Poland demands seat at eurozone meetings

(WARSAW) - Poland on Friday said it was at odds with the eurozone over Warsaw's right as a non-member but current EU president to take part in meetings of the 17-nation currency bloc on solving its lumbering debt crisis.

"We were told the eurozone has the right to meet independently, we recognized this, however, the Polish finance minister is going to be present at Euro Group," Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk told journalists as it took over the EU's six-month rotating presidency.

A key eurozone finance ministers meeting on Greek debt scheduled for Sunday has been switched to a teleconference to take place on Saturday, EU and diplomatic sources said on Friday.

Ministers from the 17-member eurozone are expected to unlock billions of euros pledged to Greece after its parliament this week met demands from foreign lenders to adopt a tough package of austerity measures.

"I'll continue to tell my European partners that because we are holding the presidency, for informational reasons and in order to be up to date, we should attend Euro Group meetings," Tusk said, at once insisting "it's not a question of prestige".

The Polish leader said it had been difficult to "convince (our) partners" to allow Poland to attend the meetings and that he was not sure whether a final decision had already been made.

"My parents taught me you should not force yourself into someone's else flat if you're not wanted," he remarked.

A spokesperson for Euro Group president Jean-Claude Juncker told AFP he was not aware of Poland's possible participation in meetings of eurozone finance ministers.

"It's never been the case," until present that a country which is not a eurozone member regularly participates in Euro Group meetings, even if they happen to be holding the EU's rotating presidency.