Military

09 February 2005

Bush To Seek $100 Million To Modernize Polish Military

Says he and Polish president agree on principles to ease visa restrictions

By Stephen Kaufman
Washington File White House Correspondent

Washington -- President Bush met with Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski at the White House February 9 and told the Polish leader he would ask the U.S. Congress for $100 million to help modernize the country’s armed forces.

Speaking in a joint press availability at the White House, Bush said his administration will “make requests that will enable there to be a mil[itary]-to-mil[itary] expenditure to help Poland modernize.”

The funds are part of a $400 million solidarity initiative announced by the White House February 9 to strengthen the capabilities of U.S. partners to “advance democracy and stability around the world.”

The president said that although Congress has the responsibility of appropriating the money, he was confident that U.S. lawmakers will respond to his request.

Speaking outside the White House following a luncheon with Bush, President Kwasniewski confirmed that Bush “told us that in this $400 million fund one fourth -- $100 million – is for Poland.”

The Polish leader rejected questions of whether Poland was being rewarded for its role in Iraq, saying, “We are doing something that is in favor of basic values, basic fundamental issues, not finances.”

“If Iraq finally will be [an] independent, democratic state, then that is the highest reward which we can expect,” he said.

Poland has a contingent of 1700 soldiers in Iraq, he said, which, according to press reports is down from its initial contribution of 2400.  However, Kwasniewski said that an additional 700 troops in Poland are ready to be deployed if needed and that the Polish forces will remain in Iraq through the end of 2005.

Earlier, Kwasniewski said his country is “full of optimism” about Iraq and “the successful conclusion of our mission.”

President Bush praised Poland as “a fantastic ally” and said the two countries had a mutual desire to provide security training to Iraqis “so they can defend their own freedom.”

Bush said the Polish people “must have been thrilled” by the January 30 national assembly elections in Iraq which he said showed that “people from all parts of the world want to live in a free society, just like your great nation has shown the world over the last decade.”

The two leaders also discussed a plan to ease U.S. border restrictions on Polish nationals.

Bush said the U.S. visa policy has been under review and there is now “a way forward to make trips to America easier for Polish citizens.”

The Polish leader has developed a “road map” that is “fair to the Polish people,” Bush said.  “I adopt the principles and accept the recommendations of the road map.  And that'll become the basis for legislation,” he said.

President Kwasniewski said the road map to solve the visa problem will involve “concrete decisions,” such as doing away with old information and statistics concerning pre-1989 immigration violations, easing visa procedures, and having more cooperation with the U.S. Congress to facilitate the process.

Later, outside the White House, Kwasniewski said Poland hopes to participate in the visa waiver program in which, he noted, an average of less than three percent of visa applications are rejected.  The visa waiver program enables citizens of 27 countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. 

Kwasniewski said he told Bush that he wanted all pre-1989 immigration violations to be cleared from the records, since many of the violators were Polish citizens who had overstayed their visas because they did not wish to return to Poland’s then-communist regime.

He said he also wants U.S. authorities to review the legal framework for visas and to create special rules for students and young people.

Kwasniewski said he would appeal to Polish citizens to “accept the rules” of U.S. visa regulations.  “[U]nfortunately, even now, sometimes Polish citizens coming to the United States … want to stay longer,” he said.  Poland will also try to make biometric passports, another requirement for the visa waiver program, available to Polish citizens by 2006 or 2007, he said.

“Step by step, without revolution, we can reach Poland in the system of visa waiver … in visible time,” he said.

President Bush also said he was impressed by President Kwasniewski’s leadership during the recent political crisis in the Ukraine. 

“He showed remarkable leadership and the people of the Ukraine are better for it and the world appreciates it and I appreciate it,” Bush said.

For his part, the Polish leader said the democratic success in the Ukraine “wouldn’t be possible without the participation of the United States,” and he said that country’s success “is the success of all of us.”

See White House transcript of their remarks. 

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)