LETTER OF CONGRATULATIONS FROM PRIME MINISTER TUSK

UNCLAS WARSAW 001289 DEPT FOR S/ES-CR, S/ES-O, H, AND EUR/CE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPDC PREL OVIP PL SUBJECT: LETTER OF CONGRATULATIONS FROM PRIME MINISTER TUSK FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA REF: STATE 118192 ¶1. Post has been informed that the following letter of congratulations from Polish Prime Minister Tusk has been delivered by the Polish Embassy in Washington to President-elect Obama. A scanned copy of the letter is posted on the Prime Minister's website (www.premier.gov.pl). ¶2. Begin English-language text as posted on the Prime Minister's website: Warsaw, 5th November 2008 I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate you on the occasion of the election to the post of the President of the United States. I am convinced that this is a good choice for America, for Poland and for the future of our entire world. Poland and the United States are linked with close ties of friendship and brotherhood, whose roots are embedded deeply in the past. The recent years saw a particularly intensive development of relations between our states based, among other things, on common cooperation in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Also this year we managed to markedly strengthen the foundation of cooperation between our countries and map out a new framework for extending thereof in the future. I do hope that thanks to the full commitment of both sides in the implementation of the hitherto defined plans, the relations between our states will undergo further consolidation. The hope seems to be all the more justified since citizens of the United States elected a candidate representing the region inhabited by more than one million Americans of Polish origin, thus being dear to all Poles. The democratic world needs a strong United States, open to cooperation with those who want peace and security. Trans-Atlantic relations are of special importance for those matters, which is why I count on the revitalization and strengthening of the Trans-Atlantic cooperation. Congratulating you sincerely once again and wishing success in your work, I would like, on my own behalf and on behalf of the government of the Republic of Poland, to invite you to pay a visit in our country. End text. ASHE