Poland and the United States were opening their first formal talks Monday on Washington's contentious request to place part of a new missile defense system in Poland, the U.S. Embassy said.

Poland and United States will open negotiations next week on Washington's contentious plan to place part of a missile defense system in Poland. Robert Loftis, the State Department's senior adviser for security negotiations and agreements, will head the talks that are to begin Monday in Warsaw, said embassy spokesman Andrew Schilling.

Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko met on Friday, April 27th, to discuss bilateral economic cooperation and preparations for the EURO 2012.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair was expected in Warsaw on Friday for talks with Poland's president and prime minister on the future of the European Union and its constitutional treaty.

Russian Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev said on Thursday, April 26, that resumption of talks on Polish-Russian trade dispute that has held up a key EU-Russia agreement depends on Warsaw.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in Warsaw for talks with leaders on U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. Gates arrived Tuesday from Moscow, where he tried in a series of meetings Monday to soften Russian opposition to the plan.

The European Union's external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, has warned that Moscow's ban on Polish farm products could sour next month's EU-Russia summit. The EU-Russia summit is set for May 18 in the central Russian city of Samara.

Despite the fact that a Russian ban on Polish meat and plant products remained unresolved after weekend talks, the European Union remained optimistic Monday about negotiations for a comprehensive but delayed strategic partnership accord with Russia next month.

The executive committee of UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, today announced that Poland and Ukraine have been chosen to co-host the European Championship tournament in 2012.

The European Union says Russia has acknowledged progress by Polish inspectors in a meat ban dispute that is holding up a Russian-EU economic partnership deal.

Poland has indicated that it is prepared to lift its veto on the start of talks on a partnership pact between the European Union and Russia.

Poland is going to lift its veto on talks on a new EU-Russia partnership agreement, stalled over Moscow's ban on Polish meat and plant products. Russia has barred meat imports from Poland since late 2005, citing health concerns. The unresolved dispute led Warsaw to veto the negotiations on a deal that aims to forge closer energy ties between Moscow and the 27-nation bloc.