Ambassador Victor Ashe

Greetings from Warsaw!

Fall is now here, with one day cold and rainy and the next sunny and relatively warm. The dollar to zloty exchange rate seems to rise and fall just as unpredictably, although that likely has more to do with Wall Street than with the weather.

After a busy August, activity still increased in September. The Embassy hosted many visitors in the past thirty days, starting with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Colleen Graffy and finishing with Dr. William Swift, the renowned biographer of President John F. Kennedy. Other visitors were Laura Lochman, Deputy Director of the State Department Office of Central European Affairs; William Gleason, Program Chair of Russian and Eurasian Area Studies at the Foreign Service Institute; Dr. Grzegorz M. Madejski from the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in Menlo Park, California; Glen M. Gardner, Jr., Commander-in-Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.; and Dr. Gerardo Quassdorff of the American Holstein Association.

While the month began with students learning about NATO, it ended with a tribute to those Polish soldiers who have demonstrated what being allies is all about with their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. At a September 23rd reception dedicated to these brave veterans, Defense Attaché Colonel Richard Runner and I presented the United States Army's prestigious Meritorious Service Medal to Brigadier General Wojciech Grabowski and retired Colonel Paweł Hejna. Bishop Tadeusz Płoski delivered an invocation and four Polish television networks and other news media covered the brief awards ceremony and interviewed the many distinguished guests and the awardees.

As I write, one of the largest American delegations to visit this year is in Warsaw for the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) organized jointly by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Finnish Chairmanship of the OSCE taking place in Warsaw, Poland, September 29 – October 10. Former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey W. Robert Pearson is leading the U.S. delegation of more than 30 U.S. officials and private sector representatives to the annual HDIM. The delegation also includes Ambassador Julie Finley, U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and former Ambassador to Belarus Karen Stewart, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Department of State. The HDIM is a forum to bring together hundreds of government representatives, human rights activists, and international experts to evaluate how well by the 56 participating States of the OSCE are living up to their commitments.

On September 25, Joan and I hosted the second annual reception in honor of Polish artists, bringing together painters, sculptors, glass artists, film producers, directors, actors, ceramicists, and other artists of all media. During my time in Poland, I have been an admirer and promoter of many Polish artists’ works. I have on display in my residence several pieces of Polish art to augment the American art on loan through the Art in Embassies program. Many of the Polish artists were thrilled to have an opportunity to meet with so many of their colleagues at once, many of whom they do not often have a chance to see.

Significant events in the Polish-American relationship have also taken place on the U.S. side of the ocean this month, including Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski officially opening the newly renovated and expanded Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago on September 8. Foreign Minister Sikorski also spoke to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on the future of NATO and met with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Foreign Minister Sikorski returned to the States with President Lech Kaczynski for the meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, where President Kaczynski spoke about the Russia-Georgia situation.

Members of the Polish delegation had an opportunity to see the new Broadway play about Irena Gut, who rescued 12 Jews after she was pressed into forced labor as a housekeeper for German Major Edward Rugemer in Tarnopol during the Nazi occupation in World War II. “Irena’s Vow” opened September 22 Night at the Baruch Performing Arts Center. The role of the Catholic Irena Gut is performed by the well-known Jewish actress Tovah Feldshuh, one of the best known Jewish actresses.

Following up on the Missile Defense Agreement signed last month, negotiations have begun on a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) for U.S. troops to be stationed in Poland, as well as on a series of implementing agreements for the MDA. Senior U.S. military officials have visited the future site of the MDA installation in Redzikowo, near Slupsk. I will visit Slupsk next week to tour the facilities and meet with local civic leaders and residents to learn about their concerns related to the future deployment.

This month the Embassy also launched a series of election-related events. On September 15, we joined in the global launch of the Democracy Video Challenge, which gives amateur video makers a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington DC, New York, and Los Angeles. The U.S. Department of State and YouTube invite anyone 18 and older to submit a short video that completes the phrase "Democracy is…" between now and 31 January 2009. The winners of the global video challenge -- one from each continent -- will travel to the United States. We are also cosponsoring an election-themed film festival entitled “All the President’s Films” during the first week of October at Ujazdowski Castle’s Kino Lab. The festival includes several classic feature films, plus “A President to Remember: In the Company of John F. Kennedy” by award-winning cinéma-vérité pioneer Robert Drew. Election activities will continue throughout October with speakers and contests, culminating in a November 4 Election Night event co-organized with the American Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw.

I wish a Happy 65th birthday to former President Lech Walesa, who celebrated both this milestone and the 25th anniversary of winning the Nobel Peace Prize on September 29. This month October 16 will also mark the 30th anniversary of the election of Cardinal Wojtyla as the Holy Father of the Catholic Church.

Have a fantastic October. For all Americans, please do not forget to register to vote – and to cast your vote as well!

Sincerely Yours,

Victor Ashe

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