[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15767]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING FORMER PRESIDENT OF POLAND, ALEKSANDER KWASNIEWSKI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 14, 2014

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize, on the occasion 
of his 60th birthday, a true leader of our time and a transformative 
figure in the post-Soviet world, Aleksander Kwasniewski. Not only did 
President Kwasniewski lead Poland through a dramatic transition to 
freedom, he has remained an active participant on the global scale, 
contributing his experience and energy to helping others and fostering 
stability and cooperation in his region.
  On his birthday, it is important to recognize his contributions to 
Poland's rise on the international stage, its leadership in Eastern 
Europe and its relations with the United States. With today's 
geopolitical events in Eastern Europe concerning Russia and Ukraine, it 
is important to recognize and honor those who support the ideal of 
democracy and freedom for everyone who so desires it.
  Mr. Kwasniewski served two presidential terms from 1995 to 2005. 
During this time, he worked hard for European integration, leading the 
bid from Poland to join NATO and the EU and joining both in 1999 and 
2004, respectively. Prior to his presidency, as part of the Social 
Democratic Party of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Kwasniewski 
participated in the Polish transformation in government from a 
communist nation to a democratic one in the famous Round Table 
negotiations in 1989. He has been decorated and recognized globally as 
a political thought leader, receiving the Jan Karski award in 2006 for 
opposing anti-Semitism and serving as an inspiration for international 
mediation efforts during Ukraine's 2004 ``Orange Revolution,'' which 
eventually led to Ukrainian democracy.
  The Congressional Caucus on Poland, which I have the honor to co-
chair, focuses on promoting bilateral relations between Poland and the 
United States and raising the profile of issues that are important to 
both countries. That relationship is why today we honor Mr. Kwasniewski 
as someone who has been and still is a valuable contributor to peace, 
prosperity and civil liberties in Poland and the world.

                          ____________________