Waiting for an Offer from the U.S.

143

November 9, 2009

Published in Gazeta Wyborcza
(Poland) on 5 November 2009
by Gazeta Wyborcza (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Arkadiusz Witek. Edited by Alex Brewer.

Poland and Central Europe are expecting strategic assurance from the USA, namely the increase of NATO military presence in our region. In the mean time, six U.S. soldiers are stationed in Poland, Chief of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski said yesterday. Sikorski has taken part in the discussion about U.S.-Central European relations organized by the Polish Institute of International Matters and the prestigious Center of Strategic and International Studies. In a reply to Sikorski’s words, Philip Gordon, the assistant Secretary of State of the USA for Europe declared that assurance will come in the form of batteries of SM-3 rockets positioned in Poland in a few years’ time. This is in accordance with Obama’s new plan for the anti-missile shield and shipment of Patriot rockets to Poland. Sikorski has acknowledged that “if the new shield comes into existence, it will be more favorable than the old Bush plan.” He also added that “other ways for American presence in Poland” are possible. He said he was in talks with Washington, but gave no details.

At the end of his visit to the USA, Sikorski met General James Jones, national security adviser to President Barack Obama. After his meeting with Jones, Sikorski mentioned also that he and the Americans agree that the new strategy in Afghanistan should be a common decision among NATO nations and not made by a single member-state.

It was his most important conversation in Washington because yesterday’s meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was cancelled due to her extended stay in Middle East where she is trying to save the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Sikorski: Czekamy na ofertę USA
Polska i Europa Środkowa oczekują od Ameryki upewnienia strategicznego. To oznacza zwiększenie obecności militarnej NATO w naszym regionie, tymczasem na razie w Polsce stacjonuje sześciu żołnierzy USA - mówił wczoraj w Waszyngtonie szef polskiego MSZ Radosław Sikorski.
Sikorski wziął udział w dyskusji o stosunkach USA z Europą Środkową, którą zorganizowały Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych i prestiżowe Centrum Studiów Strategicznych i Międzynarodowych. Na słowa Sikorskiego Philip Gordon, asystent sekretarz stanu USA ds. Europy, zadeklarował, że takim upewnieniem będzie stacjonowanie w naszym kraju za kilka lat baterii rakiet SM-3, zgodne z nowym planem tarczy antyrakietowej Baracka Obamy, oraz rotacyjne wysłanie do Polski baterii rakiet Patriot. Sikorski uznał, że "jeśli nowa tarcza powstanie, to będzie bardziej korzystna niż stary plan Busha". Dodał także, że możliwe są "inne sposoby obecności amerykańskiej w Polsce". - Rozmawiamy o tym z Waszyngtonem - stwierdził, ale szczegółów nie podał.

Na koniec swej wizyty w USA Sikorski spotkał się z gen. Jamesem Jonesem, doradcą prezydenta Baracka Obamy ds. bezpieczeństwa narodowego. - I my, i Amerykanie zgadzamy się, że nowa strategia wobec Afganistanu powinna być wspólną decyzją całego NATO, a nie pojedynczego kraju członkowskiego - powiedział Sikorski po wyjściu od Jonesa.

Była to jego najważniejsza rozmowa w Waszyngtonie, bo wczorajsze spotkanie z nim odwołała szefowa dyplomacji Hillary Clinton, która przedłużyła wizytę na Bliskim Wschodzie, gdzie próbuje ratować proces pokojowy między Izraelem a Palestyńczykami.

This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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