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<TITLE>Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski's Address to 1998 NATO
Workshop, Vienna, Austria</TITLE>
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CONTENT="President of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski's address to XVth NATO Workshop on Political-Military Decision Making in the Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria in June, 1998. The NATO Workshop Chairmen were Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Wesley Clark and Dr. Roger Weissinger-Baylon. Polish President Kwasniewski explains the role of Poland as a new member of NATO and Poland's new challanges and new functions as a full NATO member beginning in Spring, 1999.">
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CONTENT="NATO, NATO Workshop, NATO Workshop on Political-Military Decision Making, NATO Expansion, NATO Enlargement, Atlantic Alliance, New NATO, Poland, President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski,Central Europe, Eastern Europe">
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<BODY LINK="0000ff" BGPROPERTIES="FIXED" BGCOLOR="ffffff"><BASEFONT SIZE="3">
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="6" FACE="Palatino">New
Members of NATO: New Challenges, New Functions</FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="4" FACE="Palatino">President
of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski</FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino"><B>THE
ROAD TO NATO</B></FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Over the
past ten years, Europe has traveled an impressive distance—from a
divided world frozen by fear and suspicion to a uniting community
searching for a new order. This new order is a just one, and one
that recognizes the aspirations and the security needs of every nation,
from accepting totalitarian regimes to recognizing the norms of democracy
to respecting human rights. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">The struggle
for freedom, democracy, and dignity that began in Central and Eastern
Europe was at the root of the great transformation process that is
underway in today’s Europe. The dramatic developments in Russia
and the Balkans showed the scale of the new threats and challenges. It
became evident that the new NATO could not limit its functions to the
defense and security of its member-states. Moving NATO’s
borders eastward seemed the optimal solution, since NATO is the only real
choice for guaranteeing security in Europe. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">The
inception of the Partnership for Peace program was a true turning point.
This program provides flexible instruments for international
cooperation and a guiding philosophy for carrying out defense reform in
Central and Eastern Europe. The prospect of joining Western
structures has already had a positive impact on the development of the
region, enabling Central and Eastern European states to benefit from
security and helping Western countries overcome their fears of weak and
unpredictable Eastern neighbors engaged in prolonged conflicts. Mutual
confidence has replaced old divisions. The continent has begun to
believe in character, maturity, and the irreversibility of the East’s
democratic transformation. And the countries of Central and Eastern
Europe have become convinced that their aspirations will not fall victim
to geopolitical juggling. They believe that they will not become
second-class citizens in the Alliance and that their national interests
and expectations will be recognized. </FONT> </P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino"><B>Preparations
by Poland</B> </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Poland’s
participation in the Partnership for Peace program and its cooperative
work with the nations of the Alliance helped Poland reach the preparatory
stages of accession. Just as it has been helpful to Poland, as well
as to the Czech Republic and Hungary, PFP should continue to contribute to
the reconstruction of the whole Partnership area. The continuing
work of the program is one of Poland’s national priorities. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">The
countries of Central and Eastern Europe are undergoing deep
transformations, including profound economic, social, and political
modernization. The scale and pace of these transformations of course
depend on conditions in each individual state. Poland is undergoing
administrative reform by giving new powers to local governments. New
legislation, guaranteed by the Constitution, has also been adopted to
establish an effective system of civilian democratic control over the
armed forces. The new legislation leaves no doubt that the
Parliament, the President, and the government are the authors and
implementing bodies of defense policy. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Extensive
reform of the armed forces has been started, described in detail in the
government-prepared document “The Armed Forces of 2012.” The
document outlines the conditions agreed to for NATO membership and details
the mechanisms that are enabling Poland to adopt new structures and a new
operational concept. The document needs some corrections, but its
intent has been accepted by political leaders and NATO commanders. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">The level of
interoperability between our forces and our defense-related civilian
institutions is also improving. We are cooperating widely with
states within the Alliance, and are working intensively to create an
integrated civil-military system for crisis response. Additionally
we are making progress in training military staff according to NATO
standards. There are also efforts underway to adopt the “target
force goals,” the practical aspects of joining the Alliance, and to
develop a related national strategic concept. </FONT> </P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino"><B>A NEW
WAY OF THINKING IN POLAND</B> </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Today, we
can state that Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary will become NATO
members in less than a year. I can also state with complete
conviction that the union of Poland and NATO looks to be a happy one from
both a logical and a people-to-people point of view. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">We in Poland
are cognizant of the fact that we belong to the great family of Western
Christian civilization, a civilization to which we are linked by history,
common cultural roots, and the same system of values. History has
taught Poles that in this part of Europe we are safe only when the center
of Europe is not in a vague gray zone defined as “in between.”
