A two day summit of Defense Ministers of NATO state members will start in Kraków today, with one of the main points on the agenda being a meeting between the head of the Defense Ministry Bogdan Klich and the US defense secretary Robert Gates.

Polish authorities will demand a declaration from the US administration that if it postpones plans to build the anti-missile shield, it will not withdraw from the strategic agreement the two nations signed regarding construction of a US base in Poland.

The agreement guarantees locating one Patriot missile launcher in Poland. The main focus of the summit will be the military mission in Afghanistan, as the US President has announced plans to send an additional 17,000 troops into the country. Poland already declared that it will increase its military contingent in Afghanistan from 1,200 to 1,600 soldiers.

Source: Rzeczpospolita