Defense Modernization Talks in Warsaw

23 July 2007

Undersecretary Stephen Mull and Minister Radoslaw Sikorski

The Polish-American Strategic Cooperation Consultation Group (SCCG) convened in Warsaw on July 23. Participating in the meeting were, among others, Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of National Defense Stanislaw Komorowski, and from the U.S. side: acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political/Military Affairs Stephen Mull, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Dan Fata.

The SCCG was convened to discuss results to date of the working groups concerning modernization of Poland’s armed forces, as well as to outline the tasks for further work of the working groups and the SCCG.

The talks were conducted in a good atmosphere, underscoring the strong allied ties between both countries. The meeting contributed further to deepening the strategic cooperation built over the last decade between Poland and the United States.

After the SCCG meeting, Minister Sikorski met with Ambassador Mull and Deputy Assistant Secretary Fata at the Foreign Ministry, where they spoke briefly with the press.  Addressing journalists, Ambassador Mull said:

“President Bush instructed the American team back in March when Prime Minister Tusk visited Washington, that we should work very hard on supporting Poland's military modernization.  I have been here four times since the end of February. Today, I think, was our most productive session yet. As Mr. Komorowski mentioned, we have completed work and we have broad agreement on the threats and the needs that Poland has in modernizing its military. And now comes the hard work on specifics of working out the financing package necessary to go forward with this.

So we continue our work tomorrow with special military experts. We look forward to welcoming our Polish friends back in Washington at the end of August to continue to work forward.”