Poland wants a "demilitarisation" of traditionally troubled bilateral ties with Russia and a much greater focus on the economy and trade. AFP WARSAW, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Poland told Russia's visiting foreign minister on Thursday it wanted a "demilitarisation" of their traditionally troubled bilateral ties and a much greater focus on the economy and trade.

Warsaw also backed Moscow's calls for its citizens to be allowed visa-free travel to the European Union, as it sought to build on a rapprochement that has gathered pace since Poland's president died in a plane crash in Russia in April.

"We aim for the demilitarisation and commercialisation of the relationship between our countries," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told a joint news conference with Russia's Sergei Lavrov.

Disputes over historical issues, missile defence and NATO enlargement have often clouded relations between Poland, a U.S. ally, and Russia, its communist-era overlord.

Last year, Russia threatened to move missiles to its tiny Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad bordering Poland after Warsaw agreed to host elements of a U.S. anti-missile shield. The Obama administration later revised the missile defence plans.

Lavrov said trade between Russia and Poland reached 10 billion dollars in the first six months of this year, or 1.5 times more than in the same period in 2009.

Poland has seen strong economic growth since joining the EU in 2004 and was the only member of the 27-nation bloc to avoid recession last year during the global financial crisis. But Russian oil and gas still form a large part of bilateral trade.

Lavrov said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had accepted an invitation from his Polish counterpart Bronislaw Komorowski to visit Poland at a date still to be agreed.


PLANE CRASH

Komorowski's predecessor, Lech Kaczynski, was killed along with 95 others, mostly top Polish officials, when their plane crashed while trying to land in thick fog near the western Russian town of Smolensk in April.

The tragedy led to a series of symbolic gestures from Russia that raised hopes for an improvement in long-strained relations.

However, analysts say the crash simply reinforced a rapprochement already under way after Russia's realisation that as an EU member Poland can now easily block initiatives between Moscow and Brussels if it feels its interests are not respected.

Lavrov dismissed suggestions made in the Polish media that Russia was dragging its feet over the investigation into the Smolensk crash, saying there had been "unprecedented" cooperation between officials from the two countries.

"On both sides there is now a sincere desire... and also at the level of ordinary citizens, to stop problems that exist from becoming insurmountable obstacles to normal relations and to living in a neighbourly, human way," Lavrov added.

Lavrov, who earlier briefed Poland's ambassadors gathered from around the world on Russia's view of current international issues, noted that Poland will hold the EU's rotating six-month presidency for the first time from July 2011.

British-educated Sikorski was once known for his critical rhetoric about Poland's communist-era overlord, but has become a pragmatic advocate of closer ties in areas where the two nations' interests coincide. "Poland wants to have a visa-free regime with all its neighbours," he said, in comments welcomed by Lavrov, though the Polish minister added that Russia would need to meet the EU's technical requirements.