A/S FRIED AND FLORY DISCUSSIONS WITH POLISH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000160 SIPDIS STATE FOR U/S BURNS OSD FOR A/S FLORY NSC FOR DNSA CROUCH JOINT STAFF FOR J-5 E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2016 TAGS: PREL ENRG OVIP MASS PL UP RS SUBJECT: A/S FRIED AND FLORY DISCUSSIONS WITH POLISH PRESIDENTIAL CHANCELLERY OFFICIALS Classified by Ambassador Victor Ashe. Reasons: 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. (C) Summary: A/S Fried's January 24 and 25 discussions with senior officials of President Kaczynski's staff reviewed issues likely to be on the agenda during President Kaczynski's February 9 meeting with President Bush. A/S Fried and Ambassador Ashe also had a separate breakaway meeting with Kaczynski. Not surprisingly, there was a considerable coincidence of policy views, especially with regard to the new focus in Europe on energy security. This notwithstanding, there is real anxiety on Kaczynski's part and that of his senior staff with regard to the upcomign visit to the United States. Kaczynski's chef de cabinet repeatedly underscored popular expectations that Kaczynski will bring home concrete results from his visit. A/S Fried stressed the importance of the two President's getting to know one another, taking stock of each other's goals and exploring ways for the two countries to make their strategic partnership more effective in advancing democracy and freedom on Europe's preiphery and beyond. He urged that expectations be managed carefully, and expressed his confidence that Kaczysnki's support for freedom made him a first-tier partner for the President. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Senior Polish Presidential Chancellery officials -- chief of Staff Urbanski, Chef de cabinet Jakubiak, Under Secretaries Krawczyk and Chocinska. -- met with A/S fried and SIPDIS selected members of the US delegation to the U.S.-Polish Strategic Dialogue, including Ambassador Ashe, OSD A/S Peter Flory, Joint Staff J-5 Deputy Rear Admiral Doug Mcananey, EUR DAS Mark Pekala, NSC Director Damon Wilson and DCM Hillas. Urbanski, who is also Acting National Security Advisor, began by stressing that Poland will remain engaged in peacekeeping operations and that Kaczynski is committed to strengthening the Polish armed forces. At Urbanski's request, Fried gave a read-out on his discussions in Kiev the previous day, noting that the USG will support Ukraine's efforts to move as fast and as close to the West as Kiev desires. He said the USG looked to Poland to continue to play a role in reaching out to Ukraine and in helping the rest of Europe realize that the question of energy security is a shared one, not restricted to Ukraine and other East European states. There was a coincidence of views about the political and economic outcome of the recent Russia-Ukraine gas crisis, as well as shared concern about aspects of the new arrangement involving RosUkrEnergo as an intermediary. ¶3. (C) Fried stressed that while Russia will always be a gas exporter, the challenge was to help the Central Asian states achieve non-Gazprom exports opportunities at world market prices, rather than allowing Moscow to profit from their gas exports. The difference between world prices and discounted Russian/Central Asian prices were a recipe for corruption, Fried said. Jakubiak made clear that gas diversification was a national security priority for Poland and indicated that the Poles were exploring various alternatives, including a Norwegian-Polish pipeline and an LNG terminal in Gdansk. ¶4. (C) At the Poles' request the US delegation shared perspectives on the upcoming visit of President Kaczynski to Washington. Fried said it was important for Kaczynski to share his vision of what he wants to achieve during his time in office and to demonstrate his interest in being a reliable partner for the USG, noting that Kaczynski had strong credentials from the Polish struggle for freedom. Jakubiak pointed out that Kaczynski was one of the first to advocate (in 1991) Polish membership in NATO. A/S Flory stressed that Poland was highly valued in Washington, because the beginning of the end of the Soviet empire began in Gdansk shipyards. Wilson added that President Bush understood the strategic value of the US-Polish partnership and would be interested in Kaczysnki's views on how to help Russia not backslide to authoritarianism and how to resolve the Iran/nuclear issue. The USG would continue to look to Poland to be a partner in advancing our common goals. Jakubiak responded that Kaczynski has strong views on Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, and is an advocate for freedom for all nations. Without being specific, she also stressed that there are "big public expectations" for Kaczynski's visit. (In a separate meeting the next day with Fried and DCM, Jakubiak and Krawczyk again underscored the importance of the latter, and the consquent hope that Kaczynski would be able to achieve unspecified concrete results during his visit.) ¶5. (C) Advocating that the Poles focus on how our two countries can undertake partnership efforts to advance freedom on Europe's periphery, Fried noted that the poor, brave Poland" label no longer was applicable and that Poland was now assuming its rightful place as a signifcant power in Europe. The relationship could not be reduced to levels of U.S. assistance. Poland's ermergence as a leader, he noted, was occuring at a time that U.S.-European relations were transforming and Europe was looking for a new role in the world. Near the end of the meeting, Jakubiak again reiterated that there were high expectations in Poland for the Kaczynski visit, citing Commerce Secretary Gutierrez's conclusion that there is a potential for greater economic cooperation between our two countries. The meeting concluded with both sides agreeing on the need to have our strategic partnership undertake joint action. This message was cleared by A/S Fried. ASHE