Distinguished Minister,
Distinguished Madam Minister,
Excellency, Mr Ambassador, ,
Honourable Members of the Lower House of the Parliament,
Honourable Senators,
Voivode,
Marshal,
Local Government Representatives,
Honourable Generals,
Officers,
Cadets,
Soldiers,
All Distinguished Assembled Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is a memorable day! It is with joy that I have arrived here to Żagan, in order to extend my welcome to our guests and allies, commanders and soldiers of the United States army. I am extremely happy that we can be here together with all of you, Ladies and Gentlemen, together with his Excellency the Ambassador, with Generals: General Lieutenant Ben Hodges and Lieutenant General Timothy Ray, Commanders of the United States European Command, joined on this occasion which I consider a momentous one, and in this opinion I am probably joined by many others.
For decades and decades, until a fairly recent past of thirty years ago, this site: Żagań was a place of deployment of an army which we were forced to treat as an allied one, an army we have never invited to Poland. In particular, we have never invited them to stay here and that is why we felt enslaved. Today, it is our allies who have come here, the allies symbolising freedom and order in the world, and foremost, symbolising security. The allies whom we did invite, and whose arrival we did await. As representatives of this nation, as Polish representatives, standing also for a grand military tradition of Polish arms, we joyfully welcome our American allies: the soldiers of the United States Army.
This occasion is a momentous one, since it marks a shift in paradigms in our part of Europe, and in our part of the world; not only visible in the documents, which have been recently adopted and in the decisions taken in cabinet offices and in conference rooms, as it was the case during the last Warsaw NATO Summit, but also physically: today the North Atlantic Alliance, and the United States Army are present in Poland. It implies, that the allied security space has been truly, in the full meaning of this word, extended upon Poland.
In a moment we shall see this first joined military exercise in the improvement of the collective defence capabilities. This exercise, but, as I trust, also every other day of cooperation between Polish and American soldiers, will serve to build the security zone, cooperation zone, and the area of allied friendship between our armies and between our nations. I am confident that your presence here, and a warm welcome accorded to our American guests in Poland, the welcome for which I am very grateful, will serve to strengthen transatlantic bonds, will serve to consolidate our alliance with the United States.
I trust that our American allies, our guests, after having stayed here in Poland in Żagań, and in other locations, in other Central European states, when replaced by fellow army men and women, will be able to go home full of good memories, bringing positive insights about Poland and Central Europe, able to say that these countries develop and are friendly towards the United States and US citizens.
I wish all men and women in uniforms, and their commanders, every success in exercise, all operations happily completed, and importantly, also a safe return to their barracks and their homes.
God bless Poland, God bless America, God bless Polish and American soldiers.
Thank You.
