Polish president to remind Obama of visa promise
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
24.09.2012 08:51
Bronislaw Komorowski tells Polish Radio that he will remind President Obama of his promise to abolish visa requirements for Poles when in New York for the 67th UN General Assembly.
President Komorowski talking to Polish Radio, Sunday: photo - PR/Wojciech Grzedzinski
President Komorowski and First Lady Anna are flying to New York Monday take part in the assembly alongside 120 presidents, prime ministers and monarchs, amid rising tension over Iran's alleged nuclear weapons ambitions and war in Syria.
But President Komorowski has told Polish Radio that he will be reminding Barack Obama, when he meets him at a special dinner for UN Assembly delegates later today, of his promise when becoming president to add Poland to the US visa waiver programme.
“We look forward to the President of the United States fulfilling his promise on visas,” Poland's president said on Sunday.
“The problem today is that neither Republicans nor Democrats have a majority in Congress. Perhaps the pre-election period [Americans go to the polls on 6 November] could be a good time to obtain declarations […] while each party is hoping to win Polish-American votes,” Komorowski told Polish Radio's first programme.
Poland is among the few European Union countries left out of the US visa waiver program, which allows people to travel to the US for up to 90 days without a visa.
Only Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus are currently excluded from the programme from within the EU.
On Tuesday, President Komorowski will visit the West Point military academy, where he will meet with the rector of the university and lay flowers at the monument to Tadeusz Kosciuszko, who fought in the American War of Independence as a colonel in the Continental Army.
President Komorowski will also present a special award to archbishop of New York Timothy M. Doland at the Polish Consulate.
On Wednesday morning Bronislaw Komorowski will attend the morning session of the UN General Assembly and then meet with representatives of the Polish-American community.
On Thursday, he will address the Polish American Congress and meet with representatives of the Polish-American Chambers of Commerce before returning back to Poland in the evening. (pg)