The year 2008 witnessed a significant rise of Poland's international position, which could be seen as a success of the Polish Government, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday.
"2008 was certainly the year of positive changes," Premier Tusk said, but added that the changes were insufficient and more work was needed.
"Over the last 12-13 years, more and more bureaucratic limitations were imposed. We were the first to reverse this tendency," Polish news agency quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Asked about the biggest success in 2008, the Prime Minister responded that "Poland's position in the world -- among its neighbours, in the European Union, in the relations with the US-- rose significantly."
The year ended in an agreement on an EU climate and energy package, an achievement that "can be worth hundreds of billions of zlotys (the Polish currency)," Premier Tusk said.
However, he also conceded that the Polish people expected more.
"On the one hand I think that Poles are glad that it was more calm and that politics acquired a more normal expression, on the other hand they expected much more," said the Prime Minister.