(PARIS) - France said Tuesday it was planning to hold talks as the new EU president with Poland after President Lech Kaczynski announced he would not sign a key treaty of the European Union.

Kaczynski dropped the bombshell in a newspaper interview that came as France took over the presidency of the EU, hoping to defuse the crisis over Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty.

"Obviously, we will have talks with the Polish authorities and without a doubt at the highest level to try to see how we can come out of this situation," said French foreign ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier.

He stressed that Poland had only temporarily suspended its decision to ratify the treaty, which is meant to streamline decision-making among the bloc's 27 member states.

Kaczynski said in the interview that it was pointless after Irish voters rejected it in a referendum last month.

"For the moment, the question of the treaty is pointless," the conservative Kaczynski, who is considered a eurosceptic, was quoted as saying in the online version of the daily Dziennik.

Irish voters rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum on June 12, putting EU reform plans in jeopardy as it needs to be ratified by all 27 EU member states to enter into force.

Text and Picture Copyright 2008 AFP. All other Copyright 2008 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.