Ambassador Victor Ashe

Greetings from Warsaw, where the start of winter is only a few weeks away!

On behalf of the American people, I’d like first to extend my wishes for a speedy and full recovery to Polish Ambassador to Iraq Edward Pietrzyk who was the target of a roadside bomb in Iraq last month, and my condolences to the family of Polish Security Officer Bartosz Orzechowski who was killed in the same attack.  We also extend our deep condolences to the family of Sergeant Andrzej Filipek who was killed in Iraq last week.  We all commend these brave colleagues for their selfless dedication to freedom and democracy.

Last month Poland voted in large numbers in an election which unseated the present parliament after just two years in office.  An impressive 55% of the Polish electorate turned out to vote, a mark of Poland’s thriving democracy.  We look forward to working with Poland’s new government, which is still taking shape as you receive this.

October was a busy month at the Embassy as well.  The month began with a visit by world famous U.S. astronaut Dr. Shannon Lucid, who holds the record for most hours in space.  Dr. Lucid spent several days in Poland speaking to students and scientists about the future of space exploration.  Discussions on a missile defense agreement also resumed on the 2nd, as we continue to work toward an accord with the Polish government on a basing agreement for 10 missile interceptors.  Together with the prestigious Center for International Relations we are co-hosting a conference on November 15 in Warsaw on transatlantic security policy, of which missile defense will be a key topic.  This conference is open to the public; if you are interested in attending, please contact the organizers at info@csm.org.pl.  It is part of our public relations campaign to ensure that accurate and complete information on this proposal is transparently available to the Polish public.

Warsaw was the site for two groups of embassy community liaison officers to meet in week-long training sessions.  The groups from Africa and Europe had a chance to share accounts of their challenges in small and large embassies and take new ideas back to their communities.  I welcomed Polish mayors to the residence for a luncheon.  As a former mayor, I feel strongly about offering these officials this unique opportunity to talk about critical issues.  Later in the month I enjoyed visiting mayors in towns around the cities of Gdansk, Wroclaw and Poznan, and in the southeastern corner of Poland’s Podkarpackie region.

November promises to be active, as Poland’s new government comes together and we begin reaching out to new ministers.  We will continue to work toward a basing agreement for the missile interceptors and on other issues of high importance in our bilateral relationship.  We’ll also celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps at the Marine ball on November 10th, and of course we all look forward to spending time with friends and family on Thanksgiving.

I wish you and your family a pleasant November holiday and time to reflect on all the things for which we are grateful.  I enjoyed hearing your comments on the October newsletter and hope you will continue to send me emails with your insights.  I will respond personally if you send me a message at AsheVH@state.gov.

Sincerely yours,

Victor Ashe
U.S. Ambassador to Poland

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