Poland

September 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said the following today regarding President Obama’s European missile defense announcement:

President Obama has made a sound choice that will improve our security. The President’s decision focuses on fielding effective capabilities to defend our forward deployed force and allies in Europe against the real and existing missile threat from Iran, which consists of short- and medium-range missiles, rather than only against a potential future long-range threat.    » read more »

Statement by David Wright, co-director of UCS's Global Security Program

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (September 17, 2009) — President Obama's announcement today that his administration is scrapping plans to deploy a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic was seen as a "victory for common sense" by experts at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). As noted by leading scientists in a letter to the president in July, the missile defense system slated for Eastern Europe "has not been proven and does not merit deployment. It would offer little or no defensive capability, even in principle."

Below is a statement by Dr. David Wright, a physicist and co-director of UCS's Global Security Program:    » read more »

15 May 2008 -- A House of Representatives committee has voted down attempts by Republicans to restore more than $200 million for a planned U.S. missile defense system in Europe. A final decision on funding must await House and Senate votes on separate versions of a more than $500 billion defense authorization measure for 2009, and negotiations to resolve differences.

The Bush administration wants to place 10 land-based interceptor missiles in Poland, and a related radar installation in the Czech Republic, as a NATO defense against potential ballistic missile launches on Europe, with a focus on potential Iranian threats.

The plan is controversial, and has increased tensions with Russia, which views the future system as a threat, and has faced opposition from congressional Democrats.    » read more »

New research shows small and medium businesses in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland are ready to embrace new technologies

BUDAPEST, Hungary; PRAGUE, Czech Rep. & WARSAW, Poland - April 3, 2008 - Advanced information and communications technology is a key differentiator that can help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) grow their business, become more competitive and operate more efficiently within international supply chains. As part of Cisco's continued commitment to Central and Eastern Europe, Cisco CapitalTM today announced the availability of its EasyLease financing program through local finance organisations in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.    » read more »

07 January 2008 -- The Bush administration said Monday it remains confident Poland will join the United States in a European missile-defense program, despite reservations expressed by the Polish foreign minister. The system is aimed at countering an Iranian missile program but Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski downplays any threat from Iran.

Officials here say they're confident a deal will be struck for Polish participation on the missile defense plan, despite signs the new government in Warsaw is less supportive of the program than its predecessor.    » read more »

15 November 2007 -- A military court in Poland has ordered seven Polish soldiers held for three months while officials investigate charges of war crimes in the killing of Afghan civilians.

The soldiers were charged earlier this week with killing civilians while serving with a NATO-led mission in August in the eastern Afghan province of Paktika.

The seven are accused of firing mortar and machine guns into an Afghan village, despite evidence they faced no immediate threat. Six civilians were killed in the ensuing clashes.    » read more »

02 September 2007 (VOA Sports) -- Defending U.S. Open tennis champion and second seed Maria Sharapova of Russia has become the first big upset of this year's tournament in New York.

Polish teenager Agnieszka Radwanska shocked Maria Sharapova, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.

Another seeded Russian also fell in third-round play Saturday when unseeded Agnes Szavay of Hungary downed number seven Nadia Petrova (6-4, 6-4).

Other seeded women ousted Saturday include two Swiss players: number 11 Patty Schnyder and number 16 Martina Hingis.    » read more »

12 August 2007 -- Poland's Prime Minister Yaroslaw Kaczynski says he is planning for early elections amid political crisis within his ruling coalition.

Mr. Kaczynski said Saturday that his conservative Law and Justice Party has decided to push for elections in the autumn following strife with its two coalition partners. He said the elections, originally scheduled for 2009, could take place as early as October.

Earlier this week, Mr. Kaczynski fired Interior Minister Janusz Kaczmarek whom he blamed of botching a corruption investigation of a former agriculture minister.    » read more »

July 16, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the visit of Polish President Lech Kaczynski to the United States:

“I welcome Polish President Lech Kaczynski to Washington. Recognizing the rich history of cooperation between our two countries, I am happy to say, Witam Serdecznie w Washingtonie [Welcome to Washington].”    » read more »

Bush insists Czech Republic, Poland remain part of anti-missile plan

02 July 2007 -- Washington -- President Bush, meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kennebunkport, Maine, welcomed the Russian president’s proposal to expand a shared missile defense network to include Russia, the United States and European allies via the NATO-Russia Council.

The Russian and U.S. presidents met July 1-2 in at the Bush family’s summer home in Kennebunkport.    » read more »

14 May 2007 -- Poland and the United States have opened formal talks on a controversial U.S. plan to place part of a U.S. missile defense system on Polish soil.

A U.S. State Department senior advisor, Robert Loftis, met Monday in Warsaw with Polish defense officials.

U.S. embassy spokesman Andrew Schilling characterized the meeting as a good beginning, with an exchange of ideas about how negotiations should move forward.

Another round of higher level talks is set for next week involving senior U.S. envoy John Rood, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Security.    » read more »

WARSAW, May 11, 2007 –The Government of Poland and the World Bank today signed a €140 million loan to co-finance the Government’s Odra River Basin Flood Protection Project, designed to protect the population in the river basin against loss of life and damage to property caused by severe flooding. Marta Gajecka, Deputy Minister of Finance of Poland, and Edgar Saravia, World Bank Country Manager for Poland, respectively signed the Loan Agreement on behalf of the Polish Government and the World Bank.    » read more »