LETTER OF THANKS AND MEETING REQUEST FOR SECRETARY

UNCLAS WARSAW 000538 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR S/ES-CR, S/ES-O, EUR/CE, DRL/AE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPDC PREL OVIP PHUM PL SUBJECT: LETTER OF THANKS AND MEETING REQUEST FOR SECRETARY CLINTON REF: A. WARSAW 383 ¶B. WARSAW 525 ¶1. Embassy Warsaw received a letter from Stanislaw Stankiewicz, President of the International Romani Union in Poland, addressed to Secretary Clinton expressing thanks for her Roma Day statement and requesting a meeting. The original letter will be sent by pouch to S/ES-CR. ¶2. Post received the letter following PolCouns' participation in an International Roma Day event on April 8, 2009 (Ref A), which included a reading of the Secretary's statement. Embassy Warsaw and ConGen Krakow are actively engaged in a dialogue with the Polish government and diverse Roma communities in Poland on Roma issues (see Ref B). ¶3. Begin text of letter: For all Rroma in Europe and elsewhere, your speech on the International Day of the Rroma on April 8th, was received with great enthusiasm and pride. This day has been a turning point in history, for this is the first time that Secretary of State of the US Government has highlighted the plight and issues faced by Rroma in many countries. We Rroma, as the largest transnational European minority, took your speech as a key that opened the prospects of new policies on Rroma with Rroma in Europe and other countries. Your open and direct talk, with the democratic and open background of your country gave hope to many Rroma to be able to live normal lives amongst the rest of the population. In the name of the International Rromani Union and all Rroma whom we represent, we would like to thank you for this intervention and for your engagement to better our lives and future. We would be very happy if we could meet you in person and be able to present you our work, which we are currently doing to improve the situation and integration of the Rroma minority. This would be a great honor and would give us strength in continuing and improving our work. It would also be a signal to politicians in all countries, to at long last include Rroma in the democratic processes and societies of their own countries. Once more, many thanks for your engagement and intervention, which showed insights and a depth of knowledge of the situation of this transnational minority, something we have until now not been used to. In the name of all Rroma, thank you. End text. QUANRUD