Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said his upcoming trip to the German capital Berlin could help strengthen political ties between the two neighbouring nations.

Morawiecki said he also planned to discuss business cooperation and assistance to refugees with German Chancellor Angela Merkel when he visits Berlin on Friday.

He told Poland’s PAP news agency ahead of his visit that Polish-German business relations were “thriving” and that Poland was one of the most important trading partners for Germany.

Similar business models, but 'different levels of affluence'

Germany is Poland’s key trading partner, and the “business models” on both sides of the border are “similar and complementary," he said.

Meanwhile, Poland and Germany differ on issues such as mandatory refugee quotas, Morawiecki told PAP.

"We have different views, which results from the different levels of affluence of our countries,” he said. “Germany can afford to accept hundreds of thousands of migrants and provide them with social assistance, which, as we know, is very expensive.”

He also argued that Poland suffered decades of communism after World War II and could not normally develop its economy.

Morawiecki has previously said that neither he nor Merkel would avoid addressing “difficult issues” which could come up in talks.

He told private broadcaster RMF FM in late January that potential reparations from Germany for the losses it caused Poland in World War II were a “very important” issue.

Polish government spokeswoman Joanna Kopcińska has said ahead of Morawiecki's planned trip to Berlin that Polish-German trade ties "have never been better."

(gs/pk)

Source: PAP