By Wiktor Szary and Justyna Pawlak

WARSAW: Poland could be open to compromiseover British demands to limit the rights of European Unionmigrants if London helps it bolster the NATO presence in centralEurope Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told Reuters.

With hundreds of thousands of Poles living in BritainWarsaw is one of the EU's staunchest critics of Prime MinisterDavid Cameron's proposal to cut benefits for migrants as part ofhis planned overhaul of Britain's EU membership terms.

Cameron has set a deadline of the end of 2017 for an in-outreferendum on Britain's membership of the EU but recently gavehis strongest suggestion yet that he hopes to hold it in 2016.

Cameron left Warsaw empty-handed last month after a visit todiscuss his push with Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlosaying further talks were needed.

Szydlo's new conservative government however is keen toscore a diplomatic victory at a summit of the NATO militaryalliance due to be held in Warsaw in July.

Waszczykowski said the issues were being discussed intandem.

Asked whether Britain could offer Poland something to softenits opposition to Cameron's proposal Waszczykowski said: "Ofcourse. Britain could offer something to Poland in terms ofinternational security.

"We still consider ourselves a second-class NATOmember-state because in central Europe ... there aren't asidefrom a token presence any significant allied forces or defenceinstallations which gives the Russians an excuse to play thisregion" he said.

In 2014 Poland's then foreign minister said he wanted thealliance to station two NATO heavy brigades - typically between3000 and 5000 troops - on Polish soil in response to Russia'sintervention in Ukraine where Moscow denies it is activelyassisting pro-Russian rebels.

The alliance is reluctant to permanently station troops in central Europe with some states wary of violating a 1997 NATO-Russia agreement on the size of forces the alliance canhave in former Warsaw Pact countries of which Poland is one.

Moscow would almost certainly regard the establishment of astanding NATO presence on its borders as a hostile act.

Some western European allies have also been sceptical aboutbasing large numbers of troops and equipment in Poland at a timewhen defence budgets are tight and question the military logicof tying down large numbers of troops in one place.

"Britain could support our expectations related to an alliedmilitary presence on Polish territory" Waszczykowski said.

Elaborate Compromise

Waszczykowski said Poland wanted to offset the impact of anybenefit cuts for its citizens living in Britain by planning tooffer a monthly cash payment to families with children in thehope Polish workers will stay in Poland instead of emigrating.

He said Warsaw opposed any cuts in benefits in Britain thatsingled out potential recipients based on their origin.

"We're aware that the British welfare system is veryelaborate and that it may not be able to bear it. We aretherefore addressing this by increasing our benefits and wealso want to raise salaries in Poland" he said.

EU heads of state are due to discuss British proposals at asummit in February.

NATO defence ministers are scheduled to meet next month inpreparation for the NATO summit.

"It would be very difficult for us to accept anydiscrimination" Waszczykowski said referring to the migranttalks with London. "Unless Britain helped us really effectivelywith regard to the Polish defence ambitions at the summit inWarsaw."

After Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula NATOsuspended practical cooperation with Moscow. But after Russia'sinvolvement in Syria some alliance members notably Germanyhave called for talks with Moscow to be reopened to avoidincidents like the downing of a Russian jet by NATO-memberTurkey.

Poland which has been a staunch critic of Moscow's actionsin Ukraine is ready to accept this Waszczykowski said butonly if NATO members agree to bolster the alliance's easternflank first.

Reuters