CODEL NELSON: POLISH FM PRESSES FOR RESPONSE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000704

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CE (PIERANGELO, GLANTZ)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV OVIP OTRA PHUM RS PL
SUBJECT: CODEL NELSON: POLISH FM PRESSES FOR RESPONSE ON
PATRIOTS

Classified By: Ambassador Victor Ashe


1. (C) SUMMARY. Foreign Minister Sikorski told Senator
Nelson the GoP still hoped the Missile Defense (MD) agreement
would be implemented, and said he was awaiting clarity
regarding Patriot missiles. He said the Patriots should be
deployed as originally intended -- not as a "sales promotion"
or a training instrument, but as a demonstration of strong
U.S.-Polish defense ties. Sikorski said the Patriot
rotation, and the subsequent garrison, should build positive
perceptions about the bilateral relationship, rather than
reinforcing recent negative impressions. Sikorski appealed
for help in bringing Poland into the U.S. Visa Waiver
program; for U.S. contributions to an international Auschwitz
preservation foundation; and a "re-launching" of the
Community of Democracies initiative on its tenth anniversary.
Senator Nelson agreed that NATO credibility was on the line
in Afghanistan, and praised Polish troop increases there. He
said the U.S. must not "cut a deal" with Russians on MD that
would hurt Poland's interests, and emphasized that Russia has
to accept MD, ideally as a contributor to the system. END
SUMMARY.

HONORING ORIGINAL INTENTIONS RE: THE PATRIOTS


2. (C) During a June 29 meeting with Codel Nelson, Foreign
Minister Sikorski asked about the latest U.S. thinking on
Missile Defense (MD). The GoP had understood during the
negotiating process that the next U.S. administration would
be less enthusiastic about MD, but on balance, the Poles
still believe the system should move forward, and NATO had
officially "blessed" the program. Sikorski said he was
looking forward to receiving a response to his letter to
Secretary Clinton regarding U.S. plans to deploy a rotation
of Patriot missiles in Poland. (NOTE: The Secretary's
response was received the next day.) The rotation should
take place as originally intended -- not as a "sales
promotion" or for training purposes only, but as a sign of
the strength of the U.S.-Polish defense relationship. Part
of the mission of the battery in Germany is the defense of
Israel; when transferred to Poland it should also have the
capability to defend Poland. There needs to be an agreement
on the details of the Patriot rotation; the discussions had
not yet begun, but the GoP hoped the rotation would occur
soon.

NEED TO IMPROVE PERCEPTIONS OF THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP


3. (C) Sikorski said the Patriot rotation should contribute
to positive perceptions of the bilateral relationship.
Unfortunately, Poles had been disappointed over commercial
contracts that failed to materialize in Iraq, and by leaks
about counterterrorism cooperation. Sikorski said the
alleged secret U.S. prison camps in Poland did not exist, but
speculation that they did exist was coming out of U.S.
agencies. Senator Nelson responded that the U.S. does not
yet have the clear answer on MD that Poland needs. He
understood some Poles are worried the U.S. could cut a deal
with Russia at Poland's expense, but that must not be allowed
to happen. He would not be surprised if the Russian
Government withdrew its opposition to the MD program. If
Russia took part in the program it would be good for Russia,
the U.S., Poland and NATO. He would be meeting later with
the Russian Ambassador to Poland and with a Russian Senator,
and would make clear as always that Russia needs to accept
the MD program, like it or not.

POLISH RESOLVE IN AFGHANISTAN


4. (SBU) On Afghanistan, Sikorski noted that Polish troop
levels in ISAF had increased to 2,200, and he personally
hoped there would be further increases next year. Poland had
reduced its participation in UN missions, where there is no
shortage of contributing countries, to focus on a place --
Southern Afghanistan -- where fresh troop offers are hard to
come by. NATO must win in Afghanistan, since its credibility
is at stake. Senator Nelson agreed that NATO must win in
Afghanistan, and expressed appreciation for Poland's
contributions in that country, as well as for previous Polish
contributions in Iraq.

CONCERN ABOUT VISA WAIVER PROGRAM


5. (SBU) Sikorski expressed concern over Poland's ongoing
exclusion from the U.S. visa waiver program, saying that
Poles can travel everywhere else they wanted -- to Canada,

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Australia, other EU countries, etc. -- without visas. It is
a shame that it is so much harder for Poles to travel to the
U.S. than to the rest of Europe. In a reference to the
requirement that visa applicants show strong ties to their
country of origin, Sikorski noted that Polish emigrants are
starting to return from the United States, because there are
greater economic opportunities for them in their own country.
With a playful smile, Sikorski noted that U.S. visa officers
have the discretion to reduce the visa rejection rate to 10
percent, but have not done so.

PRESERVING AUSCHWITZ


6. (SBU) Referring to Prime Minister Tusk's letter to
President Obama on the subject, Sikorski drew attention to
the GoP request for U.S. contributions to a new fund for the
preservation in perpetuity of the Auschwitz concentration
camp. The Auschwitz infrastructure was not built to last,
and the barracks needed to be restored. Poland had preserved
the site since World War II and would continue to do so, but
other countries should help; several countries have pledged
contributions. Senator Nelson noted that the U.S. Congress
had pledged financial support for the Warsaw museum of the
History of Polish Jews, and he promised to explore the
possibility of U.S. contributions to the Auschwitz Foundation
as well. Ambassador Ashe underlined the intense interest of
the American Jewish community in Auschwitz preservation
efforts.

US-POLISH TEAMWORK ON COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES


7. (SBU) Sikorski said he hoped the U.S. would join Poland
in the "relaunching" of the Community of Democracies on the
occasion of its tenth anniversary next year. The CD,
initiated jointly by Poland and the U.S., combined U.S. power
with recent Polish experience creating a democracy. The CD
can create a new, democracy-based caucus at the UN to balance
regional voting blocs. Practical projects include a CD
handbook for diplomats and dissidents that shows how foreign
ministries can support democratization. Poland is planning
to host a meeting with Afghan women next year, since a key
part of democracy is the protection of minorities, and women
are a strategic asset in democratization efforts. Poland is
also planning a meeting of dissidents from countries like
Burma, North Korea, Iran, Russia, and Cuba. Senator Nelson
agreed that democracy is about more than elections, and said
the international community needed to promote a more
realistic concept of what democracy means.

POLISH FINANCES


8. (SBU) The Foreign Minister noted that his ministry had
enacted painful cost-saving measures over the last year, and
more were likely, in light of expected zero growth in
Poland's GDP next year and some unfavorable currency exchange
trends. Unlike the United States, the GoP had not opted for
a stimulus package, but had sought to control deficits. The
Senator noted that as a two-term governor of Nebraska, he had
put together eight straight budgets without a deficit, and
had left a surplus in the state treasury. He had helped lead
a bipartisan Senate group that cut $110 million in
non-stimulative spending from a House of Representatives
stimulus package.

Codel Nelson has cleared on this cable.
ASHE