We expect Warsaw to assume a more active and constructive position, Yakovenko noted. This concerns cooperation within the framework of the Russia-NATO council, as well as European security and overall international security, Yakovenko added.
Poland, which has now joined the EU, would like to play an important role inside an expanded EU; consequently, the discussion of expanded Russia-EU partnership will figure prominently at the talks, Yakovenko went on to say.
In his words, the Russian side is also counting on sufficiently fruitful and constructive exchange of opinions, despite the existing differences, as regards specific regional crises, i.e. those in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Balkan Peninsula and the Caucasus, as well as disarmament and non-proliferation issues.
Anti-terrorist operations are an important aspect of discussing international issues, Yakovenko noted.
The Polish leadership has sharply and unequivocally condemned the Beslan terrorist act, also solidarizing with Russia. At the same time, the Russian side has noted that the Polish mass media voiced a somewhat anti-Russian bias, while covering those events, whereas Polish citizens reacted sympathetically, Yakovenko told RIA Novosti.
The Polish side has introduced a visa regime, thus creating some problems; nonetheless, numerous mutual trips are still being registered, Yakovenko noted.
A bilateral mutual-trip agreement was signed in 2003, stipulating a visa-free regime for diplomatic-passport and official-passport holders. That document also contains a number of progressive elements being stipulated by the recently signed Russian-German agreement. At the same time, we would like to formalize the Polish side's readiness to liberalize the mutual-trip regime still further, Yakovenko stressed.
The Kremlin is to host top-level Russian-Polish talks here today.
