Mr. President, Mrs. Bush, Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We feel privileged that it is in Poland that the President of the United States wishes to make an important statement about the future and to outline an American vision of international order based on security. Today, America, Poland, and the world as a whole must tackle exceptional challenges. After September 11, no one doubts that nations must deal with the deadly threat of terrorism and dictatorships that support terrorism. We pay tribute to you, Mr. President, for the determination and consistency with which you have confronted evil. You took enormous risk, probably the greatest risk taken by a politician in the recent years. You did not hesitate for a moment when it was necessary to chase terrorists to their hiding places and to liberate terrorized Afghans and Iraqis in order to give them freedom and hope for a normal life.

We received your decisions with understanding and respect. We stood by you and America from the very beginning. Sometimes, one must act far from one’s borders to defend national and international security. Poland has learned this lesson all too well from the past and present threats. We experienced the great value of solidarity between nations in the face of evil. And it is exactly why we sent Polish troops to Iraq.

We are pleased that the UN Security Council adopted a resolution that can serve as a good basis for stabilization and development of a new Iraq. It is welcome news to the world, which, above all, needs cooperation, not divisions.

Poland is taking up an enormous challenge: We are to command one of the stabilization zones in Iraq. We are fully aware of the burden of responsibility, and we appreciate the task with which we have been entrusted. However, we have assets that justify our optimism: We boast a tradition of tolerance and skills to reconcile different cultures. In modern times, we draw from the experience of Polish troops gained in peacekeeping missions in the last fifty years. As we speak, nearly 2000 Polish military personnel and police officers serve across the world under the flags of the United Nations and NATO. We will soon double this number and assume command over multinational forces. We welcome all those who want to be our partners. We also appreciate the support pledged by NATO. We are pleased with the fact that we are working with countries that want to be present in the zone with Poland.

The building of a new Iraq will also involve Polish civilian experts. We will tap the experience of Polish companies gained in the 1970s and the 1980s. A number of Iraqis graduated from Polish colleges and universities and know our language. That is also a great asset.

We will do our utmost to ensure that Iraq, a beautiful country that we know well and the cradle of civilization, develops its economy and culture to the best of its great potential. We will do our best to ensure that the Iraqi people enjoy freedom and make full use of their inalienable rights.

I do hope, Mr. President, that thanks to our solidarity and consistency in action, freedom and democracy will prevail in the new Iraq, favorably affecting the entire Middle East.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, Poland is reestablishing more firmly its position in European and global politics to reflect its potential and growing capabilities: We assume joint responsibility for the destiny of the international community, for peace, and for security.
Poland is going to join the European Union, one of the most ambitious and successful integration projects in the history of mankind. We are joining a community that will incorporate 25 countries and 450 million people. It is Europe’s great success. As a Pole and a European, I say this with great pride and optimism.

The community, which already incorporates a large number of countries and cultures and a great deal of experience, is our continent’s excellent response to the tragic errors of the past and, more importantly, to the challenges of the future. We face another historic step. I am deeply convinced that within less than a year the Union will welcome ten new members, including Poland. The western and eastern parts of the continent will become one and, in the words of our great compatriot Pope John Paul II, Europe will come to breathe with two lungs. This will give Europe new potential for growth and new dynamics.
Poland will feel at home in the European Union. Europe is our address, our destiny, and part of our identity. There is a great deal to be done. On the one hand, we must adopt EU standards and bridge the gap in development. On the other hand, we want to contribute our experience of the past and of the recent years of transformation. We will contribute our position in the region and our ties with the East. Poland can and should play an important role in shaping the Union’s eastern policy, in developing cooperation with Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus. Poland is already participating in shaping the European security and defense policy.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,
During your previous visit to Poland, you said these telling words at the Library of Warsaw University: “All of Europe's new democracies, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, should have the same chance for security and freedom.”
These words, Mr. President, are becoming reality. Security, freedom, and chances for development should be shared with others. Poland wants a Europe without divisions. We want to eliminate curtains, even the lightest velvet ones. Therefore, we welcome NATO’s decision at the Prague summit to invite seven new countries to join the Alliance. The recent decisive support of the invitation by the US Senate is important and positive news. Poland thinks that the door to NATO should remain open.

The proposal is part of our vision for the future of the region, the continent, and the transatlantic area. We are working for our own benefit and for the benefit of others, with Poland contributing significantly in greater trust, security, stability, and cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe.
The disputes of the past have ceased, and we have now reconciled and established good relations with our neighbors. We are building a network of cooperation incorporating over a dozen countries from the Baltic to the Adriatic and the Black Sea. It includes countries affiliated to NATO and the European Union and those that will remain outside their structures for some time to come. The North Atlantic Alliance is and will remain the best guarantee of security and stability both in Europe and across the world. The strength of the Alliance lies in the transatlantic ties based on two pillars: a uniting and ever stronger Europe and the already united United States of America. Without close cooperation between America and Europe, including Poland, we will not be able to ensure lasting peace and security to the world. We have come all the way from the community of values to the community of action.

That is why, we can hope for the universal victory of human rights, for sustainable development, and for being able to limit the unwanted effects of globalization. That is the only way we can conquer international terrorism. That is how we can initiate genuine and much needed dialog between civilizations. And that is how we can ensure effectiveness to the United Nations, which, while in need of reform, still remains the best and the only global forum of cooperation.

We deeply believe that America needs a united Europe. We know well, and I say this here at Wawel Castle, that Europe needs a strong America. If this is so, may Europe and America give each other and the world as much as possible in harmonious cooperation and mutual respect based on the terms and principles of partnership.