    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [January 27, 2004]
    [Pages 141-143]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The Polish-American Alliance for the 21st Century: Joint Statement by
    President George W. Bush and Polish President Aleksander
    Kwasniewski
    January 27, 2004

        As partners in building a Europe whole, free, and at peace at the
    end of the 20th century, Poland and the United States will continue to
    work together, and with our European friends and allies, to achieve a
    more secure, prosperous, and just world in the 21st century. Today, we
    pledge to deepen the strategic alliance that joins our two nations, an
    alliance rooted in shared values and a common struggle for freedom.
        The foundation of Polish and American security remains the NATO
    Alliance, which will maintain its mission to defend its members in the
    face of new challenges. We welcome Poland's pending entry into the
    European Union, and affirm that NATO and the EU must work together for
    the common good of their members and the world. We are determined to
    strengthen transatlantic relations, forging renewed unity, and acting in
    common purpose on the many challenges before us. We will do so at the
    June NATO Summit in Istanbul, where we will celebrate a united, enlarged
    Alliance of 26 nations in strategic partnership with an enlarged EU,
    cooperating with Russia and Ukraine, and preparing to handle the
    security challenges of our time. We

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    will work together to promote democratic and free market reforms in
    wider Europe, particularly in Ukraine and Georgia, as they strive to
    strengthen their integration with the Euro-Atlantic community.
        We commit our nations to an ambitious goal, rooted in our shared
    values and experience: to promote freedom, democracy, human dignity,
    economic opportunity, and security cooperation in the Greater Middle
    East. Our joint efforts in the war on terrorism, in Afghanistan, and in
    Iraq, are essential for the security of our people today. Yet over the
    long term, the growth of freedom is vital to unraveling the nexus of
    threats posed by terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, tyranny, the
    lack of opportunity, and violent extremism.
        Today, American and Polish soldiers are serving bravely in a just
    struggle against terrorists and in the international effort to bring
    peace, security, and freedom to Afghanistan and Iraq. We thank them for
    their dedication and sacrifice.
        We agree on the importance of the rapid reconstruction of a
    sovereign Iraq with democratic institutions and respecting the rule of
    law. We welcome the widespread international support for this process,
    and in particular, recognize the vital and growing role the United
    Nations should play in these efforts.
        Polish-American military cooperation since 1989 has proven its
    value, and we have agreed to increase this cooperation. Poland is
    embarking on a comprehensive transformation program to modernize its
    armed forces, strengthening its ability to respond with the United
    States to global challenges. The United States supports this program. In
    particular, we remain committed to the goals of the U.S.-Polish Defense
    Transformation Initiative, and the United States will provide new
    assistance to Poland in acquiring C-130 military transport aircraft,
    which will increase the effectiveness and mobility of Polish
    capabilities.
        We note with satisfaction the growing support worldwide for our
    shared efforts to implement the Proliferation Security Initiative,
    announced by President Bush in Krakow in May 2003, and we agree to
    enhance cooperation in bioterrorist attack prevention in Central and
    Eastern Europe.
        Poland and the United States are growing partners in trade and
    investment, which will grow even faster as Poland continues to improve
    its business climate. The sale of U.S. combat-proven fighter aircraft to
    Poland marks an important opportunity to increase defense industry ties
    and other forms of industrial cooperation and investment. We welcome the
    interest of Polish firms in participating in the reconstruction of Iraq.
    To facilitate this participation, building on the recent visit of U.S.
    Commerce Secretary Evans to Poland, the United States will send experts
    to Poland to provide information on the Iraq reconstruction process and
    procurement opportunities to Polish firms. In addition, the United
    States will also establish in Poland a regional center to provide
    information on an ongoing basis regarding Iraqi reconstruction.
        We support contacts between our societies and travel between our
    countries by our peoples. The United States recognizes that security
    concerns are imposing inconveniences on legitimate travelers. To improve
    the ease and safety of such travel, the United States will establish in
    Warsaw a program to pre-screen visitors traveling from Poland to the
    United States. We agree to hold regular, High-Level Working Group
    consultations starting at an early date to discuss ways to enhance
    travel security and facilitate travel for Polish and American citizens.
    We look forward as well to enactment of a U.S. temporary worker program
    that will provide new opportunities to Poles, among others, to work in
    the United States.

    Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this joint statement.

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