Warsaw - Polish President Lech Kaczynski is unable to meet French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy next month for talks on unblocking the European Union's reform treaty, an aide said Thursday. Sarkozy, whose country holds the EU's six-month until December 31, has previously said he would meet Kaczynski on December 6 to discuss the Lisbon Treaty. But the Polish president's office said he will be visiting Asia.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said last month the visit was to "convince" Kaczynski to ratify the Lisbon Treaty.
The euro-sceptic Kaczynski has been hesitant to sign the treaty after Irish voters rejected it in a referendum, but he recently said Poland will not be an "obstacle" in moving it ahead.
Kaczynski "is convinced that he will meet" meet Sarkozy at a later date, his chief of staff Michal Kaminski told the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
"From the beginning we have told the French side that unfortunately December 6 falls on the date President Lech Kaczynski will be visiting Asia," Kaminski told PAP. "For diplomatic reasons, it would be very hard to change, since the visit will include three countries."
