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The President noted during his visit to Kraków in May that the United States has no better friend in Europe than Poland. We are very pleased that we have been able to expand our cooperation with Poland in a number of areas over the last several years. Today's events are a good illustration of our common desire to continue to develop our relations, particularly in the economic and commercial fields.
I am very pleased to have the opportunity to witness today's signing ceremony of an important set of documents related to the upgrade of the Gdansk Refinery. This project is historic for several important reasons. First, this upgrade will make the Gdansk Refinery one of the three most technically advanced refineries in Europe. Once this upgrade is in place, it will produce environmentally cleaner gasoline and diesel, which will benefit Poland and Europe.
Second, this upgrade will be carried out by a consortium of Polish and major international companies. Through its realization, this project will create a model for cooperation between public and private companies.
Third, this project will also help Lockheed Martin meet its obligations under the F-16 offset program.
Taken together, this upgrade will help make Poland a leader in finding environmentally sustainable, investor friendly means to develop the energy projects we all need to allow our economies to grow. In a similar vein, I am also very pleased that, earlier in the day, officials from Kellogg Brown and Root and Polish companies provided a detailed briefing on their efforts to support the reconstruction of Iraq to accelerate its return to the international community. Through supporting the creation of the consortium between Nafta Polska and Kellogg Brown and Root, the Polish Government has again taken a leadership position in supporting Iraq's recovery.
I want to congratulate the companies participating in today's signing, including the Gdansk Refinery, MW Kellogg and Lockheed Martin. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Polish Government to facilitate greater cooperation between our companies in a number of fields, including in supporting the development of important regional projects like the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline to bring Caspian oil to European markets.
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