From the White House:  Both Presidents applauded the outcomes of the Lisbon NATO Summit, including the allied commitment to reaffirm the primacy of our Article 5 obligations to one another’s security and to adopt territorial missile defense as a core mission. President Obama confirmed the commitment of the United States to implement the Phased Adaptive Approach to European missile defense, including basing land-based SM-3 interceptors in Poland as part of this program in the 2018 timeframe, and expressed his gratitude for the commitment by the government of Poland to host this system.  Poland’s commitment is an extremely valuable contribution to the development of a NATO missile defense capability.

The two leaders agreed to enhance bilateral defense ties in the spirit of the 2008 U.S.-Polish Declaration on Strategic Cooperation.  This includes increased cooperation between our two Air Forces with the aim of strengthening interoperability as NATO allies through regular joint training exercises and establishment of a U.S. air detachment in Poland to support periodic rotation of U.S. military aircraft.

President Obama expressed appreciation for Poland’s contribution to increased worldwide nuclear security, including the removal of highly enriched uranium from the reactor in Poland. President Komorowski expressed Poland’s strong support for the prompt ratification of the New START Treaty, as it would bolster Polish and European security and contribute to the Non-Proliferation Treaty’s disarmament goals. The United States and Poland also emphasized the continued need for practical actions to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems to states of proliferation concern and to terrorist groups. The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to work together under the Proliferation Security Initiative to counter illicit trade in WMD and missiles.
 
The Presidents appreciated the results of NATO summit in Lisbon regarding Afghanistan and highlighted their support for NATO’s efforts there, where U.S. and Polish troops fight side-by-side.  They also noted with satisfaction that ISAF and the Government of Afghanistan are entering a new phase of joint effort.  The United States will place 800 U.S. troops under Polish tactical command in Ghazni Province, a testament to Poland’s military leadership, and will also provide logistical assistance by loaning an additional 20 Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles to the Polish military.

Excerpt from Joint Statement by U.S. President Barack Obama and President Bronislaw Komorowski of Poland.  (photo: AP)

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