Poland's Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski met Wednesday with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to discuss bilateral relations, security policy, including an anti- missile shield, and the current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Government Information Center reported.

During his two-day visit to Poland, Gates also met Polish President Lech Kaczynski, Defense Minister Aleksander Szczyglo and Foreign Minister Anna Fotyga, Polish PAP news agency reported.

On Tuesday, Gates told reporters after meeting his counterpart Szczyglo it was NATO to decide whether Poland can receive a Patriot air defense system as an extra safeguard in connection with the location of a U.S. anti-missile shield on its territory.

Gates noted the shield was designed against threats expected in 10-20 years, not now.

"We have agreed that the project of an anti-missile shield should increase security in Europe and Poland," PAP quoted Szczyglo as saying.

According to Szczyglo, Russia's protests against the U.S. shield's location in Europe hang together with the country's internal situation and approaching elections.

The U.S. administration in January made a formal offer to the Czech Republic and Poland to open talks on the shield. Under the proposal, Poland could be the base for underground rocket silos and the Czech Republic would host the radar system.

Source: Xinhua