We also know that freedom and security are worth paying a high price
for. This explains the continuous strong support by approximately
75% of our society for integration with NATO. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">As a loyal
and dependable member of NATO, Poland will assume its share of the
responsibility for the actions taken by the Alliance. Poles
understand that the cost of preserving peace in Europe can be high and may
require sacrifices. Poles also know that freedom and peace are
indivisible; the motto “For your freedom and ours” has been
written on Polish banners for hundreds of years. When the question
arose of Polish units’ participation in the international
peacekeeping operation in the Persian Gulf, and the legislation of that
time did not regulate Polish army involvement in operations abroad, it did
not take long for such legislation to be enacted by Parliament At present,
the problem is solved.. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">I am very
proud of the political consensus achieved by Polish political groups over
the last few years regarding NATO and European Union membership. While
the right and left differ substantially, no important Polish political
group questions NATO membership. All Poles speak in the same voice
about NATO, which is giving us an historical chance to come out from under
the shadow that has clouded our national aspirations and sovereign
development during the past 300 years. A change of ruling parties
will not alter our security policy. The decision to join NATO will
be lasting. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Our decision
to join the Western cultural and ideological community, however, does not
free us from the duty of learning about contemporary Europe, which is
sometimes perceived by Poles, because of the mass media and educational
institutions, in a too romantic way. All of us need to learn not
only the languages of our new allies but also their manner of work, so
that we can work together in multinational teams. Poland wants to
adapt itself to the Alliance, and through our efforts we hope the Alliance
will come to appreciate us and learn more about us as well. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">The Polish
consciousness is also undergoing a real revolution. Our romantic
view of patriotism—being ready to make great sacrifices and changes
but with no true awareness of the enormous work needed to do this—is
being supplanted by more realistic thinking. Poles understand that
contemporary patriotism must be based on a respect for democracy and a
market economy. It must also be based on joining the Alliance and on
developing good-neighbor relations with states within close proximity.
</FONT> </P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino"><B>FACING
THE CHALLENGES TO NATO TOGETHER</B> </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">The
ratification debate within the Parliaments of NATO countries brought us
very satisfactory results—a high assessment of the transformations
being made by the states aspiring to membership and confirmation of member
confidence in the new Allies. These parliamentary discussions also
provided an opportunity to formulate important questions about the future
of the Alliance and its position in the changing world. After a
half-century, NATO may be facing the biggest challenge to the political
and geographical scope of its responsibility. Discussions dealt with
the question of whether or not it was ready to take on more responsibility
and, if so, in what form. We are now discussing what the pace and
scope would be of further enlargement; the relations between the Alliance
and Russia and other countries that will not become NATO members in the
near future; and the relationship between NATO and other European
organizations. We are well aware of the fact that the answers to
these questions will shape the future of the Alliance and the character of
international relations in the 21st century. We wish to seek answers
to those questions together. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">NATO is a
military alliance and a political community that believes that the
expansion of cooperative efforts and a favorable international atmosphere
are effective ways to remove threats to peace. Because of this
philosophy, NATO’s military power is not a threat to anyone, and
gives NATO the moral right to initiate actions, agreements, and treaties
to bring stability to the entire hemisphere. Poland shares NATO’s
philosophy and uses it as a basis for its own political actions. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">It is the
inalienable right of each nation to live in peace, guaranteed by a system
of security. It is also the inalienable right of each nation to
choose its alliances and allies. NATO cannot be a closed
organization. Poland is particularly interested in not having its
eastern borders be lines of division in Europe, or in classifying
countries according to how they are meeting criteria by progressing in
introducing democratic reforms. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">It would be
poor form to delight in our own achievement and simply forget about times
when a helping hand was given to us. It is our duty to help other
nations join NATO and to assist them. Those that aspire to achieve
NATO membership and to meet membership criteria, particularly Latvia,
Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovenia, can count on Poland.
