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