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<TITLE>Polish Ambassador Andrzej Krzeczunowicz...Partership for Peace: A
Central European View</TITLE>
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<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+4">Partnership for Peace: a
Central European View</FONT></FONT></CENTER>
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<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+3">Polish Ambassador Andrzej
Krzeczunowicz</FONT></FONT></CENTER>
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<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+1">POLAND'S MAIN FOREIGN
POLICY OBJECTIVES</FONT></FONT></B></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Poland's top priority is to join
the two most important structures of the Euro-Atlantic community: the
European Union and NATO. From the Polish government's point of view, these
two goals are "separable but not separate." The Partnership for
Peace program opens the way to accomplish both of them. This was affirmed
in the Brussels Summit communique of 11 January 1994 that stated, "We
expect and welcome new members." It was reaffirmed by the NATO
Council (NAC) in Istanbul and by Ambassador Sergio Balanzino during the
Eleventh NATO Workshop.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">My country's task is to convince
the sixteen NATO nations that, as a member, Poland would uphold the
organization's common values and work toward Alliance goals. I would like
to make several points in support of this argument. First, the suggestion
that "enlargement" will draw new lines of division in Europe is
too simplistic. In fact, maintaining the present state of affairs will
merely perpetuate old lines of division whose origins were in Yalta and
the Cold War. So, if we intend to put the past behind us and open a new
chapter in European history, we must draw the proper conclusions from that
attitude. Security and stability eastward are at stake, and these goals
are vital to both Central Europe and the Allies.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Second, Poland is once again a
credible and reliable partner. Democratic processes are well established,
and our economy is leading the recovery of the Central and Eastern
European area. Relations with our neighbors have been normalized and
friendship treaties concluded with all seven of Poland's neighbors (the
last treaty was signed with Lithuania a few months ago). Regional
cooperation is also working satisfactorily through a number of
organizations: the Visegrad Group, with which Poland has a free-trade
agreement; the Central European Initiative, a consultation forum that
reaches from the Baltic to the Adriatic; and the Council of Baltic Sea
States, which is a consultation and action forum on environment,
infrastructure, transportation, and other matters of common interest to
the Baltic Sea area. Poland has just assumed the chairmanship of this
council for a year. Our country is also active in the CSCE and in
negotiations for a European Pact on Stability, previously known as the
Balladur plan. In addition, there is consensus across Poland's political
spectrum on the country's main foreign policy goals.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Third, it has been recognized
that security and stability in the NATO and Central European areas are
interdependent. President Clinton acknowledged this interdependence when
he spoke in Milwaukee just before the Brussels Summit in January 1994, and
subsequently reemphasized it when he met the leaders of the Visegrad
countries in Prague. Increased Western investment in Poland also creates
additional interdependence. For Poland and eight other countries,
association with the Western European Union provides a further
organizational link with the West. Finally, Poland's formal application
for membership in the European Union is added proof of the inevitability
of that process.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+1">PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE
AS A PRIME OPPORTUNITY</FONT></FONT></B></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Against this background,
Partnership for Peace (PFP) creates a prime area of opportunity with
political, practical, and psychological dimensions. Politically,
Partnership for Peace provides a breathing space for both Central European
and NATO countries, allowing them time for a more constructive
consideration of the enlargement issue. This time can be utilized by
countries that still view NATO with suspicion, or even hostility, in order
to test the Alliance's new strategic concept in a fair and open-minded
way. Security in Europe must be built on trust and cooperation, a
foundation based on dialogue and common activities, which are two elements
of the Partnership program. Practically, PFP will speed up the process of
making Polish armed forces interoperable and, later, compatible with those
of the Alliance. Cooperation in peacekeeping must involve practical steps
if we are to bring command and control structures, communications, air
space control, logistics, etc., closer together. Psychologically, the
partner countries have an excellent chance of creating a functioning
security community. This, in turn, will give a more concrete shape to the
principle of indivisible security in Europe. Last but not least,
Partnership for Peace is an excellent vehicle for maintaining good
partnerships and friendly ties with Poland's Eastern neighbors.</FONT></FONT>
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<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+1">CONCLUSION</FONT></FONT></B></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Poland intends to make the best
possible use of Partnership for Peace. Prime Minister Pawlak signed the
Framework Document in Brussels on 2 February 1994, barely three weeks
after the Brussels NATO Summit which launched the program. Poland was also
the first Partner to submit a presentation Document and will almost
certainly be the first to have an Individual Partnership Program. In
September 1994, joint PFP peacekeeping maneuvers will take place in
Poland--the first such exercises in the Central European area. So, our
country is determined to make this venture a success.</FONT></FONT> </P>
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