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Ambassador Ashe presents
Karski Freedom Award to
Tadeusz Mazowiecki |
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Tadeusz
Mazowiecki Awarded Karski Freedom Award |
| U.S.
Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe proudly
awarded the prestigious 2008 Karski
Freedom Award to Tadeusz Mazowiecki for
his work to promote democracy and human
rights in Poland at a ceremony at the
Ambassador's residence on December 3,
2007. To listen to Ambassador Ashe's
remarks at the event, or Mr.
Mazowiecki's acceptance speech, please
click on the link at Polskie Radio here: http://www.polskieradio.pl/iar/wiadomosci/artykul26875.html. [more] |
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Hilary Renner gives out prizes to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners |
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Embassy Hosts Treasures of the Earth Contest |
| U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe opened the grand finale of the “Treasures of the Earth” contest for elementary school children at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw on December 11, 2007. The first place winners performed in elaborate costumes skits, songs and dances in the English language about environmental protection. [more] |
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State Department Seal |
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Embassy Hosts Video Conference On Combating Violence Against Women |
| The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw hosted a digital video conference entitled "Combating Violence Against Women: Continuing Challenges," on December 13, 2007, which brought together U.S. and Polish experts to discuss challenges and investigate potential solutions related to combating violence against women. The conference was held in recognition of the recent International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the 16 days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign. [more] |
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Minister of Justice Cwiakalski and Ambassador Ashe |
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Ambassador Meets with Minister of Justice |
| U.S.
Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe met
with Minister of Justice Zbigniew Cwiakalski
on December 11, 2007. The Minister welcomed
the Ambassador and stated that he looked
forward to building on our strong relationship.
Ambassador Ashe noted the great success
that the United States and Poland have
had working closely on many issues recently,
including 10 extraditions of serious
felons in the past year and Mutual Legal
Assistance Treaty requests. [more] |
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Ambassador Ashe and Minister Klich |
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Ambassador Meets with New Minister of Defense |
| U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe met with the Minister of Defense Bogdan Klich on December 7, 2007 to congratulate Minister Klich on his appointment and to express his appreciation for Polish soldiers serving in missions abroad, including in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The two discussed several current defense issues and both stressed the importance of the U.S.-Polish bilateral military relationship. Ambassador Ashe was accompanied to the meeting by Defense Attache Colonel Rick Runner and Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation, Colonel Stan Prusinski. [more] |
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Ambassador Ashe and Minister of Culture Bogdan Zdrojewski |
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Ambassador Ashe Visits New Polish Ministers of Labor, Agriculture and Culture |
| U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe met with Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jolanta Fedak on November 30, 2007, in the first of several meetings with new Polish Ministers. Ambassador Ashe congratulated Minister Fedak on her recent appointment and they discussed issues of mutual concern, including the positive benefits of the U.S. Summer Work and Travel program for young Poles and the progress towards conclusion of a U.S/Poland Social Security Totalization Agreement. [more] |
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Ambassador Ashe and Minister of Sport Drzewiecki |
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Ambassador Ashe Meets with Ministers of Sport and Science |
| On December 3, Ambassador Ashe met with Minister of Science and Higher Education Barbara Kudrycka. The Ambassador first met the Minister two years ago when she was Rector of the Bialystok School of Public Administration where he spoke. The two discussed of the importance of educational and scientific exchanges between the two countries and the Minister recalled her positive experiences in the United States. [more] |
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Deputy Cultural Attaché Hilary Renner meets students |
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English Students in Szczecin Embrace “About the USA” |
| In October of 2007, the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw donated “About the USA” to two classes of English students at Gymnasium Number 46 in Szczecin. The students are using this book as their primary textbook as they spend this year studying American culture. These classes are conducting large topic-based research projects and will celebrate an “American Day Festival” at the end of the school year. [more] |
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from left, Major James Fisher, Captain Jekielek and Ambassador Ashe |
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Illinois National Guard Official Visits Poland |
| Captain Krista Jekielek from the Illinois National Guard visited Poland from December 4 to 6, 2007 to meet with Ambassador Victor Ashe, the Embassy's Office of Defense Cooperation, and other members of the Embassy Team to discuss events to be held between the Polish Air Force and Land Forces during "Training Year 2008." The State of Illinois is officially designated as the “State Partner” to Poland and Captain Jekielek is the State Partnership Program Coordinator for the Illinois National Guard. Captain Jekielek coordinates yearly events between the National Guard of Illinois and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland. [more] |
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Embassy officials with Captain Jerzy “Magic” Bartnik, and Ewa Bartnik |
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Embassy Official Honors Polish WWII Vets |
| The U.S. Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission Kenneth Hillas joined over 100 Polish World War II veterans and their families for a special lunch and traditional Polish Christmas celebration on December 19, 2007. The event was organized by the Association-Klub Kawalerow of the Order of the Virtuti Militari. The Virtuti Militari is the Polish military award equivalent to the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor. The President of the Association-Klub, Captain Zdzisław Pilatowicz, presided over the event and welcomed many distinguished attendees.
[more] |
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Dr Miles White lecturing in American Studies Center |
Ethnomusicologist Miles White Lectures on Music and Race Issues in Warsaw |
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Dr Miles White, an ethnomusicologist and music journalist who spent his early musical years traveling the "chitlin' circuit" as a trumpet player in R&B funk bands in the South, visited Poland December 4-6 for lectures on the role of “gangsta” imagery in rap music. Dr. White is currently a lecturer at Charles University in Prague. [more] |
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10 print scanner |
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Visa Process to Include 10 Fingerprints |
On December 10, 2007, the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw and the U.S. Consulate in Krakow will begin collecting ten fingerprints as part of the non-immigrant and immigrant visa application processing.
This change will bring the Embassy and Consulate into compliance with the State Department’s worldwide deployment of 10-print systems for all immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants. The program will be completed in all U.S. Embassies and Consulates by December 31, 2007. [more] |
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State Department Seal |
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Visa Fees to Increase January 1 |
| Effective January 1, 2008, the application fees for U.S. immigrant and nonimmigrant visas will increase worldwide, announced Consul General Phillip Min of the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw. The nonimmigrant fee will increase from $100 to $131; the immigrant visa fee will increase from $335 to $355. "Persons wishing to avoid the fee increase can pay $100 between now and December 31, 2007 and schedule to have their interview up until January 31, 2008 without incurring further costs," Ambassador Ashe said. [more] |
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Dan Tepfer |
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Jazz in January = Jazzuary |
| January 2008 will be an exceptionally jazzy month. The American Embassy is happy to be co-sponsoring two outstanding jazz groups touring Poland and the region during “Jazzuary” announced Cultural Attaché James Wolfe. The Dan Tepfer Trio from New York will appear January 15-21 in Warsaw (three shows), Torun, Gdansk, Zakopane, and Krakow. American bassist Anthony Cox will be touring with Polish saxophone player Adam Pieronczyk in Poland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia from January 15-30 as the Anthony Cox /Adam Pieronczyk Quartet. [more] |
