WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush and Poland's president on Monday emphasized the need to build a missile defense system in Europe that has strained relations with Russia.
11:44 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, welcome to the United States. Poland and the United States have a very unique and strong relationship. And the President and I have just had a very constructive dialogue. And, by the way, Mr. President, a lot of my fellow citizens who trace their heritage back to Poland who -- are delighted to welcome you to America.
And along those lines, I fully understand a lot of Polish citizens would like to travel to the United States. And so my friend, the President, has once again brought up to me the visa waiver issue -- which I fully understand, Mr. President, and thank you for your candor. And I will continue to work with Congress to change a law that needs to be changed.
Poland is a strong ally. And Poland has taken some very difficult decisions to help a young democracy survive in the face of extremist threats. And I want to thank you, Mr. President, and the Polish people for supporting the people of Afghanistan and Iraq.
War is never popular. But having heard from the Iraqi leaders today, and their expression of gratitude not only to the Polish government, but the Polish people and the American people for supporting this democratic experiment, Mr. President, it reminds me of how important what we're doing is.
America is, of course, pleased that the Polish economy is strong. We want our friends to prosper. Of course, the President, in all modesty, reminded me that's the purview of the Prime Minister. (Laughter.) Of course, I reminded the President he knows the Prime Minister quite well. (Laughter.)
And, finally, we talked about how we can enhance mutual security issues. And there's no better symbol of our desire to work for peace and security than working on a missile defense system -- a missile defense system that would provide security for Europe from single or dual-launched regimes that may emanate from parts of the world where leaders don't particularly care for our way of life, and/or in the process of trying to develop serious weapons of mass destruction.
And I thank you, Mr. President, for your vision and your understanding about the nature of the world in which we live. And I thank you for working on behalf of securing the security of others. And we continue to work and consult very closely with you. And so we welcome you. Thank you for coming.
PRESIDENT KACZYNSKI: (As translated.) Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President has already briefed you about the issues we were talking about during our meeting. And concerning visa waiver, we discussed the issue, however it is in the hands of the Congress. We do understand that the legislative process in the U.S. is very -- it is stable and it is really hard to change that binding law, that existing law. So we are looking forward to positive changes in this area.
Another very important issue is the issue of missile defense. And I would like to emphasize that we discussed it in terms of defensive instruments, because it is aimed at defense of our democracies against the countries who might have, or already do have nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. So it is really a defense instrument, missile defense instrument. And so I do hope that all this project, the whole project will be completed successfully.
And we also discussed other forums which could foster and strengthen our mutual relations and also the NATO. And this issue of strengthening our cooperation will be discussed at the level of the Secretary of Defense of the United States of America, and also our Defense Minister -- and on the level of experts. And our conversation, our meeting is not over yet, and there are some issues that we --
PRESIDENT BUSH: I've got to buy him some lunch. (Laughter.)
"There's no better symbol of our desire to work for peace and security than working on a missile defense system," Bush said with Polish President Lech Kaczynski at his side in the Oval Office.
The missile-defense system would provide security for Europe from countries where "leaders don't particularly care for our way of life and, or, are in the process of trying to develop serious weapons of mass destruction," Bush said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin late last week suspended Moscow's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty from mid-December. The move was widely seen as an effort to raise pressure over U.S. plans for an anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.
NATO on Monday expressed concerned at Russia's decision to suspend participation in the treaty, which covers the deployment of armed forces in post-Cold War Europe.
Kaczynski is one of Moscow's most outspoken critics and a key U.S. ally in Europe. He said he wanted to emphasize the "defensive" nature of the proposed missile shield and its intended use in protecting against countries that might have weapons of mass destruction.
"I do hope the whole project will be completed successfully," Kaczynski said through a translator.
The White House said it would keep working with Russia on missile defense.
Bush and Putin met earlier this month at the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine in an attempt to improve ties that have become frayed partly over the missile shield.
Putin made a new counter-proposal that expanded on his previous offer to use a radar system in Azerbaijan as an alternative to the U.S. missile-shield proposal.
He suggested in Maine incorporating a radar system in southern Russia and bringing more European countries into the decision-making through the Russia-NATO Council.
"The comments that the Russian president made up in Kennebunkport offered a certain amount of promise for moving forward. We continue to have discussions with them on it," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.
Washington wants to place interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar facility in the Czech Republic to protect against attacks from what it calls "rogue states" such as Iran and North Korea.
Bush last month visited both Poland and the Czech Republic, which has agreed to host the radar site on its territory. Poland has held out, hoping to negotiate related military contracts or other concessions.
Polish and U.S. negotiators held a round of talks in late June in Washington and will continue the talks later this summer.
Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, who represents Poland in the talks, expects a deal in September or October.