We support the Alliance’s policy of keeping the door open to
all nations that wish to join and that can meet membership requirements.
</FONT> </P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino"><B>POLAND’S
CONTRIBUTIONS TO A SAFE EUROPE</B> </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">As the most
powerful military alliance in the world, NATO bears a special
responsibility for the security and stability of the entire European
continent. Maintaining a strong defense capacity and operational
mobility is conducive to peace and creating a new order in Europe. Poland,
the Czech Republic, and Hungary will make special contributions to
strengthening the Alliance’s defense potential. In crisis
situations outside the area of NATO’s direct responsibility, the
internal military infrastructures of the new members will play an
important function. Poland’s armed forces are experienced in
joint operations from their nearly 50 years’ participation in
peacekeeping missions. You can be certain of our strong
international solidarity and about our readiness to cooperate if
necessary. The peacekeeping mission in Bosnia was not only a
political and moral challenge to Poland but also a serious, practical
opportunity to work jointly with forces of other countries. I am
convinced that a proper political solution—and a military one, if it
turns out to be necessary—will also be worked out for Kosovo. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Poland’s
participation in NATO will help accelerate the process of Polish-German
reconciliation. Poland is a neighbor and soon will become an ally of
Germany. The evil we suffered is now a thing of the past. France
built a partnership and then friendship with the nation of Goethe and
Adenauer. Poland is following this example. Helping the
process is our western neighbors’ great determination to make
Polish-German relations significant. One symbol of the changes
underway is the forming of the German-Danish-Polish Corps, with
headquarters in Szczecin. Germans, Danes, and Poles are together, on
the same side, and we do not point our weapons at anyone. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">NATO’s
friendly cooperation with non-NATO states and other European organizations
is of fundamental importance. In addition to participating in
Partnership for Peace and NATO’s bilateral agreements, these states
and organizations can play important roles in regional cooperation
programs. We believe that Russia and Ukraine will take NATO up on
the agreements it offers. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Poland is
willing and ready to contribute to NATO’s great undertaking of
building stable European relations. As the biggest country in the
region and one that adheres to a good-neighbor policy, Poland has
political and moral duties toward both the Baltic Sea region and Southern
and Eastern Europe. Together with NATO we have succeeded in not
allowing the creation of a security-deficient sphere in the former
Soviet-controlled area. We cannot afford to be disappointed in that
regard, nor can we afford any new divisions or curtains. We will
support the pro-European aims of the people living in neighboring
countries and assist them in achieving Western standards. While we
understand that the modernization processes taking place in the Central
and Eastern European states are complex, Poland declares its readiness to
share its experience with its regional partners. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Polish-Ukrainian
cooperation is something special to us and a source of satisfaction.
