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Putin to visit Poland for WWII celebrations
Apr 2, 2009, 13:32 GMT
Warsaw - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Poland for ceremonies marking the outbreak of World War II, his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk said Thursday.
The visit in September will be Putin's first trip in a number of years to the former Soviet bloc, and comes after months of tension between Moscow and Warsaw.
Putin's visit will include talks on gas and energy cooperation, Tusk said.
The Russian leader is scheduled to attend ceremonies in the Baltic coastal city of Gdansk for ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II.
Recent tensions between the two countries reached their height in August when Poland signed a deal with the United States to place an American missile shield on its soil in exchange for military aid.
Russia says the shield targets its nuclear arsenal, despite US assurances that it is meant for protection against Iran.
But tensions eased recently, with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski saying Russia could be in NATO and is needed to address European and global problems.
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