Poland to sign $27 military deals with EU by end-May

Poland plans to sign agreements with the European Union (EU) by the end of May to finance military equipment purchases worth 100 billion Polish zlotys (about 27.49 billion U.S. dollars), Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday, reported Xinhua. At a signing ceremony at the Cyber Defense Forces Component Command in Legionowo, near Warsaw, Tusk said that by the end of May, 100 billion Polish zlotys would be allocated under approximately 40 agreements. More than 10,000 Polish companies are set to benefit from the funds, which will come from the EU's Security Action For Europe (SAFE) program. Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said at the ceremony that SAFE would strengthen national security, NATO's eastern flank and the EU's border security. Under EU rules, to benefit from SAFE funding, single-country purchase agreements must be signed by the end of May. After this date, purchases must be made by at least two countries participating in the program. The SAFE program provides financial support through preferential loans to enhance defense capabilities across the EU. The funds are intended to strengthen national security infrastructure and support joint European defense efforts. Poland is the largest of 19 beneficiaries of the EU's 150-billion-euro (about 174.51 billion U.S. dollars) SAFE initiative, with up to 180 billion Polish zlotys (about 49.49 billion U.S. dollars) allocated to Poland. Poland signed a SAFE agreement with the European Commission on May 8.