2024-11-10 13:09 update: 2024-11-11, 16:05
Fot. PAP/Radek Pietruszka
Two representatives of Polish President's Office (KPRP) have denied media reports that KPRP was organising Andrzej Duda's prompt visit to the United States.
On Saturday, the Onet news portal reported that two presidential ministers, Marcin Mastalerek and Wojciech Kolarski, were in the US to finalise the details of Duda's visit to the US and a possible meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump.
"There are two options... Duda may fly for a short visit in the coming hours, and return for Monday's Independence Day celebrations... however, if Mastalerek and Kolarski do not arrange a meeting with Trump in the coming hours, the president will not fly to the US until next week," Onet wrote.
But on Sunday, Malgorzata Paprocka and Mieszko Pawlak from Duda's office told the private broadcaster Polsat News that "there was no organisation" of the Polish president's visit to the United States and that Mastalerek and Kolarski "were only checking technical issues."
Paprocka, the head of KPRP, admitted that if Duda receives an invitation from the president-elect, the meeting will definitely take place.
"This is neither the first nor, I hope, the last visit as part of building excellent relations between the presidential milieu and the administration of the former and future president of the United States. However, technical issues that were agreed with the transport regiment suddenly became a hot topic," she said.
Paprocka added that the KPRP did not organise the flight nor requested for the flight, but only asked about the technical conditions of the flight.
She also said that Duda was due to present generals' nominations on Sunday evening and on Monday to take part in the celebrations of the National Independence Day.
Pawlak, the head of Duda's International Policy Bureau, confirmed Paprocka's words while talking to the private broadcaster TVN24 on Sunday morning.
"No flights were organised, no visit was organised in the way described... however, the KPRP officials took some actions to analyse how it could look like, what the flight length would be and so on just to check it for the future, in an informal way," he said.
"But that's all, because you have to be ready," Pawlak added.
He also said that "it is possible" that some "contact or conversation will take place in the near future... but for now "there has been no telephone conversation" between Duda and Trump. (PAP)
mr/jd
