President Obama visit to Poland chance to add vigor to ties

WARSAW, Poland — President Barack Obama's last stop on his European tour brings him to Poland for the first time, giving him the chance to inject new vigor into a relationship with an ally that has sometimes felt slighted by Washington.

But hours before his arrival, Polish headlines were dominated by news that Obama was being snubbed by legendary Solidarity founder Lech Walesa, who said he was refusing to meet with Obama.

Solidarity was a national freedom movement under Walesa's leadership in the 1980s that helped bring down communism. His courage in defying communist authorities at the time earned him a Nobel peace prize.

Walesa said in televised remarks that President Bronislaw Komorowski and the U.S. ambassador to Poland had called him hoping to persuade him to meet Obama. Walesa insisted, however, that he had no interest in a meeting that would amount to little more than a photo-op.

"This time a meeting does not suit me," the 67-year-old former president said in comments on news station TVN24. His office said he planned instead to attend a biblical festival in Italy.

Walesa refused to divulge more, but it seemed possible he was offended at not being offered a one-on-one meeting with Obama early on. Walesa had been invited to meet with Obama along with other former leaders of the anti-communist movement and current party leaders.

In past visits to Poland, U.S. presidents often scheduled private meetings with him and Walesa is accustomed to having visiting leaders travel to his home in the northern port city of Gdansk to see him.

Though Walesa's snub got significant media attention in Poland, some said it wasn't a surprise given his reputation for public complaining if he feels he hasn't been given enough respect.

Deputy Parliament Speaker Stefan Niesolowski accused Walesa of pettiness, noting that he had obviously been offended.

Pawel Nowak, a 40-year-old civil servant, expressed concern that Walesa was casting a shadow over Obama's visit.

"I don't think he should represent us," Nowak said.

Obama will hold two days of political meetings focusing on security, energy and joint U.S.-Polish efforts to promote democracy in North Africa, Belarus and elsewhere in Eastern Europe.