German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday she understands Poland's attitude towards a British-proposed EU budget but called for compromise among EU members states on the plan.

Speaking with Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewic over the phone from Berlin, Merkel expressed her "understanding for the Polish attitude" toward the EU 2007-2013 budget, which will cut aid to poorer EU members.

However, she said her government is trying to reach compromise with other EU members so that the budget plan could be accepted at the EU summit next week.

The chancellor said she had already discussed the issue with French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Britain, currently holding the EU rotating presidency, proposed cutting the 2007-2013 budget to 846.8 billion euros (993.9 billion US dollars), compared to 871 billion proposed by previous presidency Luxembourg.

Most of the savings would come from the slashing of aid to the EU newcomers, mostly east European states, and the cutting of rural development funds for western Europe.

Poland will receive an aid of 56 billion euros, 5.6 billion euros less than that under the budget proposed by Luxembourg.

Marcinkiewic had said the budge plan is "unacceptable" and hoped Germany to back Warsaw's insistence that the EU budget should not be cut at the expense of new members.

Polish Minister for European Affairs Jaroslaw Pietras said Wednesday that Britain will probably have to work out another document before the EU summit scheduled for Dec. 15-16 in Brussels.

During the German election campaign, Merkel vowed to strengthen the country's relations with Poland.

Source: Xinhua