Poland's veto on the talks became a source of embarrassment for the European Union ahead of Friday's Russia-EU summit in Helsinki, after officials from the 25-nation bloc failed to persuade Poland to soften its stance.
Anna Fotyga, who is currently on a visit to Norway, said: "In our opinion, certain actions on the part of Russia seriously threaten Poland's key interests."
The current Russia-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement expires in 2007, but Poland insists that Moscow end its ban on certain Polish agricultural exports and ratify the Energy Charter, liberalizing its oil and gas sector, before talks on a new deal begin.
The Polish foreign minister said that in a situation where Poland is fighting for its sovereignty, the country is willing to sacrifice everything, even its reputation.
"That is why we ask other EU countries to demonstrate their solidarity [with Poland], but in the future we would like to reach a consensus [on the issue]," she said.
Russia introduced an embargo on imports of Polish meat and poultry products on November 10, citing concerns over violations of veterinary regulations. Russia had already banned agricultural imports from Poland last year, on health grounds.
But Warsaw saw the embargo as a retaliation for its support of the "orange revolution" in Ukraine in late 2004, when Western-leaning political forces came to power in the former Soviet state.