Polish President Heads To U.S. For Missile-Defense Talks
President Bush to Welcome President Lech Kaczynski of Poland to the White House
George W. Bush welcomed President Lech Kaczynski to the White House on February 9, 2006.
U.S. President George W. Bush will welcome President Lech Kaczynski of Poland to the White House on July 16. Under President Kaczynski's leadership, Poland has been one of the United States closest allies in advancing and consolidating democracy in Europe and around the globe. Poland is a leading strategic partner in the war on terror, supporting stability and freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. To protect Europe and the United States from emerging threats, Poland has also expressed its interest in contributing to a missile defense system. The two leaders look forward to discussing these and other regional and international issues. First Ladies Laura Bush and Maria Kaczynska along with Mrs. Hanna Reiter, wife of the Polish Ambassador to the U.S., and Mrs. Joan Ashe, wife of the U.S. Ambassador to Poland, will have coffee at the White House on July 16 and visit the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, DC. President Kaczynski will later fly to California and visit Mrs. Nancy Reagan.
President Lech Kaczynski
(AFP)
July 15, 2007 -- Polish President Lech Kaczynski is traveling to Washington today for talks with President George W. Bush that will include U.S. plans to deploy elements of a missile-defense system in Central Europe.
The three-day visit comes after Russia, which strongly opposes the project, announced it was suspending its participation in a key European arms control treaty.
Talks at the White House between Kaczynski and Bush on July 16 are expected to pick up negotiations that began in Poland in June over the missile-defense shield.
The United States wants to place 10 interceptors in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic.
Washington insists the missile-defense system is aimed at countering the threat of a nuclear terror attack from "rogue" threats that include Iran and North Korea.
But Russia says it views the U.S. plan as a threat to its national security and has responded energetically, including with an offer to allow a facility in Azerbaijan to be used for the missile-defense effort.
CFE Maneuvers
On July 14, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree suspending Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) pact.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak said the move was connected to NATO's eastward expansion and what he said were violations of the CFE treaty by the NATO alliance.
Kislyak also said Moscow remained open to dialogue.
"I would like to stress that we are not closing the door to dialogue," Kislyak said. "We presented proposals to our partners to find a solution. And we are still waiting for a constructive response."
The CFE treaty, originally signed by Warsaw Pact and NATO member states in 1990, and amended in 1999, limits the amount of troops and conventional weaponry that signatory countries can deploy on their territory. But the United States and other NATO members have refused to ratify the amended version of the treaty, saying Russia must first withdraw troops from Moldova and Georgia.
NATO, the United States, and individual European states expressed disappointment at Russia's fresh decision to suspend participation.
"The CFE is one of the foundations of the situation which was created after the end of the Cold War," Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told Reuters. "And we of course would like to keep this treaty, of course with some amendments, with some amendments, with some modifications which were discussed and were implemented some years ago. But of course we wouldn't like to pull out from the treaty, [and] we wouldn't like Russia to pull out from this treaty."
View From Warsaw
Poland's participation in the U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq is also expected to figure on the agenda of Kaczynski's visit.
Poland has been a staunch U.S. ally since the launch of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in early 2003, and currently has about 900 soldiers in Iraq. But President Kaczynski has recently signaled an unwillingness to leave Polish troops in Iraq beyond the end of this year.
During his U.S. visit, the Polish president is also scheduled to honor late U.S. President Ronald Reagan with one of Poland's highest distinctions, presenting his widow Nancy Reagan with the Order of the White Eagle in Los Angeles on July 17.
WARSAW, Jul. 5, 2007 (AFX International Focus) -- Boeing (NYSE:BA) is set to build a base for a battery of American missiles in Poland, if Warsaw and Washington go ahead with a controversial US anti-missile shield project, the Polish official leading negotiations said today.
'If the US Congress approves the budget for the construction of parts of the shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, we can assume that Boeing will receive 400-600 mln usd to build a base in Poland,' Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told a parliamentary commission.
The upkeep of such a base would cost the US around 30 mln usd a year, while Polish expenditure for the ground-work would be 'minute', said Waszczykowski, quoted by Poland's PAP news agency.
Waszczykowski, who is in charge of talks with the US on the missile plan, said last week that Warsaw and Washington could reach a deal by September or October.
Washington wants to site 10 interceptor missiles in Poland as part of an extended defence shield against airborne attacks, along with a powerful tracking radar in the Czech Republic.
Russia, however, has strongly objected to the US plan and threatened to retaliate if the system is installed in its communist-era stamping ground.
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov on Wednesday hinted that Moscow could respond by stationing missiles in its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to US President George W. Bush widening the European anti-missile defense system and bringing NATO on board, saying it would render the US plan unnecessary.
Putin has previously suggested sharing a radar alert system located in ex-Soviet Azerbaijan -- a proposal Waszczykowski has said is 'interesting' but only seen as 'complementary' to the Polish and Czech plan.
