Polish Premier Says East Europe Federation Not Discussed With Soviet

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 35, 6 April 1948, Page 4

Polish Premier Says East Europe Federation Not Discussed With Soviet

The Polish Premier, M. Jezef Cyrankiewicz, who recently held trade discussions with Soviet leaders in Moscow, said that the uniting of Poland with the Balkan countries “was not discussed there because the problem has not arisen.” M. Cyrankiewicz said this in reply to questions at a press conference on rumours of a proposed East European Federation. “On the other hand,” said the Polish Premier, “there exists the possibility of the closest political, economic and cultural co-operation among the New Democracies, of Central and Eastern Europe. But this co-operation and the suggestion of ‘uniting’ the countries are two entirely different questions.” Correspondents asked M. Cyrankiewicz how he found the “atmosphere” in the Soviet Union. “It is the opposite to Western Europe,” said M. Cyrankiewicz: “Life in the Soviet Union is marked by an atmosphere of security, peace and belief in the development of the country. People in Russia do not speak about war; they work.”