PM Tusk on Canada visit

Donald Tusk in the Sejm lower parliamentary house on Friday, 11.05.2012 Photo: PAP/Andrzej Hrechorowicz

Pinning hopes on shale gas exploration in Poland, the Polish leadership seeks to explore opportunities for collaboration with one of the top extractors of shale gas in the world.

Before his departure, Donald Tusk said that he will be holding a meeting “with figures catering to the legal aspects of the extraction and those dealing with the technical problems involved.”

The Prime Minister is also expected to visit the Quadra mining company, which was taken over by Poland’s KGHM recently.

Donald Tusk will also travel to Wilno, Ontario, a town established as a settlement by Kashubian immigrants in the 19th century, named after the city of Vilnius, the birthplace of the community’s leader.

The head of government, himself of Kashubian origin, has said the event bore particular gravity as the so-called Ontario Kashubians comprise a large part of the local Polish community.

“As far as I’m aware, I will be the first Polish prime minister to meet with the minority living there and cultivating its customs since the 19th century,” he said.

The visit was initially to take place in April 2010, but was cancelled following the presidential air disaster in Smolensk on 10 Aril that year. The trip comes after an official visit made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Gdansk in April 2008. (aba/jb)