Photo: EPA/ANDY RAIN
As Britain prepares to leave the EU, May said she hoped an agreement would be struck between London and Warsaw on the status of the nearly 1 million Poles in the UK.
She was speaking after Polish government ministers held talks in London with their British counterparts as part of their countries’ first ever “intergovernmental consultations.”
The situation of Poles in Britain after that country’s June referendum vote to leave the European Union was one of the key topic of the talks.
Defence treaty
May also told reporters that Poland and the UK would begin work on a joint treaty on defence.
And she confirmed plans to deploy 150 British troops to north-eastern Poland.
Szydło said she wanted Polish entrepreneurs in the UK to move their businesses to Poland. She added that she wanted to adopt British solutions that support small businesses as a model.
Polish and British ministers also talked on Monday about the prevention of hate crimes against Poles in Britain.
Among those taking part in discussions with their British counterparts were Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Development and Finance Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz and Interior Minister Mariusz Błaszczak.
Strengthening bilateral relations with Britain was named by Waszczykowski as a priority after the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party swept to power in Poland a year ago.
'New chapter'
Ahead of the trip to the UK, Szydło said the talks marked a new chapter in relations between Warsaw and London, telling public broadcaster TVP Info that Britain “is remaining in Europe; it remains a strong country with which you have to have good relations."
In an article published in Britain’s The Daily Telegraph on Monday, Szydło said Poland was “saddened, probably more than any other country, with the result of the British referendum.”
Szydło added: “For us, Brexit means that supporters of reforming the EU into a more economically pragmatic organisation will soon lose an important strategic partner. But we understand and respect this decision.” (pk)
Source: IAR/PAP