Vilnius, Warsaw, Dec. 2, 2001
Security, European integration and bilateral relations were the main topics of talks between Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis and Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz in Druskininkai. Cimoszewicz believes that both countries should actively participate in the international terrorism-fighting operation. The Polish minister announced that the Polish Sejm would quickly ratify the 1997 agreement on cooperation in control of people, commodities and transport means on border checkpoints. Lithuania ratified the agreement in 1998.” I think that we have reached the agreement concerning the spelling of Polish names in Lithuania. I am convinced that this matter will be solved during the coming months according to the basic principles put forward by the Polish side. The Polish side expects Lithuania to grant citizens of Polish origin the same rights as those granted by Poland to citizens of Lithuanian origin.” Cimoszewicz stated. Cimoszewicz also expects the Lithuanian side to soon issue an unequivocal declaration concerning the protracted process of land return in the Vilnius region, which has been mostly inhabited by Poles.

Vilnius, Dec. 3, 2001
President Aleksander Kwaśniewski received this year’s prize of the Lithuanian Santarves (Accord) Foundation for propagating national accord, especially for his special contribution to the development of bilateral relations and improvement of Lithuania’s image in Western Europe. . Kwaśniewski is the first foreigner to receive the statuette of “White Angel” and the order of the Santarves Foundation.

Warsaw, Dec. 6, 2001
After the terrorist attacks of September 11 and in the face of a global threat of terrorism, further NATO enlargement is a necessity, Stefan Meller of the Foreign Ministry stated. On Thursday, Meller attended a seminar “From Washington to Prague - cooperation of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia with Poland on the road to NATO membership”, organized by the Stefan Batory Foundation. Meller stressed that Poland’s position on the issue has remained unchanged from the very beginning. Due to historical and geopolitical causes Poland believes that future NATO enlargement must include Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Slovakia. Poland has never conducted any game and has always spoken openly that these countries must join NATO. At the same time we have always made it clear that no one could have the right to veto this issue, Meller said. The seminar was also attended by the former director of the Central Europe Department of the US National Security Council Cameron Munter who said that the second stage of NATO enlargement would take place but that it would “require a change of thinking and preparing people for the process.”

Warsaw, Dec. 11, 2001
President Aleksander Kwaśniewski met with members of the Consultative Committee of Presidents of Poland and Lithuania. The committee members informed the President on the course of the talks concerning bilateral economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries. The meeting also discussed European Union enlargement. The committee members also briefed the president about their meetings in the European Integration Committee Office and the ministries of Culture and Infrastructure.

Warsaw, Dec. 11, 2001
In response to a call from the U.S. President, victims of the September 11 terrorist attack in New York were honored in the U.S. embassy in Warsaw. U.S. Ambassador to Poland Christopher Hill condemned the terrorists for attacking our style of life, for destroying what others have built, for causing innocent men, women and children to become their victims. Saying that the mission in Afghanistan is nearing an end, Hill stressed that Presidents Bush, Kwaśniewski and other allies showed to the world that restraint took the upper hand. With candles in their hands those gathered concluded the ceremony by singing “God Bless America”.

Brussels, Dec. 21, 2001
Poland provisionally closed the chapter on the free movement of people. “Now we have more hopes of progress in closing other areas,” Poland’s EU negotiator Jan Truszczyński said. Under the deal the Polish government accepted, there will be restrictions of up to seven years on the movement of Polish workers into the current EU member countries. However, Truszczyński expressed the hope that Poland’s access to EU labor markets would be easier earlier and that some EU countries would open their labor markets two years after Poland has joined the EU. Truszczyński recalled that the governments of Denmark, France, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden and Great Britain signaled their readiness to open their labor markets to newcomers, including Poles, two years after they have joined the EU. In closing the person flow talks Poland has made “a very important step towards EU membership”, Jean-Christophe Filori, the spokesman of the enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen said. Movement of people is the 20^th chapter closed by Poland in its negotiations with the EU.

Warsaw, Jan. 8, 2002
Foreign Minister Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz has notified U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell of the full readiness of a 300-strong Polish contingent to join an international U.S.-led anti-terrorist action. Cimoszewicz has informed Powell that the troops have reached full operational readiness to do service within the framework of the anti-terrorist operation against targets in Afghanistan and outside. The Polish minister said that the soldiers have been thoroughly selected and prepared in line with the requirements included in a U.S. application for assistance Powell signed. Meanwile Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdziński presented a report on Polish troops preparation for the action. The Government decided that PM Leszek Miller should discuss the time, scope and sites for the troops' operation during his visit to the U.S.

Warsaw, January 20, 2002
Russian President Vladimir Putin presented his Polish counterpart with documents relating to general Władysław Sikorski. President Aleksander Kwaśniewski stated that Poland wanted Putin's visit to become the start of a dialogue between the two countries. "Poland wants the closest possible cooperation with Russia". He added that he and Putin discussed ways of boosting economic cooperation. "We want to put in order cooperation in gas supplies," the Polish president added. Kwaśniewski explained that talks also covered issues related to cultural exchange which is "highly unsatisfactory," as he put it. Putin told journalists that Poland and Russia have in recent years tried to provide their relations with a "new quality." He stressed Kwaśniewski’s role in improving relations between the two countries. Putin said that talks with Kwaśniewski focused mainly on Polish- Russian economic cooperation, the European Union enlargement, terrorism fighting and NATO-Russia cooperation. Generally, Putin assessed economic relations as good. In his opinion, the 2001 Polish-Russian trade exchange will reach 6 billion USD. Putin admitted that new forms of cooperation should he sought in order to curtail Poland's deficit in trade exchange with Russia. Ministers of Foreign Affairs Cimoszewicz and Ivanov announced the setting up of a working group to deal with difficult problems of Polish-Russian relations. Ivanov said there is a palpable will to find solutions to problems stemming from both countries' common history. Cimoszewicz said that Wednesday's talks between the two delegations focused on international security, NATO-Russia cooperation and Polish-Russian economic and cultural cooperation. According to Cimoszewicz talks held during the present visit are too short to discuss all issues," but added that he "can say one thing with deep conviction: great, exceptionally open and really friendly atmosphere."