Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05WARSAW3795
2005-11-09 15:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Warsaw
Cable title:
NEW POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER EMPHASIZES IMPORTANCE
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 003795
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR PL
SUBJECT: NEW POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER EMPHASIZES IMPORTANCE
OF RUSSIAN RELATIONS
Classified By: POLCOUNS MARY T. CURTIN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 003795
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR PL
SUBJECT: NEW POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER EMPHASIZES IMPORTANCE
OF RUSSIAN RELATIONS
Classified By: POLCOUNS MARY T. CURTIN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
1. (C) During Ambassador's initial call, Poland's newly named
Foreign Minister Stefan Meller said he would travel back to
Moscow (where he served as Ambassador until his October 31
appointment) on November 13 to arrange his move back to
Warsaw, but also to meet with Foreign Minister Lavrov and,
hopefully, President Vladimir Putin. Meller said that a
meeting with Putin would be "very important for the
Polish-Russian dialogue," and would provide him "new
elements" to discuss during his eventual visit to Washington.
The Ambassador noted there would be keen interest in any
insights he could provide from his visit. Meller added that
he also attached great importance to the U.S.-Europe
relationship, and said that Russia needed to be a "very, very
important" element of the U.S.-Polish-European dialogue.
"With your help," he said, "we will be able to move the right
way and find balance" in those relationships.
2. (C) The Ambassador emphasized that we greatly value
Poland's views on these issues, and urged that Meller make
plans for a visit to Washington as soon as possible, in part
as a prelude to an early 2006 visit by incoming president
Lech Kaczynski. He added that a major concern of our is the
question of Polish troop strength in Iraq. The Ambassador
noted that Defense Minister Radek Sikorski had told him the
previous day (septel) that no political decision had yet been
made, and repeated his request that concerns and decisions
about Iraq be communicated in private discussions, rather
than through the newspaper. Meller indicated he took the
point. (Note: The previous day, MFA Americas Director
Henryk Szlajfer told DCM and PolCouns that he believed the
government would decide to extend troops through the first
half of 2006, but that no decision could be made before the
November 10 vote of confidence. End Note)
3. (C) Meller, has served as Ambassador to France and
Russia, as well as Deputy Minister, and is a French historian
by training. As a young man, he was among a group of Jewish
intellectuals who were prevented from working in their fields
from 1968-1974, and spent many years writing for underground
newspapers. He spent a year teaching French history at Emory
University in Atlanta, Georgia (1990-1991),and spoke good
English. He was relaxed and personable during the visit, but
Szlajfer told us afterwards that Meller is battling with Law
and Justice (PiS) leaders over pressure to name as Secretary
of State a PiS member of parliament whom he finds
unacceptable.
ASHE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR PL
SUBJECT: NEW POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER EMPHASIZES IMPORTANCE
OF RUSSIAN RELATIONS
Classified By: POLCOUNS MARY T. CURTIN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
1. (C) During Ambassador's initial call, Poland's newly named
Foreign Minister Stefan Meller said he would travel back to
Moscow (where he served as Ambassador until his October 31
appointment) on November 13 to arrange his move back to
Warsaw, but also to meet with Foreign Minister Lavrov and,
hopefully, President Vladimir Putin. Meller said that a
meeting with Putin would be "very important for the
Polish-Russian dialogue," and would provide him "new
elements" to discuss during his eventual visit to Washington.
The Ambassador noted there would be keen interest in any
insights he could provide from his visit. Meller added that
he also attached great importance to the U.S.-Europe
relationship, and said that Russia needed to be a "very, very
important" element of the U.S.-Polish-European dialogue.
"With your help," he said, "we will be able to move the right
way and find balance" in those relationships.
2. (C) The Ambassador emphasized that we greatly value
Poland's views on these issues, and urged that Meller make
plans for a visit to Washington as soon as possible, in part
as a prelude to an early 2006 visit by incoming president
Lech Kaczynski. He added that a major concern of our is the
question of Polish troop strength in Iraq. The Ambassador
noted that Defense Minister Radek Sikorski had told him the
previous day (septel) that no political decision had yet been
made, and repeated his request that concerns and decisions
about Iraq be communicated in private discussions, rather
than through the newspaper. Meller indicated he took the
point. (Note: The previous day, MFA Americas Director
Henryk Szlajfer told DCM and PolCouns that he believed the
government would decide to extend troops through the first
half of 2006, but that no decision could be made before the
November 10 vote of confidence. End Note)
3. (C) Meller, has served as Ambassador to France and
Russia, as well as Deputy Minister, and is a French historian
by training. As a young man, he was among a group of Jewish
intellectuals who were prevented from working in their fields
from 1968-1974, and spent many years writing for underground
newspapers. He spent a year teaching French history at Emory
University in Atlanta, Georgia (1990-1991),and spoke good
English. He was relaxed and personable during the visit, but
Szlajfer told us afterwards that Meller is battling with Law
and Justice (PiS) leaders over pressure to name as Secretary
of State a PiS member of parliament whom he finds
unacceptable.
ASHE