[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 19015-19016]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                VISIT OF POLISH PRESIDENT LECH KACZYNSKI

  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I rise to welcome Polish President Lech 
Kaczynski to Washington. Recognizing the rich history of cooperation 
between our two countries, I am happy to say, Witam Serdecznie w 
Washingtonie, Welcome to Washington.
  The Polish President's visit reminds us that for the last 200 years 
America and Poland have been linked in the struggle for freedom. Today 
there is a strong legacy of sacrifice between the two nations--
sacrifice for the cause of American and Polish freedom alike.
  As early as the Revolutionary War, Polish patriots like Casimir 
Pulaski and Tadeusz Kosciuszko fought alongside American patriots--from 
Germantown to Saratoga--to help win our country's independence.
  During World War I, Ignacy Paderewski, an unparalleled musician, 
helped lead the fight for a free and independent Poland. He became 
Prime Minister after the war, only to be forced into exile by the Nazi 
Occupation. After he died in exile in the United States, America gave 
this great friend of freedom a place alongside our honored dead in 
Arlington National Cemetery. There he would rest, in the words of 
President Franklin Roosevelt, ``until Poland would be free.''
  It was a moving sight when, in 1992, President George H. W. Bush 
escorted Paderewski's ashes home to Poland. No one will forget seeing 
thousands of Poles lining the streets over the miles from the airport 
to the city center, waiting to see the horse drawn carriage.
  It was the world's good fortune that a Pole infused with this same 
dedication to freedom and the dignity of all people was elected Pope at 
such a critical time. Polish Americans were thrilled at the election of 
Karol Wojtyla as Pope, a man who kept the faith when faith was 
forbidden.
  At the same time, American Polonia's dedication to freedom in their 
native Poland was vital in ensuring that Soviet totalitarianism would 
not succeed. Millions of personal packages were sent to friends and 
family back home, and each package was a message of hope in dark days 
like--the imposition of martial law in 1981--of the Soviet Union.
  The razing of the Iron Curtain provided opportunities to renew the 
linkage between Poland and America. Two centuries after the deaths of 
Pulaski and Kosciuszko, Poland and America became formal allies in 
NATO, institutionalizing the faith in freedom our countries have shared 
for centuries.
  Since joining NATO in 1997, Poland has become one of America's most 
important strategic partners, dedicating troops and resources to our 
operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
  We now have an opportunity to build on this long and deep 
relationship. Here is how we can:
  Renew the unity of purpose of the Transatlantic Relationship. The 
Bush administration's policy of splitting Europe into ``old'' and 
``new'' was not just wrong, it was counterproductive. Poland should not 
have to choose between its vital interest in closer integration with 
Europe and its alliance with the United States. America must repair its 
relationship with Europe as a whole, so that Poland and our other 
Central European allies are never put in that position again.
  Finish building a Europe whole and free. Poland has been a steadfast 
champion of liberty in the countries to its east. America and Poland 
should stand together to help Ukraine build a strong and stable 
democracy, and to help the people of Belarus regain their human rights. 
We also share an interest in working with Russia to meet common 
security threats and to encourage Russia's integration into Western 
institutions. But we should also embrace, not abandon, those in Russia 
working to preserve their hard won liberty, and draw clear lines 
against Russia's intimidation of its neighbors. Mr. President, 21st 
century Europe cannot be divided into 19th century spheres of 
influence.
  Meet global challenges together. Not long ago, we looked to Poland as 
a country that needed American help in its own efforts to be free and 
secure; now we look to Poland as a critical partner in building a 
safer, freer world. We should work with Poland to secure more European 
troops, with stronger rules of engagement, to stabilize Afghanistan. 
And we should work together to send an unmistakable signal to Iran that 
its insistence in pursuing a nuclear weapons program is a profound 
mistake.
  Energize the alliance to confront new challenges. From Poland to the 
United States, we are facing a new kind of threat in the form of energy 
insecurity and climate change. The North Atlantic community has always 
joined forces to confront and defeat new challenges, and we should be 
doing the same now by, among other things, sharing best practices on 
energy conservation, inviting India and China to join the International 
Energy Agency, and dedicating our significant resources to establishing 
a global cap and trade on greenhouse gas pollution.
  Prudently but decisively prepare for emerging threats. The Bush 
administration has been developing plans to deploy interceptors and 
radar systems in Poland and the Czech Republic as part of a missile 
defense system designed to protect against the potential threat of 
Iranian nuclear armed missiles. If we can responsibly deploy missile 
defenses that would protect us and our allies we should--but only when 
the system works. We need to make sure any missile defense system would 
be effective before deployment. The Bush administration has in the past 
exaggerated missile defense capabilities and rushed deployments for 
political

[[Page 19016]]

purposes. The Bush administration has also done a poor job of 
consulting its NATO allies about the deployment of a missile defense 
system that has major implications for all of them. We must not allow 
this issue to divide ``new Europe'' and ``old Europe,'' as the Bush 
administration tried to do over Iraq.
  Invite Poland to join the Visa Waiver Program. We should work to 
include countries like Poland that are members of both the EU and NATO 
into the Visa Waiver Program. Today's visa regime reflects neither the 
current strategic relationship nor the close historic bonds between our 
peoples, and is out of date.
  These are important steps and I look forward to working with my 
colleagues to implement them.
  It is wonderful to welcome the Polish President at a time in which 
America and Poland share the same freedom. Our two nations share a 
common legacy and destiny, and I am honored to welcome President 
Kaczynski to Washington.

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