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Barack Obama wraps up European tour in Poland Obama reaffirms US-Poland ties as Europe tour ends
(about 1 hour later)
US President Barack Obama has wrapped up his six-day European tour in Warsaw, meeting Polish political leaders. US President Barack Obama has reaffirmed relations between the US and Poland, as his six-day tour of Europe drew to a close.
Talks focused on defence and energy issues but Mr Obama was also expected to seek to reassure Poles unhappy at his shelving of his predecessor's missile defence shield. He praised Poland's economic growth and its support of pro-democracy movements in North Africa and the Middle East.
On Friday Mr Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and visited the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial. Mr Obama also said the shelving of his predecessor's plan to build a missile defence shield in Poland did not put the country or region at risk.
He also attended a dinner with 20 central and eastern European leaders. Poland PM Donald Tusk said 0he had been reassured by Mr Obama's words.
Shale gas In a brief press conference with Mr Tusk, Mr Obama said Poland was "one of our strongest and closest allies and a leader in Europe" and "a living example of what is possible when countries take reform seriously".
The BBC's Stephen Evans in Warsaw says Polish leaders were hoping Mr Obama would rectify what many saw as a slight, when he cancelled President George W Bush's missile shield plan. He praised efforts by members of Poland's Soviet-era pro-democracy Solidarity movement to offer support to Egypt's post-revolution government.
Our correspondent says Polish leaders were disappointed when President Obama decided not to go ahead with the shield on Polish soil, reading it as deference to Russia and as a sign of a lack of commitment to Poland. The BBC's Stephen Evans in Warsaw says Polish leaders had been hoping Mr Obama would rectify what many saw as a slight, when he cancelled President George W Bush's missile shield plan as part of efforts to "reset" US relations with Russia.
Mr Obama held meetings with President Bronislaw Komorowski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Saturday. Many in Poland were disappointed when the US decided not to go ahead with the shield on Polish soil, says our correspondent, reading is as deference to Russia and as a sign of a lack of commitment to Poland.
The US has announced at least one new initiative on security.
White House national security official, Liz Sherwood Randall, travelling with Mr Obama, said a US air detachment would be set up in Poland.
"It will be a small permanent presence on the ground and then a rotational presence that will be more substantial," she said. Mr Obama repeated his insistence that the strategy was about reaffirming the Nato principles of mutual defence, saying it allowed their two countries to deal with shared threats.
However, Mr Obama has not granted Poland's desire for a visa waiver for its citizens travelling to the US. "Nato is the strongest alliance in history primarily because it has a very simple principle - that we defend each other," he said.
One key area under discussion will be energy. "What we want to do is create an environment in this region in which peace and security are a given - that's not just good for this region, it's good for United States of America. We will always be there for Poland."
Air training
Mr Tusk said Mr Obama's words "give us the sense that together we work for the purpose of Polish security" and that the US strategy was "the best way to guarantee security for Poland".
The two countries also announced plans to hold high-level bilateral business meetings to promote ways of boosting economic growth.
Mr Obama said they had discussed co-operation on "a range of clean energy initiatives" including natural gas projects and nuclear power.
Poland has reserves of shale which hold natural gas.Poland has reserves of shale which hold natural gas.
Our correspondent says Germany and Russia do not want those reserves opened up, Germany for environmental reasons and Russia perhaps because it currently exports much gas to the whole region.Our correspondent says Germany and Russia do not want those reserves opened up, Germany for environmental reasons and Russia perhaps because it currently exports much gas to the whole region.
He says the hope in Warsaw is that Mr Obama will support the opening of the shale reserves, ideally with the help of American energy companies. He says the hope in Warsaw was that Mr Obama would support the opening of the shale reserves, ideally with the help of American energy companies.
On Friday evening, Mr Obama told the gathered eastern and central European leaders: "We have taken great inspiration from the blossoming of freedom and economic growth in this region and we're confident that will continue and we want to be a part of that process of strengthening your democracies, strengthening your economies and to be a full partner. The US had already announced one new initiative on security - to set up a US air detachment in Poland to train Polish personnel.
"I hope that... this [meeting] signifies how important we consider our relationship with central and eastern Europe". However, Mr Obama has not granted Poland's desire for a visa waiver for its citizens travelling to the US.
Earlier in the day, Mr Obama placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw.
He also greeted Holocaust survivors at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes.
Hours before Mr Obama's arrival, Polish headlines were dominated by reports that Solidarity founder Lech Walesa was refusing to meet him.
Mr Walesa said he feared such a meeting would only be a "photo opportunity", amid reports that he was offended for not being offered a one-on-one meeting with the US president.
"I believe one day I will meet with Obama but not this time," Mr Walesa told AFP news agency.
He wished the US president "very well", then added, "but sometimes things just don't work out".