Numerous world leaders were forced to cancel plans to travel to Poland for the funeral of President Lech Kaczynski on Sunday, as volcanic ash from Iceland continued to ground flights to and from Europe.
— U.S. President Barack Obama
The White House said the United States would be represented at the funeral by Lee Feinstein, U.S. ambassador to Poland.
“I spoke with acting President (Bronislaw) Komorowski and told him that I regret that I will not be able to make it to Poland due to the volcanic ash that is disrupting air travel over Europe,” Obama said in a statement.
“Michelle and I continue to have the Polish people in our thoughts and prayers, and will support them in any way I can as they recover from this terrible tragedy.
“President Kaczynski was a patriot and close friend and ally of the United States, as were those who died alongside him, and the American people will never forget the lives they led,” Obama said.
— French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Contrary to earlier reports that Sarkozy was already in Poland, his Web site said Saturday that “given the extreme weather that paralyzed the air traffic over most of Europe, (the) President of the Republic will not go to Krakow (Poland) to attend the funeral of President Kaczynski and his wife, as originally planned.”
— German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Germany will be represented by President Horst Koehler and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.
Chancellor Merkel, returning from the United States, had her plane diverted to Lisbon, Portugal, and then to Rome, Italy, on Saturday. She then drove in a convoy up to the city of Bolzano in northwest Italy. She expects to drive back to Berlin, Germany, later Sunday.
Merkel called the Polish foreign minister Saturday night to express her apologies that she won’t be able to attend, her spokesman said.
The foreign minister showed “great understanding,” the spokesman said.
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Article courtesy cnn.com
