Poland, Germany and France discuss military issues

Poland's Radek Sikorski will host counterparts Franz-Josef Jung of Germany and Michele Alliot-Marie of France in discussions that will take place in the underground Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow.

Photo: Poland, Germany and France discuss military issues

The meeting will include discussions on joint foreign military missions and the NATO summit to be held in Riga, Latvia, in November, according to the German Defense Ministry.

The spokesman for the Polish Defense Ministry, Piotr Paszkowski, said the current fighting in the Middle East wasn't formally on the agenda but was likely to come up in the talks given the urgency of that crisis.

Paszkowski said the talks were being held in the unusual venue of the salt mine both because of its beauty and because it would provide relief from the summer heat since it is underground.

The salt mine, on the southeastern outskirts of Krakow, is a major Polish tourist attraction. About 900 centuries of mining at the site has turned it into a spectacular underground labyrinth with about 200 kilometers (125 miles) of passages. It holds a museum, a medical spa for treating respiratory ailments and chambers where concerts are sometimes held.