Recognizing Poland’s role in helping the world address some of the most pressing challenges around the globe, the United States of America today reaffirmed strong alliance with the Polish people.
In her remarks in honor of Poland’s National Day at DC, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the US and Polish quest for freedom goes back together to the late 18th century.
“We, of course, were fortunate in being able to not only seek but establish our freedom at an early time so that we now are the oldest continuous democracy in the world.” -Ms. Clinton
She says Poland’s history was much more challenging over the course of the succeeding years.
She stresses it is especially fitting and so satisfying to see Poland today, to see the extraordinary progress that the Polish people have made, to see their resilience rewarded.
The diplomatic relations between the two countries stretches back nearly a century, but the ties between Polish and American people go back much, much further, Ms. Clinton stressed.
Today, both countries are close allies, working together on everything from defense to sustainable energy to innovation to information technology.
She notes Poland does play a critical role, not only within Europe and the Euro-Atlantic alliance, but globally in helping us address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
According to Ms. Clinton, both countries continue to cherish their person-to-person ties, the great connections of family and friendship, culture, history, ideals, and values that truly binds us together.
She pointed out that the United States values this relationship, how much the Americans look to Polish leadership, not only in diplomacy, but in economic matters, in cultural and other issues and to look forward to the next century of their close ties and working relationship.
Ms. Clinton notes the United States is looking forward to their trip to Chicago, to the exchange of ideas, and the charting of the path forward for NATO.
Poland is one of the critical members of NATO, the most successful alliance in the history of the world, Ms. Clinton noted.
Poland has stood with us in Afghanistan. Polish soldiers have sacrificed their lives, she added.
“We really rely on Poland.” -Ms. Clinton
Ms. Clinton cited that she is just one of the many people in the Obama Administration who are grateful for the leadership that it sees coming from Poland in Europe, and that the United States expects to see helping so many places as they struggle to realize democracy.
Few months ago, Poland ended its presidency of the European Union.
She notes that happened during the Arab Awakening occurred.
“So it may not have worked at the end of the 18th century, but in the 21st century, the future and potential of Poland, in my view, is limitless.” -Ms. Clinton
On March this year, United States of America and Poland today reaffirmed commitment on the democratization agenda.
On her meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, US Secretary of States Hillary Rodham Clinton said Poland is a very good friend and a trusted ally.
Both countries have deep historical and cultural ties that both cherish.
Just recently, Poland has just completed its tenure as the president of the European Union, where, once again, it demonstrated its leadership.
Both countries have also agreed that the new missile interceptor that Poland will host, as well as a new American aviation detachment to be stationed in Poland, will be cornerstones of their mutual security commitments.
Poland’s political history in the 18th and 19th centuries was one of domination and partition by powerful neighbors Austria, Russia, and Prussia. In the 20th century, a brief period of democracy was cut short in 1939 by invasion and occupation by Nazi and Soviet forces. Following World War II, a Soviet-imposed government ruled Poland until communism fell in 1989.
US reiterates that despite that difficult past, Poland has democratic traditions going back to 1791, when it was the first country in Europe to have a written constitution, a constitution that “formed the basis for the creation of the modern Polish state.
