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Ambassador
Victor Ashe |
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Greetings from Warsaw!
July was a month that came in with a bang and gave way to the quiet sultry days of central European summer. Celebrating America’s independence is the primary association with July, and in Poland we held three gala receptions to mark the 232nd year of independence: at the splendid Biedermann Palace in Lodz, for 200 guests; our centerpiece event, the gala reception attended by 2,200 guest at the Ambassador’s residence in Warsaw on July 3; and the reception hosted by our consulate at the Sheraton in Krakow on July 1. Each of these events was not only a grand occasion, but also a great opportunity to mark the close ties we share with our Polish friends and to reaffirm the importance of or relationship. Of course we topped the festivities off with a traditional fireworks show.
I attended another more symbolic celebration of American Independence Day on July 9, hosted by the city fathers of Warka: each year they organize a “Vivat Pulaski Day,” in honor of Casimir Pulaski, the Polish cavalryman who gave his life heroically for the cause of American independence. It is a moving experience to see how the Father of the American Cavalry is still honored and remembered for his courage and sacrifice.
Defense modernization and missile defense talks were in the news this month, as the Polish-American Strategic Cooperation Consultation Group met in Warsaw on July 23. The U.S. negotiating teams were headed by ambassador Steve Mull, the acting Assistant Secretary for Political Military Affairs, and Deputy Assistant Secretary Dan Fata of the Department of Defense. The SCCG working groups were on hand in Warsaw to present their findings in areas such as intelligence (particularly threat assessment) and defense modernization. Ambassador Mull commented after the talks that this had been “the most productive session yet,” noting that Poland and the U.S. had reached broad agreement on the threat assessment, and Poland’s needs for military modernization. The “devil in the details” that still needs to be worked out includes a prioritization of procurement objectives and the specifics of a Polish modernization financing package. The working groups will continue their conversations and plans are to hold a plenary again in Washington in late August.
On July 17, Pomorskie Voivodeship Vice-marshal Wieslaw Byczkowski and I cut the ribbon to officially open the new American Corner in Gdansk’s Joseph Conrad Provincial and City Library. We were joined by library Director Iwona Koperkiewicz, Deputy Director Pawel Braun, Cultural Attache Jim Wolfe, and the new American Corner director Anna Misiek. I was pleased that we have now established an American Corner in a city that, as the birth place of Solidarity, symbolizes the shared Polish and American values of freedom and democracy. In Poland there are now three American Corners, located in Łódź, Wrocław, and now, Gdańsk. American Corners are small libraries designed to bring information about America to cities at a distance from the capital; please read more about this great concept in the story below.
The US Embassy’s focus this summer on Gdansk continues with our support for the presentation of “The Messenger” by American video artist Bill Viola in Gdansk this August in the Baltic Sea Cultural Center. Among the other summer activities in the Tri-cities region the Embassy is supporting are the annual Gospel workshops in Osiek, jazz concerts August 25-26 in Gdynia and Olsztyn featuring Jacek Kochan and Dave Liebman, and performances by the Transversal Theater Company in Chorzow and Gdansk.
Elsewhere in Poland, we supported jazz legend Randy Brecker’s performances in Bialystok and Tykocin July 4-6, singer Danni Leigh’s participation in the annual “Western Piknik” country music festival on Wolin Island July 17-20, Liss Fain Dance Company’s tour of Poland that culminated in an outdoor performance in Warsaw’s Lazienki Park on July 11, and the Center for Contemporary Art’s “Kino Lato” film series that runs each weekend throughout July and August at Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw.
Just before its summer recess, Poland’s parliament (Sejm) took an important step in support of the Fulbright Program, when a majority of 447 MPs approved the ratification of the Polish-U.S. agreement on cooperation within the Polish-American Fulbright Commission. The signed accord foresees Poland's greater financial contribution to the Fulbright program, projecting an annual increase of 650,000 zlotys over the next four years until the Polish contribution is the same as the U.S. The Fulbright program is one of the most important educational exchanges between our two nations. I commend the Sejm and the Polish government for their strong support of the program. This action will allow even more persons – teachers, students, researchers -- to participate. The bill now moves to the Polish Senate, which must give its final approval to the measure.
On the U.S. side of the Atlantic, I was particularly pleased to see that the Social Security agreement signed in Warsaw is moving through our system: President Bush signed the Social Security agreement for Poland on July 17. The agreement is now in the hands of the U.S. congress, which has 60 legislative days to sign it into law. That will benefit thousands of U.S. and Polish citizens who would otherwise be subject to double taxation toward their retirement.
Two of our former ambassadors to Poland, Chris Hill and Dan Fried were recently recognized with Presidential Distinguished Awards to the foreign service. Both have been prominently in the news over the past year – Chris Hill for negotiating a nuclear accord with North Korea, and Dan Fried for his tireless efforts in promoting U.S.-European relations.
Dan Fried traveled to Poland recently for a much sadder purpose – to attend the funeral of Bronislaw Geremek, former Polish Foreign Minister, who died tragically in a head-on car accident in mid-July. The funeral ceremonies were a moving tribute to Professor Geremek, and a reflection of the love and respect that millions of Poles feel for the legendary Solidarity figure.
I would also note the passing of Charles Z. Wick, who headed the U.S. Information Agency during Ronald Reagan’s terms of office. Charlie was the mastermind behind a definitive documentary produced after martial law was imposed on Poland. The 90-minute film, “Let Poland Be Poland” was broadcast on PBS and around the world, and featured video comments from President Reagan and a dozen other world leaders at the time, and included a performance of Frank Sinatra singing “Ever Homeward”—in Polish. He was 90 years old.
I was sorry to learn that former Ambassador to Poland Nick Rey has cancer and we will remember him in our prayers as he undergoes treatment for it.
Finally, I will be away from Poland for part of August visiting home in Knoxville, Tennessee, speaking to the Baker Center on August 14 in Knoxville and joining my wife, Joan, in taking our son, J Victor, to Purdue University for his freshman year there after graduating from the American School of Warsaw with four years here.
I wish all our readers a restful summer period. I always welcome your thoughts and comments; you can reach me directly via email at this address: ashevh@state.gov.
Sincerely Yours,
Victor Ashe |
