Poland Floats Sikorski for EU Foreign Policy Chief
Poland has floated Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski as its "natural choice" to replace Catherine Ashton as European Union foreign policy chief.
Sikorski, 51, has played a high profile role in the bloc's attempt to calm the crisis in Ukraine.
He has also long been known for holding a tough line on Russia.
"Poland has acquired significant influence on EU foreign policy, so much so that the high commissioner (for foreign affairs) is among the posts of interest to us," Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, quoted Thursday by the Gazeta Wyborcza mass circulation daily.
He dubbed Sikorski a "natural choice" to take over from Ashton when her five-year term ends later this year.
An ex-communist nation of 38 million which joined the EU and NATO, Poland has been key in setting up the EU's Eastern Partnership program.
Designed to draw ex-Soviet states closer to the West, it is strongly opposed by their former Soviet master Russia.
Ukraine is the largest member of the group, which includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova.
Sikorski previously served as Poland's defense minister.
The Oxford university graduate came to politics from journalism and had covered the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan for the British press.
He claimed political asylum in Britain after having fled Poland as the communist regime cracked down on the freedom fighting Solidarity trade union in the 1980s.
Source: Agence France Presse
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