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WORLD NEWS Saturday 10 March 2018

Polish official confirms document revealing US-Polish strain

By VANESSA GERA
WARSAW, Poland (AP) —
Poland's foreign minister
on Friday acknowledged
the existence of an internal
ministry document that re-
veals tension in the U.S.-Pol-
ish relationship but denied
Polish media suggestions
that Washington is impos-
ing "sanctions."
The strains have emerged
over new Polish legislation
that makes it a crime to
falsely attribute the Holo-
caust crimes of Nazi Ger-
many to Poland. The U.S.
fears it could violate free
speech.
A Polish news portal, Onet.
pl, reported earlier this
week that it had seen an in-
ternal Foreign Ministry doc-
ument from February. It said
the document revealed
that Warsaw was informed
by the U.S. administration
that the Polish president
and prime minister should Poland's President Andrzej Duda, right, and U.S President Donald Trump attend a news conference at Royal Castle, in Warsaw. Ac-
not expect meetings with cording to online news reports published Tuesday March 6, 2018, the Polish President Andrzej Duda cannot count on any meetings
the U.S. president or vice with either President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence until Poland changes their controversial new Holocaust law.
president until the matter is (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
resolved.
Foreign Minister Jacek Cza-
putowicz largely confirmed place in recent weeks be- ment. month signed the law, but in U.S.-Polish ties in many
that on Friday, though he tween U.S. and Polish of- He also said prosecutors are also sent it to the Constitu- years, and also created
characterized the U.S. mes- ficials in both Washington investigating the leak of the tional Tribunal for review. a dispute with Israel. "The
sage as being: "It would and Warsaw. document, "which should Many hope the court will United States has concerns
be good if meetings at the "There is nothing in it that not have been made avail- find a way out of an im- which I hope the Constitu-
highest level could take could raise concerns," Cza- able to journalists." passe that caused what tional Tribunal will resolve,"
place in an atmosphere putowicz said of the docu- Poland's president last appears to be the worst rift Czaputowicz said.q
when these issues are re-
solved." Dutch: EU prepared to respond to US tariffs
He stressed that there was
no mention of sanctions
and denied the U.S. posi- BRUSSELS (AP) — Dutch At his weekly press confer- last year and Rutte says the clear we are prepared to
tion as meaning that dip- Prime Minister Mark Rutte ence Friday, Rutte called United States is the biggest take counter-measures."
lomatic ties are somehow says the European Union U.S. President Donald market outside Europe. He says the EU is the big-
"frozen," as some reports must make clear it is pre- Trump's tariffs decision "very Rutte says, "All our efforts gest trading block in the
claimed. Czaputowicz's pared to take "counter- disappointing." The Nether- are aimed at achieving as world "and in that sense we
characterization seems measures" if efforts to wind lands exported some 550 much flexibility as possible can make a fist together to
confirmed by a number of back planned U.S. tariffs on million euros ($675 million) for our exports." But he adds reduce the impact of this
meetings that have taken steel and aluminum fail. worth of steel worldwide that "we have to make measure."q