Polish President Aleksandr Kwasniewski yesterday issued a stern warning about the possibility of a two-tier Europe.
"A two-speed Europe means the integration of Europe by disintegration. Two-speed would mean divisions - and the philosophy of this enlargement is to integrate the continent," Mr Kwasniewski said, as he ended a two-day state visit.
The President was speaking to journalists during a joint news conference with Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami.
Mr Kwasniewski was questioned about the EU, with Poland's role in mind in the collapse of the draft EU constitution last December.
The talks failed after Spain and Poland refused to compromise over their insistence on hanging on to the voting rights they gained during the 2000 Nice treaty negotiations.
France and Germany had fought for a different system, with the size of their populations in mind, and in the process expressed their willingness to speed ahead in key policy areas, reducing Europe to moving at different levels.
Asked whether Poland would approach the upcoming EU summit with an aim of reaching agreement, Mr Kwasniewski said his country was prepared to do this provided there was overall "reasonable compromise".
Dr Fenech Adami added that the constitution agreement should be concluded as soon as possible but underlined that the most important thing was that it would stand the test of time.
Mr Kwasniewski did not seem disturbed by the temporary restriction being imposed by some EU states on workers to be allowed in from the acceding states.
"We need time. I understand these reservations now but time will solve this problem for sure," he said.
He heaped praise on Malta's role in the Mediterranean and especially for maintaining its good contacts in the Arab world.
Mr Kwasniewski deemed his visit a successful one because the two countries sought to improve political and economic relations, with a particular accent on tourism. An estimated 17,000 Polish tourists visited Malta last year.
Turning to Poland's participation in the war in Iraq, Mr Kwasniewski said his country decided to participate in the conflict as a clear sign of its fight against terrorism.
"We are not interested in staying in Iraq for several years. We want to stabilise the situation there. But we want to withdraw our soldiers as soon as possible."
Dr Fenech Adami spoke of the need for tourism operators to be more interested in the potential of Malta and Poland as a tourist destination.
"I underlined the role of Malta as a hub and that entrepreneurs that are focusing on the Middle East or North Africa should start looking more at Malta."
The Polish President also had meetings with Labour leader Alfred Sant and later gave a talk at the Old University on the objective of EU enlargement from a Polish perspective.
Mr Kwasniewski also paid a visit to the Kalkara cemetery, where a number of Polish navy men and pilots who died in Malta during the Second World War, are buried.