Ambassador Ashe Speaks to Students at 2008 Opening Ceremonies for Lazarski School
19 September 2008
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| the inauguration of the 2008-9 academic year at Warsaw’s Lazarski School more pictures |
Speech for the Inauguration of the Academic Year
at Łazarski School of Commerce and Law
September 19, 2008
President Juliusz Madej (YUL-yoosh MA-day), Rector Dr. Daria Nałęcz (DAR-ya NA-wench), students, and honored guests.
Thank you very much for your invitation to speak here today at the 15th inaugural ceremony of the Łazarski School of Commerce and Law. This is my second opportunity to speak at the Łazarski School. I am pleased to support your school as you pursue American accreditation and work toward becoming one of Poland’s premier educational institutions.
On this occasion, I want to emphasize that the relationship between the United States and Poland is remarkably broad and deep. We are partners for democracy, security, and economic prosperity in Europe and all over the world. We celebrate that partnership today.
As you may know, we are approaching the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Poland, and we have much to celebrate. The period began with President Woodrow Wilson’s famous “14 Points” speech, which helped pave the way for Poland’s reemergence after more than a century of partition. It continued with U.S. and Polish forces battling to defeat Nazism and Fascism. After enduring the Cold War, U.S.-Polish relations reached new heights when the U.S. actively assisted Poland make its awe-inspiring transformation to democracy and a market-based economy. The Polish-American Enterprise Fund of that period was so successful that it left a lasting legacy -- namely, the Polish-American Freedom Foundation. We also built new transatlantic security ties that led to Poland’s membership in NATO, our military cooperation in Iraq and Afghanistan, and our recent agreement on missile defense.
The year 2009 will also mark the 50th anniversary of the Fulbright program in Poland. Fulbright has allowed American and Polish people to share their knowledge, values, and culture with one another. It nourished the relationship between our countries, even when we were divided by the Cold War. Today Fulbright remains a premier academic exchange program and a vital bridge between our societies. I encourage professors and students to learn more about the Fulbright program and give it serious consideration.
You have asked me to speak to you today about missile defense and Poland’s contributions to European security. Clearly this is a timely subject and one of great importance to our bilateral and transatlantic relationships.
August was a dramatic time: after 18 months of often complicated negotiations, Poland and the United States came to terms on a Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement.
As part of that negotiating framework, our two governments also came to agreement on a Declaration of Strategic Cooperation.
I’d like to take a few moments to discuss the implications of each agreement, both for Poland and in the broader context of European security – and to outline for you the next steps towards practical implementation of these agreements.
• It was just a coincidence that Russia invaded Georgian territory the very week that we finally came to agreement on Missile Defense. Yet, a number of Polish and other media have tried to draw a link between these two events.
• In fact, the two issues are not connected. It’s good to remember that when we first approached the government of Poland about placing interceptors on Polish soil, we did so for several fundamental reasons:
• First, we thought – and still think – that ballistic missiles emanating from the Middle East pose a real and gathering threat both to the continent of Europe and to North America.
• We also considered that it was vital that Europe and North America not be divided in their capabilities to counter that threat.
• And finally, we considered that the best way to protect both Europe and the United States – and I want to really emphasize this objective that both sides of the Atlantic had to be protected at once – was to locate interceptors somewhere on the northern territory of Poland.
• So when I consider the implications of signing a Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement, my first thought is that at least we all are on the way to defending ourselves against ballistic missiles. We are giving ourselves a better set of options in the event that deterrence fails. We are all more secure with this new Agreement than we were before.
• I think it’s important that we remember this.
The Declaration of Strategic Cooperation offers important possibilities as well.
• For one, Poland and the United States promise to consult one another more deeply about the dangers they face together, and about the appropriate means to counter those dangers.
• As well, Poland and the United States are pledged to a mutual understanding of their respective strategic needs, and promise to work to help each other attain them.
• And of particular importance is the commitment by the United States to assist Poland in modernizing and upgrading its military forces.
• The common thread of both documents -- the Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement and the Declaration -- is that Europe itself and as a whole will be more secure. I say this first because European territory will be safe from actual dangers.
• But secondly, a stronger U.S. – Polish strategic dialogue is also a stronger transatlantic dialogue.
• The way forward in the coming months, as we move from agreements to implementation, will still involve a lot of hard work, much of it behind the scenes and less dramatic than what occurred in August.
But missile defense is not the only way that Poland and the United States are cooperating to address our common security concerns.
• We have been working together in Afghanistan for over 6 years.
• Poland has played a crucial role as part of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
• Beginning November 1, Polish forces will have independent responsibility for Ghazni province.
I also want to highlight that the U.S. is partnering with Poland to help make your strong military even stronger and more modern.
• Our military assistance to Poland is the largest in the region. It is also strikingly broad, and includes funding for training, joint exercises and other dimensions of military-to-military cooperation.
• We continue to support the development of Poland’s military as a force for stability in Europe and around the world.
Now, let’s look to the future of European security.
• We believe that Poland’s voice on security and freedom in Europe is crucial to the strength of the transatlantic relationship.
• Poland’s support for new democracies in Ukraine and Georgia demonstrates its commitment to long-term security and lasting peace.
In the 90 years since Poland and the United States established diplomatic relations, Poland has become an ever stronger voice for peace and security in Europe and in the world.
You have remembered your own struggle for democracy and sought to help other nations realize this dream. You have used your strength to be a force for peace in the world. You have stepped forward to ensure the security of Europe and the world long into the future.
These are the accomplishments we celebrate today. As you begin this academic year, I hope you will take pride in the contributions your country has made, and continue to work toward a better and more secure Europe in a better and more secure world.
Thank you.
