(…) We are here to build a strong Poland. A Poland of people proud of themselves and of their country, experiencing a sense of satisfaction and contented with their living standards- people benefiting from the opportunities that membership in NATO and the European Union provide.(…)

Next year, we plan to conclude our negotiations with the European Union. We shall state it openly: that is our goal.(…)

Poland's membership in the European Union is literally a patriotic task, because that will determine our civilizational future. It is therefore not a goal in itself. The strategic goal of my government is to improve the living standards of Poles, and one of the instruments for achieving that mission is Poland's admission to the European Union. (…)

The tragic events of 11 September in a drastic way reminded us all that individual as well as general security are not given once and for all. They also reminded us that a secure state is a fundamental good of all citizens and ensuring it is the government's basic task. Our membership in the Atlantic Alliance is of cardinal importance in that regard. We believe NATO should retain its original function of a defensive alliance, whilst expanding its involvement in stabilizing security and overcoming crises in the entire Euro-Atlantic zone and effectively accepting new challenges, including, above all, the war on international terrorism. In that context, the permanent presence and involvement of the United States in the security of our continent remains to be a key issue. My government will strengthen bilateral relations with the United States and allied co-operation with America within NATO. The Alliance has frequently declared an open-door policy. It is my profound conviction that the continuation of that policy -- which should be expressed by concrete decisions at NATO's Prague Summit in 2002 -- is the correct interpretation of the signs of our times.

The thorough reconstruction of Poland's bilateral relations is undoubtedly the success of our state over the past decade. We shall continue and strengthen that strategic choice. The government wants to tap into the reserves existing in the implementation of the Polish-German community of interests. (…) We are counting on enriching our bonds with other states of Western Europe, especially our NATO allies and the partners of the European Union.

It is the mission of my government for Poland to play a more active role in Central and Eastern Europe. The new foundations for bilateral and multilateral relations established in this region in recent years are a valuable asset which must be protected and cultivated -- in the interests of Poland, the region and all of Europe. Partners from the Višehrad Group and the Baltic Sea region as well as countries lying to the south and east of Poland can count on us. We are linked to those nations not only by historical bonds but also by a common concern for security, our bid for European Union membership and knowledge of the painful problems of political transformation.

We are glad of the new climate, the new language and the new initiatives fostering the activation of Poland's relations with Russia. To an increasing degree Polish-Russian relations are being dominated by enterprising business people, and such people, by the very nature of things, introduce into those relations a pragmatic language and effective efforts.

We shall also consistently work to deepen dialogue at the highest level. An important impulse in that direction should be provided by the meeting of the presidents of Poland and Russia in January 2002 in Warsaw.

Our relations with Ukraine are marked by stability in the strengthening of our strategic partnership. We support Ukraine's ambitious, multi-directional policy, although for obvious reasons we are most concerned about Ukrainian activity directed towards its western neighbors and partners, particularly Poland. For our part, we shall do everything possible so that Polish-Ukrainian relations would profile Ukraine's increasingly European identity and bind Ukraine more closely to the institutions to which Poland already belongs or will belong.

It is impossible not to experience a sense of inadequacy when viewing Poland's current relations with Belarus. We shall seek ways and means of engaging in dialogue and - to whatever extent possible - drawing closer together. In that context, we are particularly concerned about bringing about closer inter-personal ties.

Poland will develop its contacts with the states of Asia, Africa and Latin America. We are concerned about our presence, including our economic presence, in those areas and want to generate greater interest in Poland, especially among non-European states with the greatest potential.