Ambassador Ashe Addresses Industrial Conference (19 June 2007)

19 June 2007

From left to right: Ambassador Ashe; Mr. Kulakowski, President of the Polish Chamber; Mr. Poncyliusz, Polish Deputy Minister of Economy

On June 14, U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Victor Ashe, addressed an industrial conference held by the Polish Chamber of National Defense Manufacturers at the Polish Army Headquarters in Warsaw. The event, supported by the U.S. Embassy, was organized for U.S. and Polish companies to explore opportunities for cooperation in missile defense and other areas. Six major U.S. corporations (Boeing, Raytheon, ITT, Northrop Grumman, Fluor, and Bechtel) and numerous Polish construction companies, defense contractors and R&D centers participated, including the Telecommunications Research Institute (PIT) and Bumar. Said the Ambassador: “This conference provides a good opportunity to bring together for the first time those who may play an important role in advancing a Missile Defense project that will significantly increase the security of Poland, the United States, and our NATO allies.”

Ambassador Ashe’s introductory remarks were followed by speeches of the Polish Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Economy, and Defense. Also, the Deputy Director for Acquisition Management of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) gave a well-received briefing on the European Site Initiative that outlined MDA’s Interceptor Site acquisition strategy with an emphasis on best-value selection of contractors.

Ambassador Victor Ashe

Remarks at an Industrial Conference held by the Polish Chamber of National Defense Manufacturers in Warsaw, Poland

June 14, 2007

Mr. Kulakowski, Minister Poncyliusz, Minister Waszczykowski, General Skrzypczak, Ms. Wahl, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am very pleased to be here today among Polish ministers as well as senior representatives of the Missile Defense Agency and U.S. and Polish industry involved or interested in ballistic missile defense.  The presence of such distinguished delegates clearly indicates the importance and the multifaceted nature of missile defense cooperation.

I want to thank the Polish Chamber of National Defense Manufacturers for organizing today’s Industry Day. It brings together major U.S. and Polish companies to explore opportunities for collaboration on this project, which will extend to Europe the protection the United States now enjoys, and will strengthen the security of Poland and much of Western and Central Europe.

Today’s initiative is supported by the U.S. Embassy.

U.S.-Polish cooperation in this area was initiated four years ago with the formation of the Joint Missile Defense Working Group. Mutual visits and contacts at the highest governmental level as well as workshops, seminars, and conferences followed.  They have laid the groundwork for the successful start of bilateral negotiations on the location of a ground-based interceptor facility in Poland. 

As you know, President Bush and President Kaczynski discussed Missile Defense during their meeting here in Poland last Friday.  They expressed their commitment to successful negotiations and to our shared interest in this system, which would enhance the security of Europe.  We will have further concrete negotiations at the end of this month, and then our two presidents will have an opportunity for further discussion when they meet again July 16.

On the industrial level, Boeing has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Poland’s Telecommunications Research Institute to facilitate possible future cooperation in ballistic missile defense and other areas.

Boeing has now been selected by Missile Defense Agency to design, develop, and activate the Ground-Based Interceptor site, while integrating it with the ongoing ballistic missile defense development programs. Construction costs are estimated in the hundreds-of-millions of dollars.

Polish companies will be encouraged to bid on construction and service functions.  A substantial portion of the work can go to Polish companies that are qualified and competitively priced.  Subcontracts may also be awarded for research and development.

While the contract opportunities for local companies may be modest in relation to the overall scope of this project, they nevertheless offer a serious chance for Polish companies to develop productive relations with leading U.S. Defense companies that could benefit them now and in the future.

This is only a beginning.  The selected site may require infrastructure upgrades.  Certainly, force protection will also be necessary.  Local employment should benefit during both construction and operations.  Of course, U.S. personnel assigned or working at the facility will contribute to the local economy.

We should all be cautious about predicting in detail the long-term benefits over the life of the project.  At the same time, I cannot overemphasize the important contribution this project will make to providing enhanced security for all our European partners and allies - including Poland - against the emerging ballistic missile threat from the Middle East, and the positive effect of missile defense cooperation on overall strategic and security ties between the U.S. and Poland.

This conference provides a good opportunity to bring together for the first time those who may play an important role in advancing a Missile Defense project that will significantly increase the security of Poland, the United States, and our NATO allies. I wish you success in this important work.