The next round of talks on the anti-missile shield is due to take place during Polish President Lech Kaczynski's visit to Washington later this month, followed by negotiations between defence experts in early August in Warsaw.
Stany Zjednoczone pod przewodnictwem Ronalda Reagana doprowadziły do pokonania swojego największego rywala – Związku Radzieckiego. Początek lat dziewięćdziesiątych stał się zatem dla USA początkiem nowej ery, w której stały się niekwestionowanym mocarstwem o zasięgu globalnym. Polska z kolei jako kraj postkomunistyczny miała niezwykle ważną rolę do spełnienia. Jej zadaniem było pokazanie pozostałym krajom oswobodzonym spod radzieckiej dominacji przykładu, wzoru pomocnego w transformacji demokratycznej. Był to również cel, który przyświecał Stanom Zjednoczonym. Okres pierwszej połowy lat dziewięćdziesiątych był zatem czasem niezwykle owocnej współpracy Polski ze Stanami Zjednoczonymi. Z biegiem lat Polsce udało się dokonać kompletnej przemiany ustrojowej. To osiągnięcie spowodowało iż nasz kraj zyskał status tzw. państwa normalnego, czyli kraju, który nie wymaga już specjalnych względów ze strony Stanów Zjednoczonych. Stany Zjednoczone pozostają nadal potęgą światową. Polska natomiast jest jednym z wielu państw świata, które starają się wpłynąć na politykę USA. Co zatem należy uczynić, aby przekonać Stany Zjednoczone do polskiego punktu widzenia? Jakimi środkami powinniśmy operować w tym celu? Jaką strategię powinniśmy przygotować w celu maksymalizacji celów?
Na te pytania oraz wiele innych kwestii odpowiemy podczas panelu poświeconego Stanom Zjednoczonym.
Przedziały tematyczne panelu USA:
Interwencja w Afganistanie i Iraku jako element polskiej polityki zagranicznej wobec USA:
Na ile działania interwencyjne wojsk polskich w Iraku i Afganistanie są elementem polskiej polityki zagranicznej, a na ile są spowodowane poprzez międzynarodowe zobowiązania Polski?
Pozytywne i negatywne aspekty zaangażowania polski w konflikt iracki i afgański;
Jakie cele realizuje, bądź próbuje realizować Polska angażując się we wspomniane konflikty?
W jakim stopniu zaangażowanie Polski w konflikty iracki i afgański wpływa na amerykańską politykę zagraniczną?
Organizacje pozarządowe oraz polonia amerykańska jako czynniki kreowania polskiej polityki zagranicznej:
Dyplomacja społeczna jako nowa metoda w kreowaniu polskiej polityki zagranicznej;
Wpływ relacji między społecznych na decyzje z zakresu polityki zagranicznej;
Współpraca instytucji edukacyjnych jako środek „przełamywania” negatywnych stereotypów;
Budowanie pozytywnego wizerunku Polski jako partnera biznesowego oraz turystycznego:
Dyplomacja ekonomiczna nową jakością w tworzeniu nowego wizerunku państwa Polskiego;
Turystyka środkiem do prezentacji obywatelom amerykańskim zalet Polski;
Wpływ na Polskę amerykańskiej polityki zagranicznej wobec Rosji:
Nakreślenie specyficznej struktury relacji USA – Rosja;
Jaki wpływ wywiera współpraca amerykańsko – rosyjska na kształtowanie polskiej polityki zagranicznej względem Rosji;
Bezpieczeństwo militarne i energetyczne Polski a oddziaływanie polityki zagranicznej USA na Federację Rosyjską;
Kraje Unii Europejskiej, Stany Zjednoczone - relacje multilateralne lub bilateralne. Polska jako mediator między USA i UE:
Ukazanie specyfiki relacji UE ze Stanami Zjednoczonymi;
Nakreślenie modeli kooperacji przez wyżej wymienione podmioty;
Przedstawienie polskich propozycji współdziałania Unii Europejskiej z USA;
Omówienie polskiej polityki zagranicznej generowanej w UE, a obecne relacje USA i UE;
Rozbieżności w koncepcjach polityki zagranicznej Polski i Stanów Zjednoczonych:
Ogólne przedstawienie zgodnych koncepcji kształtowania polityki zagranicznej Polski i USA względem danego podmiotu lub przedmiotu;
Uwypuklenie różnic jakie występują w polityce zagranicznej obu państw istotnych w dłuższej perspektywie oraz ich szczegółowe omówienie oraz ocena;
Kampania promocyjna Polski w Stanach Zjednoczonych:
W jaki sposób powinna zostać stworzona taka strategia;
Dopasowanie strategii do realiów amerykańskich;
Jakie elementy powinny zostać wykorzystane w takiej kampanii?
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