Nawrocki, accompanied by First Lady Marta Nawrocka, met members of the Polish community on Sunday at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa. The visit began with the unveiling of a plaque commemorating former prime minister Jan Olszewski. The president presented state decorations to Polish-American activists, including the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for Anna Maria Anders. Among those recognized were Tadeusz Antoniak, Janusz Romański and Grzegorz Tymiński.
Saying he intends to be “your president in the dimension of practical actions,” Nawrocki announced the creation of a Council for the Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad. The body, he said, would address concrete issues facing communities worldwide, prepare legislative initiatives, and “listen to your voice” to translate it into legal practice.
He described the Doylestown sanctuary as special in three ways: spiritual and religious; national—rooted in historical memory and shared values; and personal. He recalled visiting nine years ago, while working at the Institute of National Remembrance, to unveil a monument to the anti-communist underground with Tymiński, and returning last year alongside then-president Andrzej Duda for the unveiling of a “Solidarity” monument.
“The president of Poland is—and will always be—with you in nurturing national memory and our values,” he said.
Calling the diaspora Poland’s chief “ambassador” in the United States, Nawrocki stressed shared commitments to independence, freedom, democracy and free speech. He said the task before the current presidents of Poland and the United States is to move ties “into the next phase of great Polish-American friendship,” adding that the alliance with Washington is vital for Poland’s security.
On Monday, Nawrocki begins engagements tied to the UN General Assembly debate, with meetings planned with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, leaders of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Montenegro and Korea, and representatives of American companies.
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Source: Polskie Radio 24, PAP