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FEBRUARY 2007 |
Volume II Issue 2 |
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February |
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Greetings from Warsaw!
I recently presented an important award
to former Polish President Lech Wałęsa,
the U.S. Embassy’s first Jan Karski Freedom
Award. This award, one of three new U.S.
Embassy-sponsored awards to be presented
this year, highlights the work of a Pole
in advancing democracy and human rights
in Poland and throughout the world. The
other two new awards – the Jan Nowak-Jeziorański
Award for Public Service and the Czesław
Miłosz Award for Contributions to U.S-Polish
Understanding – will be announced later
this year. I encourage you to read more
about this U.S. Embassy initiative below. |
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Ambassador Victor Ashe |
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Missile defense is important to our Polish
allies. I want to update you as to where
we currently stand: After discussing this
topic for some four years, the United States
has contacted Poland and the Czech Republic
on the possible deployment of U.S. missile
defense assets on Czech and Polish territory.
This decision comes after informal discussions
with both countries, and the U.S. conclusion
that fielding missile defense assets in
Europe would provide significant capability
to defend the United States and much of
Europe from the evolving Middle Eastern
ballistic missile threat. While no timetable
for negotiations on missile defense basing
has been established, the United States
looks forward to beginning such formal discussions
with Poland and the Czech Republic in the
near future.
In my recent travels around Poland, I have
met several outstanding Polish artists such
as: Leszek Macak from Kraków, Łukasz Huculak
from Oborniki Śląskie, Professor Lidia Kupczyńska-Jankowiak
from Wrocław, Elżbieta and Krzysztof Walaszkowie
from Księżyce, and Beata Murawska from Warsaw.
I look forward to hosting a reception at
my Residence in the near future to bring
together a number of talented Polish artists.
The creative spirit is very much alive and
well here in Poland!
During the first week of February, I will
lead a business outreach mission to the
U.S. that will include several Polish business
people. The trip will take us to San Francisco,
California; St. Louis, Missouri; and Atlanta,
Georgia. We will meet with U.S. companies
considering business opportunities in Poland
as well as local chambers of commerce. Our
goal is to increase U.S. business investment
in Poland.
We all express our deepest regret over
the loss of former Polish Ambassador Zdzisław
Rurarz, a man who will be remembered for
his courage in standing up for his beliefs
during a difficult period in Poland’s history
by resigning as ambassador to Japan in protest
over the imposition of martial law in Poland.
Finally, for American citizens living in
Poland: I encourage you to take a look at
the Consular News column at the bottom of
this e-newsletter for important information
you should be aware of if you intend to
sponsor a Polish relative in immigrating
to the United States.
Sincerely yours,
Victor Ashe
U.S. Ambassador to Poland |
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Embassy News |
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Lech Wałęsa Receives Karski Freedom
Award |
| Lech
Wałęsa is the first recipient of the
Karski Freedom Award sponsored by the
U.S. Embassy in Warsaw. The award, recognizing
a Pole who has worked for the promotion
of democracy and human rights, was presented
to Mr. Wałęsa at a reception hosted
in his honor by Ambassador Ashe on January
23. Mr. Wałęsa, the former President
of Poland, was recognized for his pivotal
role in the Solidarity movement that
led to the downfall of the Communist
system in Poland. “Mr. Wałęsa exemplifies
the ideals this award celebrates,” Ambassador
Ashe explained. “His courage and perseverance
in securing democratic freedoms for
Poles are an inspiration, and we celebrate
his contribution to the promotion of
human rights.” The award is named for
Jan Karski, a hero of the underground
Polish Home Army during World War II
who infiltrated the Warsaw Ghetto and
a Nazi concentration camp and then carried
the first eyewitness accounts of the
Holocaust to the West. Karski later
became a U.S. citizen and taught for
over 40 years at Georgetown University
in Washington, DC.
more |
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U.S.-Poland Parliamentary Youth Exchange
Legislation Introduced in U.S. Senate |
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U.S. Senator
Dick Lugar of Indiana re-introduced
legislation in the U.S. Senate on January
25 to establish a United States–Poland
Parliamentary Youth Exchange Program.
The bill would establish a program to
demonstrate the benefits of friendly
cooperation between the U.S. and Poland
to American and Polish youth. In announcing
the new legislation, Senator Lugar stated,
“The United States and Poland have enjoyed
close bilateral relations since the
end of the Cold War. Most recently,
Poland has been a strong supporter of
efforts led by the United States to
combat global terrorism, and has contributed
troops to and led coalitions in both
Afghanistan and Iraq. I believe that
it is important to invest in the youth
of the United States and Poland in order
to strengthen long-lasting ties between
both societies.”
more |
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Business Outreach Mission to U.S. |
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U.S. Ambassador
to Poland Victor Ashe will lead a Business
Outreach Mission to the United States
February 4-9 to promote U.S. trade and
investment while highlighting the opportunities
Poland’s dynamic market economy offers
U.S. business. The delegation will include
several Polish business people and will
visit San Francisco, St. Louis and Atlanta
with a program arranged by the U.S.
Department of Commerce’s Export Assistance
Centers and other local partners in
these three cities. In announcing the
business outreach mission, Ambassador
Ashe described Poland as “an attractive
destination for U.S. investment,” adding
that his goal in leading the mission
is “to make sure that American companies
have the tools they need to succeed
in the Polish market.”
more |
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International Day of Commemoration In
Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust |
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January 26, U.S. President George W.
Bush stated, “On the second International
Day of Commemoration, we remember and
mourn the victims of the Holocaust.
Sixty-two years after the liberation
of Auschwitz, we must continue to educate
ourselves about the lessons of the Holocaust,
and honor those whose lives were taken
as a result of a racist ideology that
embraced a national policy of violent
hatred and bigotry. It is also our responsibility
to honor the survivors and those courageous
souls who refused to be bystanders,
and instead risked their lives to try
and save the Nazis’ intended victims.”
