Ambassador Victor Ashe

Greetings from Warsaw!

Poland celebrates the 20th anniversary of the first free elections and the fall of communism with a series of high-profile events in Kraków and Gdańsk on June 4. Poland’s rejection of the Communist Party rule encouraged Hungary to follow suit, setting off the famous events of Fall 1989 that climaxed with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

On May 11, Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski introduced a Resolution in the U.S. Senate commemorating the June 4 anniversary of this very significant occasion and praising Poles for their perseverance in the struggle for freedom. As Poland continues to be an important United States ally, this resolution shows the recognition Poland has in the U.S. Senate. Illinois Congressman Dan Lipinski also introduced a Resolution in the House honoring 90 years of diplomatic relations between our two nations.

On May 19, I hosted our annual reception saluting Polish Veterans. Nearly 600 persons attended, including active duty military members, Veterans of WW II, Warsaw Uprising, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Also present were distinguished visitors from the political arena, diplomatic corps, and clergy. The largest group represented was Klub Kawalerów Orderu Virtuti Militari. Most of the members – some over 100 years old – fought in the Warsaw Uprising in the August of 1944 against German occupation forces. Major General Tadeusz Buk was presented the Legion of Merit medal.

Later that week, on May 22, together with Deputy Chief of Mission, Pamela Quanrud, we held a reception honoring Fulbright scholars. The Fulbright educational exchange program celebrates its 50th anniversary in Poland this year. The reception recognized the Polish Fulbright grantees selected to travel to the U.S. for the academic year 2009-10 and the American Fulbright scholars, teachers and students, who are completing their academic year in Poland and returning to the States this summer.

As we continue to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Poland and the United States this year, the U.S. Embassy held a series of events in May. On May 19, I traveled to Rogów near Łódź, to open the North American Trail at the Rogów Arboretum. The Agricultural Department worked closely with the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) to create a clearly marked trail of 18 North American tree species at the arboretum, including the Carolina Silverbell, American Holly, and the rare American Chestnut. The Rogów Arboretum is one of the largest public gardens in Poland. I encourage you to view the photo gallery from the event featured in the linked story below.

On Thursday evening, May 21, we celebrated the official launch of the poster exhibit the Embassy designed to celebrate the 90th anniversary of U.S.-Polish diplomatic relations. U.S. Fulbright scholar Michael Pecak played a piano recital for a rapt audience at my Residence. Pecak is currently on a Fulbright grant at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw. The gallery of photos from the reception and a short video can be seen by clicking here.

On May 27, I hosted another exclusive reception for young diplomats and students interested in public diplomacy and international relations. It was a celebration of the recent, very successful launch of the interactive website: www.polska-usa.pl, which features 90th anniversary content in Polish, including information, news, discussion forums, quizzes, and contests about the United States and the history of diplomatic relations between our countries. The project was completed in close cooperation between the U.S. Embassy and the Foreign Affairs Institute Foundation in Warsaw.

Throughout May, we hosted several U.S. visitors, who came to Poland to participate in our America Presents and American Experts in Poland programs. Prof. Rasma Karklins, Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois in Chicago, visited Warsaw on May 19 and discussed her book “The System Made Me Do It: Corruption in Post-Communist Societies,” which was published in Polish earlier this year under the State Department's Books in Translation Program. Dr. John Karaagac, Visiting Assistant Professor at Indiana University and a Lecturer at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington D.C. met with students in Warsaw and Łódź on May 20-22. Rebecca Kobrin, Professor of American Jewish History in the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies at Columbia University, participated in a series of lectures in Warsaw and Białystok. On May 11 and 12, Michael Dobbs – former Washington Post foreign correspondent, author of a series of books on the Cold War, and the first Western journalist to visit the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk in August 1980 – spoke in Warsaw and Gdańsk.

In the first half of May, the U.S. Embassy supported MetroJazz, the American Jazzmen Trio (Chuck Loeb, guitar; Mitchel Forman, keyboards; and Melvin Lee Davis, bass) as they played in seven Polish cities. The musicians were joined by Polish drummer Krzysztof Zawadzki, who has played with a multitude of renowned American musicians. In addition to concerts, the jazz quarter also conducted workshops. We have a lot more jazz planned for June, including the Dan Tepfer Trio in Kraków on June 3 and in Warsaw on June 4-5; Michał Urbaniak in Lódź on June 5, in Warsaw on June 7, and in Gdynia on June 9; and the opening of the Jazz Ambassadors exhibit on June 26.

Łukasz Szozda, one of the 26 Poles who submitted their videos for the “Democracy Is…” YouTube/U.S. Department of State Video Challenge was chosen as one of the 18 finalists and will be one of three contestants to represent Europe in the last stage of the contest. His colorful, animated film – which the jury selected from among 196 semi-finalists from around the world – defines democracy as the freedom of choice, freedom of expression, and tolerance, values we’ve come to associate with mature democracy in the United States. We are keeping our fingers crossed for Łukasz, while public voting on YouTube determines the grand-prize winners. Please vote by June 15!

Throughout May, we hosted several delegations from the Illinois National Guard, who visited Poznań, Warsaw and Kraków and met with military and civilian officials there. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) talks continue with the next plenary round in Warsaw June 8-10. The Polish Defense Minister has stated in the press that he hopes to conclude negotiations this summer, and the sides have scheduled a follow-on plenary for mid-July in Washington. In June, we expect visits to Poland from Nashville, TN, Mayor Karl Dean, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and U.S. Ambassador at Large for Women's Global Issues, Melanne Verveer.

I continued my public diplomacy in May by visiting several Polish cities: Poznań, Wrocław, and Kraków as well as smaller towns: Międzyrzecz, Kostrzyn, Kórnik, Jeziory, Oborniki, Tomaszów Bolesławiecki, Prochowice, Środa Śląska, and Kąty Wrocławskie.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions about the newsletter and hope to continue to receive your thoughts. Please don’t forget to check our homepage for the latest news, events, and updates. I will respond to all emails personally if you send me a message at: AsheVH@state.gov The U.S. Embassy website now features links to photo galleries and slide shows from many of our events, which I encourage you to visit.

Sincerely yours,

Victor Ashe

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