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Lech praises relationship between UK and Poland
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| Lech Walesa |
FORMER Polish president Lech
Walesa yesterday praised the
relationship between the UK and
his country and sent his greetings
to his compatriots in the
North-East.
Mr Walesa, who is one of the
most influential figures of the
20th Century, was speaking after
addressing students and business
leaders at Durham University.
The Gdansk shipyard electrician,
who stood up against Communist
rule, said: "The relationship
between Great Britain and
Poland has been strong before. It
was really strong before the Second
World War.
"Now it is a reaction between
the old relations and that we are
building the European Union together."
Asked about economic migration,
Mr Walesa - invited to
Durham by the North East
Chamber of Commerce - said the
mass movement of Polish workers
to the North-East and rest of
the UK was of benefit to both
countries.
He said: "It was really a great
help to our country that our
skilled workers - instead of
being unemployed - were able to
travel somewhere to make some
money, to make a living, for the
benefit of all Europe.
"We are grateful for that, and
although it may have been to a
certain loss of our economy, it
was to the benefit of yours.
"You can pay tax to the European
Union and we will get it
returned in subsidy."
Mr Walesa was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for his
work as the figurehead of the
free trade union Solidarity,
which played a key role in the
overthrow of Communism in the
Eastern Bloc.
After the fall of the Berlin
Wall, he went on to serve as
President of Poland from 1990 to
1995.
Mr Walesa said while many
left the country after the collapse
of Communism, the EU had
allowed the Polish economy to
recover and many Polish workers
were now returning.
Mr Walesa's message to Polish
workers in the region was: "Rejoice
about the common Europe
we are now constructing. Very
shortly Europe will offer equal
opportunities throughout Europe.
"You may be suffering some
hardship at the moment, but
your children will be grateful for
your hardships, because they
will enjoy good luck."
10:56am Friday 9th May 2008
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