On March 14, 2006, the maiden flight of the first Polish F-16 aircraft took place in Ft. Worth, Texas, USA. It marks a key milestone in the success of the Peace Sky program. The F-16 that was flown is part of a 48-aircraft order by the Government of Poland and is planned for delivery to the Polish Air Force in November, 2006. When delivered, the Polish F-16s will be the most advanced in NATO. more

The U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Victor Ashe, presented sophisticated computer equipment valued at $180,000 to the Polish Police at the agency’s headquarters in Warsaw on Friday, March 17. Ambassador Ashe donated the equipment under the terms of the “Law and Democracy” program letter of agreement signed in 2002 between Poland and the United States. The equipment will be assigned to the Central Bureau of Investigation to facilitate and support investigations of organized crime. This donation represents the largest equipment donation carried out thus far under the terms of the “Law and Democracy” program. more

U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe said the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Dr. Bill Frist of Tennessee, will lead a Senate delegation to Poland in April. Senator Frist’s delegation is scheduled to be in Warsaw April 10 and 11 to meet with senior Polish government officials. The talks will cover a wide range of bilateral issues including security relations.

“The March of the Living” is an international, educational program that brings Jewish teens from all over the world to Poland on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, to march from Auschwitz to Birenau, the largest concentration camp complex built during World War II. Ambassador Ashe will participate in the march this year to raise Holocaust awareness and help remind the world community of their “Never Again” vow. more

Former Ambassador to Poland (1990-93) and Pakistan (1996-98) Tom Simons and his wife, Peggy, will be in Poland in early April. Ambassador Simons is currently serving as a Senior Fellow at the Institute for International Studies, Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. Ambassador Simons will be speaking at a number of venues while in Poland, including the Diplomatic Academy and the Center for International Relations on April 6, so be sure to check our website at http://warsaw.usembassy.gov for his latest schedule. more

The tenth Governor of Alaska, Frank H. Murkowski, will visit Poland in mid-April. Governor Murkowski plans to conduct business outreach on behalf of the state of Alaska as well as reach back to his Polish roots. Governor Murkowski will also conduct energy sector meetings to explore areas of collaboration between Poland and his resource rich state. more

Five American Mayors led by the president of the US Conference of Mayors concluded a week long trip to Poland on March 24. Beverly O'Neill of Long Beach, CA who is president of the Conference led the group. Ambassador Victor Ashe, a former Mayor himself, accompanied the group on many of their stops. Accompanying her was America's longest serving current Mayor of a mid sized US city, Joseph Riley of Charleston, South Carolina who is in his 31st year as Mayor. Additionally, Mayor Bill Purcell of Nashville, TN, Mayor Pat McCrory of Charlotte, NC and Mayor David Wallace of Sugar Land, Texas were on the delegation. They visited both Warsaw and Krakow during the six days they were in Poland. Their meetings included President Kaczynski and acting Mayor of Warsaw Kochalski. The delegation also visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp.
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