The event, which took place at the Banker’s Club in Warsaw, was jointly organised by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy, in collaboration with the German Marshall Fund. The panellists included former and current ambassadors of the two countries, as well as representatives of academia.

In their addresses, the speakers recalled the history of bilateral relations between Poland and the United States and discussed the state of today’s transatlantic relations. “Our relations evolved towards a genuine friendship between committed allies,” observed Minister Czaputowicz.

A separate panel was devoted to the 30th anniversary of the 1989 elections and the role the United States played in Poland’s transition process. “The past weeks also saw the anniversaries of other crucial events which laid the foundations for the modern Polish state, that is the 20th anniversary of Poland’s accession to NATO and the 15th anniversary of our joining the European Union. In a few days we will also be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the 4 June 1989 elections, which gave rise to the victory of the Solidarity movement over communism and reinstated Poland’s freedom and democracy,” said Minister Czaputowicz, thanking the American side for their assistance during the period of political transition. “Everyone who took part in Poland’s transition in the 1980s and 1990s remembers the overwhelming support that the US administration gave Solidarity and the democratic opposition in Poland at that time,” stressed the foreign minister.

 

MFA Press Office

 

Photo: Tymon Markowski/MSZ