Our far-reaching common political goals and the excellent climate in
which our cooperative work takes place have helped us to overcome the
painful past and to reach numerous positive agreements. Together we
have formed the Euro-regions of Carpathians and Bug, as well as a
Polish-Ukrainian Battalion. The Consultative Committee of the Polish
and Ukrainian Presidents also holds regular meetings. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Lithuania is
another close partner of Poland. Together we are fulfilling mutual
obligations and are creating the foundation for a promising future. Joint
economic, political, and military activities have been undertaken,
including the formation of a Polish-Lithuanian Battalion. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Charters
signed by the Alliance with Ukraine and by the U.S. with the Baltic States
concern us directly. They offer a vision of international
cooperation that is supported not only by political, economic, and
military factors but also by moral ones. For all those reasons,
Poland firmly supports those documents and aims to actively support their
ideas and programs. As a Central European state aspiring to NATO
membership, we are aware that the more actively we participate in the
European Union, the sooner we will achieve our goals. The EU will be
more willing to help us and to include us in its structures when we are
able to guarantee that we are a stable state and that our region is making
economic and political progress. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Poland, like
all the NATO and EU countries and the Czech Republic and Hungary, is
watching the sociopolitical processes taking place in Belarus and
Slovakia. As we wish the Slovaks and Belarussians success on their
road to joining Europe, we hope they will make a sovereign choice
regarding the development of democratic institutions and processes in
their countries. Such a choice will surely open up new prospects and
areas of activity. Poland is ready to begin long-term cooperation
with those countries. We want to lend them a helping hand and share
our experience with the integration process; we expect that the Czech
Republic, Hungary, and NATO and EU countries will do the same. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">CEFTA should
be a fine instrument for carrying out this offer of cooperation and mutual
assistance. As the Partnership for Peace program acted as a catalyst
for cooperation in defense and NATO integration processes in the region,
so CEFTA can and should act as a catalyst for a partnership encompassing
welfare and regional cooperation matters. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Thanks to
the policies that Poland is putting in place in the region, I believe that
we will eventually prove our credibility to our allies and contribute to
the flourishing Atlantic-oriented post-bipolar political philosophy of the
region as well as to the entire Northern Hemisphere. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino"><B>A NEW
NATO</B> </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Europe and
the U.S. form a community of states and nations united by values,
respected democratic standards, and political and economic achievements.
The presence of the United States in Europe is a guarantee of the
continuing existence of this community. The U.S. is also an
inalienable element of cooperation and stabilization in Europe. Europe
and the United States are linked by a strategic partnership, and by the
loyalty and friendship of their allies. Poland wants to strengthen
those ties. We also think it would be groundless to contrast NATO’s
European pillar with its American one, because in view of the changing
number of NATO members and the profound reform of its structure, the
Alliance will surely change. However, any changes to the Alliance’s
concept must not downgrade the effectiveness of its decision-making
process or violate the treaty on which it is based. Its defense
potential and operational efficiency must only improve. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">The events
of the past decade have changed the types and the hierarchy of the threats
and challenges to the Alliance. The threat of a global conflict has
nearly vanished, and we are learning how to meet the new threats that
confront us. Now NATO’s defense system is being strengthened by
three new members—and will be strengthened by more members in the
future—who will surely help to work out a flexible and efficient
system of response to all crises and threats, including threats of war,
natural disasters, and social and economic crises. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">The Alliance’s
new Strategic Concept must reflect the new conditions in Europe and NATO’s
new role within the European security architecture. It must also
offer a new political and strategic vision for the Euro-Atlantic region.
The Concept should include all the alliances and the unions of
partners and cooperation offered by NATO to all the states of this region.
The realization of this vision should be guaranteed by preserving
NATO’s military might to effectively discourage all those who would
violate the security it provides. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">In other
words, the new Strategic Concept should offer clear indicators of the
Alliance’s defense capabilities, its military plans, and its defense
position. It should also contain a message addressed to the
international community about the Alliance’s position regarding the
preservation of peace and security both within and outside Europe. This
statement should help to overcome the fears of those who do not
understand, or do not want to understand, the real role and the goals of
the new, enlarged NATO. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">Poland will
help to realize the Alliance’s new vision by continuing to adjust its
defense, political, and economic systems. Such a course will change
both the direction and the contents of our armed forces training. I
am convinced that Polish units soon will join the Rapid Reaction Corps.
Poland’s new national strategic concept will also reflect NATO
processes encompassing civil and military mechanisms. </FONT></P>
<P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT COLOR="000000" SIZE="3" FACE="Palatino">I am
completely convinced that NATO, through its restructuring, will become
more modern and effective and therefore more able to make peace a reality
throughout the continent. Poland, along with the other newly
accepted countries, will be an efficient and credible member. Formal
acknowledgment of our efforts and our way of thinking—Poland’s
as well as Hungary’s and the Czech Republic’s—will take
place when we formally become members of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization. This will be a crucial moment for us all. For
the first time in history, alliances will be signed between Central
Europe, Western Europe, and North America.</FONT></P>
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