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O 131415Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7812
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000166 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE (MORRIS, LOCHMAN, PIERANGELO) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR RS PL
SUBJECT: MINISTER HAILS POLISH FOREIGN POLICY PRAGMATISM, 
SUCCESSES 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  Foreign Minister Sikorski's annual 
report to parliament highlighted improved relations with 
Germany, a pragmatic conversation with Russia, new influence 
within the EU, and expectations of strategic cooperation with 
the U.S.  Poland's EU initiatives over the last year produced 
the Eastern Partnership, an easing of emissions ceilings, and 
a new emphasis on energy security.  Sikorski lamented 
Poland's continued exclusion from the U.S. Visa Waiver 
Program, but called the Polish-American Alliance a pillar of 
Polish security.  He hailed the Missile Defense (MD) 
Agreement, and noted that whatever the U.S. decision on MD, 
the GoP expects to move forward with the linked Declaration 
of Strategic Cooperation -- and deployment of a Patriot 
missile battery in Poland.  Sikorski pledged to redouble 
efforts in the fight against terrorism in the name of Piotr 
Stanczak, the engineeer murdered last weekend in Pakistan. 
Stanczak's murder may have buoyed public support for Polish 
participation in ISAF.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U)  In his annual report to the Sejm (the lower house of 
parliament), Foreign Minister Sikorski pointed to the growing 
effectiveness of Polish foreign policy, particularly within 
the EU.  He noted Polish success putting together an EU 
summit on the Georgia conflict; advancing the EU's Eastern 
Partnership; and ensuring that on energy security, the EU now 
speaks "in the Polish language."  With the Prime Minister 
looking on, Sikorski acclaimed Tusk's gathering of Central 
and Southern European leaders in December in a successful 
effort to ease EU gas emission ceilings, an effort that will 
reduce the cost of Polish industrial modifications. 
 
¶3.  (U)  On Russia, Sikorski said Poland's pragmatic stance 
showed that you can have a conversation without backing down, 
and he reiterated the call for a bilateral relationship based 
within a framework of EU rules.  He cited improved relations 
with Germany -- Poland's main partner within the EU -- the 
withdrawal of Polish troops from Iraq while preserving strong 
ties to Iraq and the U.S., and the Missile Defense (MD) 
agreement with the U.S., which was accompanied by a 
Declaration on Strategic Cooperation which will lift 
bilateral dialogue to the strategic level. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Sikorski's shorter list of foreign policy failures 
included the joint EU failure to implement the Lisbon Treaty. 
 He said the Treaty is important externally, to ensure Europe 
speaks effectively with one voice, and internally, to 
maximize cooperation within the EU.  Poland also failed, 
together with the U.S., to obtain a NATO Membership Action 
Plan for Ukraine and Georgia, and to obtain access to the 
U.S. Visa Waiver Program (while Australia and Canada granted 
visa-free travel to Poles over the last year). 
 
¶5.  (U)  Sikorski described the most painful, recent failure 
-- to win the release of the Polish engineer murdered by the 
Taliban in Pakistan.  He said the GoP had consciously avoided 
publicity surrounding efforts for the release of Piotr 
Stanczak, but there had been "dozens of visits, hundreds of 
meetings and thousands of phone calls."  Sikorski pledged 
that the GoP will use all possible means not only to punish 
Stanczak's killers, but to pursue the fight against terrorism 
in his name. 
 
¶6.  (U)  The pillars of Polish security, according to 
Sikorski, are NATO, the EU, and bilateral relationships, 
particularly with the U.S.  NATO needs an updated strategic 
concept, one that balances external missions with the defense 
of Alliance territories.  The EU is building defense 
capabilities.  The U.S., under the new administration, can 
quickly renew its leadership on a sound and democratic basis. 
 The fate of Missile Defense is up to the U.S. to decide, but 
"regardless of that decision... we expect implementation of 
the Declaration on Strategic Cooperation." 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  COMMENT:  Sikorski reiterated GoP willingness to 
wait patiently for the U.S. decision on MD, but made it 
clearer than ever that the Poles expect implementation of the 
Declaration of Strategic Cooperation that accompanied the 
Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement (BMDA), whether we go 
forward with the Polish MD interceptor site or not.  For the 
Poles, the Declaration means above all the deployment of a 
battery of Patriot missiles in Poland, as well as a Strategic 
Dialogue to be pursued at a higher level than in the past. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  COMMENT, CONTINUED:  An Embassy contact who 
contributed to Sikorski's speech told the DCM that the 
Foreign Minister penned in language about pursuing the fight 
against terrorism with all available means, in honor of 
 
WARSAW 00000166  002 OF 002 
 
 
Stanczak.  In our contact's view, this was vintage Sikorski, 
emotionally blazing a risky trail because of his longstanding 
personal involvement in Afghanistan.  For now, however, 
Sikorski's position is a popular one:  although a year ago 
most Poles opposed the presence of a Polish military 
contingent in Afghanistan, a recent poll showed that only 10% 
of respondents favor withdrawal.  Polish anger over 
Stanczak's murder may have stoked greater support for the 
ISAF mission in Afghanistan. 
ASHE