New Polish defence minister to hold talks with top NATO officials

According to Polish Radio’s correspondent in Brussels, the talks were to cover the process of strengthening the eastern flank of the alliance and a plan to upgrade NATO’s new command structure, which has not been expanded since the end of the Cold War.

Decisions on the locations of new command centres are to be taken at a NATO summit in June. One of them is to deal with maritime security in the Atlantic and the other with troop movements in Europe.

On Wednesday, Błaszczak is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser General Herbert Raymond McMaster in Washington.

These are Błaszczak’s first foreign visits since he took over from Antoni Macierewicz as Poland's defence minister in a sweeping Cabinet reshuffle on January 9.

(mk/gs)