Remarks With Foreign Affairs Minister Anna Fotyga of the Republic of Poland After Their Meeting

Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Benjamin Franklin Room
Washington, DC
June 19, 2006

SECRETARY RICE: Good afternoon. I am pleased to welcome my colleague, the Foreign Minister of Poland. Minister, it's wonderful to have you here. We have, indeed, met before, but well before either of us was foreign minister. And so this is our first opportunity to talk about the very broad and deep relationship that the United States and Poland enjoy, of course, a relationship that is based on common values.

The United States was a friend to Poland in difficult times. Poland has been an inspiration to Americans in difficult times and now in good times. And I thank you very much, Foreign Minister, for the good discussion that we have had, of the support to the new Iraqi Government and I thank you for your government's steadfastness in Iraq, your work in Afghanistan. We have discussed, of course, Ukraine and Belarus where we share a desire to see the people of Belarus free and, of course, our common alliance in NATO. And so thank you very much. I think our bilateral relationship is really excellent and I look forward to continuing to develop our personal relationship as well.

FOREIGN MINISTER FOTGYA: Madame Secretary, ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to visit the friendly country, the United States of America, to talk to my great colleague about issues of common interests. We have common values. We share many beliefs and assessments concerning foreign policy.

Poland is a faithful ally to the United States and we intend to remain. So it was my pleasure to meet Dr. Rice once more and to invite her to visit Warsaw. It will be my pleasure further to discuss all issues already mentioned today. I know it is my personal experience how friendly American people were always to Poles and Polish cause and I value very much indeed your help, assistance in a very difficult time. Probably it is easy to be friends in good times, but much more difficult is to be and remain friends in bad times; and United States of America were always, always, even in the worst time, very friendly to Polish people and to Poland. And thank you very much indeed, Secretary, thank all American people for this support. We are happy to see every member of Administration and we also hope for full visits of President George W. Bush.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you very much, and I look forward to seeing you in Warsaw very soon. Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER FOTYGA: Thank you.

2006/627

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Released on June 19, 2006

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