To read the President’s full statement,
click
here.
more |
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Death of Zdzisław Rurarz |
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On January 21 former Polish Ambassador
Zdzisław Rurarz passed away at his home
in Reston, Virginia at the age of 76.
"Ambassador Rurarz was a man of
principle who made a difficult decision
to stand up for his beliefs at a very
difficult time for Poland, and he will
be remembered for his courage,” said
Ambassador Ashe. Zdzisław Rurarz was
the Polish ambassador to Japan when
he defected to the U.S. in 1981 in protest
of the imposition of martial law by
Poland’s communist government. In the
United States, Rurarz spoke out against
the communist regime, addressing a U.S.
Congressional panel and giving a series
of lectures. Rurarz had his property
confiscated and was tried in absentia
on charges of high treason, convicted
and sentenced to death by a Polish court
– a sentence that was never subsequently
nullified and did not allow him to return
to Poland. Ambassador Ashe noted that
"our condolences go out to the
Rurarz family at this time."
more |
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Ambassador Ashe Meets With Warsaw District
Mayors |
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U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe
hosted a luncheon at his Residence on
January 30 in honor of 15 District Mayors
from Warsaw. During the luncheon, Ambassador
Ashe and the Mayors discussed priority
issues for the development of Warsaw,
including business investment, infrastructure
and roads. Ambassador Ashe, a former
Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee for 16
years, shared his experiences as a Mayor
and reiterated his understanding of
the importance of local government.
more |
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Obertones Perform in Warsaw |
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The Oberlin Obertones, a men’s A Cappella
musical group from Oberlin College in
Ohio, recently visited Warsaw on a European
tour that also took them to Munich,
Hamburg, Amsterdam, Prague, and Budapest.
On January 26, the group performed at
the Residence of U.S. Ambassador to
Poland Victor Ashe and at the American
School of Warsaw where they also met
with elementary and middle school students
and spoke about A Cappella music. The
traveling members of the Oberlin Obertones
are: Alexander Paik, Tour Organizer/Manager,
from California/Korea; Nicholas Aszling,
Tour Organizer, from Illinois; Samuel
Alfiler from Hawaii; Richard Lawrence
from Michigan; Matthew Castleman from
New York; Sturdy S. Knight from Vermont;
and Colin Ahearn from Massachusetts.
more |
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U.S. Officer Awarded Bronze Medal of
the Polish Armed Forces |
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On January 10, Lieutenant General Waldemar
Skrzypczak, Commander of the Polish
Land Forces, presented the Bronze Medal
of the Polish Armed Forces to Lieutenant
Colonel Chris Charveron, Deputy Chief
of the Office of Defense Cooperation,
U.S. Embassy Warsaw. The presentation
was made in the Land Forces Headquarters
in the “Cytadela” by order of the Ministry
of National Defense for exceptionally
meritorious services provided to the
Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland.
Also participating in the solemn presentation
ceremony were Lieutenant General Jeffrey
B. Kohler, Director, U.S. Defense Security
Cooperation Agency, and Colonel Stanley
Prusinski, Chief of the Office of Defense
Cooperation, U.S. Embassy Warsaw.
more |
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Director of U.S. Defense Security Cooperation
Agency Visits Poland |
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Ambassador Victor Ashe welcomed Air
Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler to Warsaw
January 9-11, 2007. General Kohler is
the Director of the U.S. Defense Security
Cooperation Agency, based in Arlington,
Virginia. The agency directs and oversees
U.S. foreign military sales, foreign
military financing programs, international
military education and training, and
humanitarian assistance programs for
the Department of Defense. During his
visit Warsaw, Lt. Gen. Kohler met with
Polish military and civilian defense
officials regarding Polish participation
in programs such as the C-130, Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle and High-mobility, multi-purpose
vehicle (HMMWVs) programs. General Kohler
visited Krzesiny Air Base as well as
the Land Forces and Air Force Headquarters.
more |
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U.S. Investment in Poland: Sikorsky
Aircraft Acquires PZL Mielec |
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Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation's president
Jeffrey Pino visited Warsaw January
10 to conduct a major public event and
press conference marking the completion
of the U.S. firm’s acquisition of 100%
of PZL Mielec, a leading Polish aviation
company. Ambassador Victor Ashe was
on hand together with the embassy’s
foreign commercial service and economic
staff to express congratulations on
this significant accomplishment. Terming
the business venture a “win-win” deal
for the U.S. and Polish governments
and aviation industries, Ambassador
Ashe said: “The deal will strengthen
both our commercial and defense cooperation,
extending Sikorsky’s reach into the
dynamic Polish market and beyond, while
providing high-quality jobs, advanced
technology and management skills to
Polish industry." The Sikorsky/Mielec
production site will manufacture the
International Black Hawk helicopter
and will become a significant part of
the U.S. firm's global supply chain.
more |
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Ambassador Ashe Visits Zachodnio-Pomorskie
and Wielkopolskie Provinces |
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U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe
traveled through Zachodnio-Pomorskie
and Wielkopolskie Provinces January
17-18, meeting with Marek Woźniak, Governor
of Wielkopolskie Province and the Mayors
of Police, Stargard, Wałcz, Piła, and
Chodzież. In these meetings, the Ambassador
discussed the importance of local government,
attracting American investment and the
development of larger roads. Ambassador
Ashe also met with the director of Drawno
National Park and toured its unique
ecosystem.
more |
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U.S. to be “Lead Nation” for Poland’s 2007 International Defense Trade Show in Kielce, Poland; September 3-6, 2007. For more information,
click here.
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