FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
CDC Press Release: Colorectal cancer screening rates remain low
Greater use of all recommended tests could increase screening rates and reduce deaths. About one in three adults aged 50 to 75 years have not been tested for colorectal cancer as recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite research that shows colorectal cancer screening tests saves lives, screening rates remain too low.
“There are more than 20 million adults in this country who haven’t had any recommended screening for colorectal cancer and who may therefore get cancer and die from a preventable tragedy,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Screening for colorectal cancer is effective and can save your life.”
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer among men and women in the United States, after lung cancer. Screening tests can prevent cancer or detect it at an early stage, when treatment can be highly effective. Adults aged 50 years and older should get tested with one or a combination of these screening tests:
Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) done at home every year,
Flexible sigmoidoscopy, done every five years, with FOBT/FIT done every three years, Colonoscopy done every 10 years. A colonoscopy can detect cancer early, and it can find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. An FOBT/FIT is a simple at-home test that can detect cancer early by identifying blood in the stool, a possible sign of cancer. People are not always offered a choice of colorectal cancer tests, but studies have shown that people who are able to choose the test they prefer are more likely to get the test done.
CDC researchers reviewed colorectal cancer screening data from CDC’s 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to estimate the percentage of people aged 50 to 75 years who reported getting screened as recommended by type of test.
Major findings:
Among adults who were screened as recommended, colonoscopy was by far the most common screening test (62 percent). Use of the other USPSTF-recommended tests was much lower: fecal occult blood test (10 percent), and flexible sigmoidoscopy in combination with FOBT/FIT (less than 1 percent).
The highest percentage of adults who were up-to-date with colorectal cancer screening was in Massachusetts (76 percent).
The percentage of people screened for colorectal cancer using the fecal occult blood test within one year was more than twice as high in California (20 percent) when compared with most states.
Blacks and whites had similar screening rates, but a higher percentage of blacks across all income and education levels used FOBT.
The authors noted that increasing use of all tests may increase screening rates. Furthermore, research shows that more people may get tested if health care providers used an organized approach to identify people who need to be screened; contact them at their home or community setting; advise them of each test; and carefully monitor to make sure they complete their test.
Through the Affordable Care Act, more Americans will have access to health coverage and preventive services like colorectal cancer screening tests. The tests will be available at no additional cost. Visit Healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY/TDD 1-855-889-4325) to learn more. Open enrollment in the Marketplace began October 1 and ends March 31, 2014. For those enrolled by December 15, 2013, coverage starts as early as January 1, 2014.
CDC provides funding to 25 states and four tribal organizations across the United States to help increase colorectal cancer screening rates among men and women aged 50 years and older through organized screening methods.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
DEBT COLLECTOR AND SON-IN-LAW RECEIVE PRISON TIME FOR IDENTITY THEFT
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, November 4, 2013
Debt Collection Employee and Son-in-Law Sent to Prison for Identity Theft Tax Scheme
Quentin Collick of Montgomery, Ala., and Deatrice Williams of Duluth, Ga., were sentenced Nov. 1, 2013, to serve 85 and 51 months in prison, respectively, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama George L. Beck Jr. Collick and Williams were previously found guilty by a jury in the Middle District of Alabama of conspiring to file false claims, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Collick was also convicted of three counts of theft of public funds. Corey Thompson, a co-conspirator, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve 30 months in jail.
Based on evidence introduced at trial and court filings, Williams worked for a debt collection company located in Norcross, Ga. As an employee, Williams had access to a database that stored names, social security numbers and dates of birth of individuals who owed medical debts. Williams stole the identities of a number of these individuals and provided the stolen information to Collick, her son-in-law.
Collick and Thompson used stolen identities to file false tax returns and fraudulently claim tax refunds. In 2011 and 2012, Thompson worked as an independent contractor for a cable company installing cable and internet access for customers. To conceal the filing of the false tax returns, Thompson used his specialized knowledge and equipment to shut down and hijack his customers’ internet service, and along with Collick, filed false tax returns using the customers’ internet access, making it appear as if the false tax returns were being filed by the customers. Thompson and Collick then directed the tax refunds to be placed on pre-paid debit cards, which were mailed to Montgomery, Ala. However, those cards were intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service. Several tax refund checks were also mailed by the IRS, based upon the fraudulent returns, which Collick retrieved and cashed.
This case was investigated by special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Tax Division Trial Attorneys Michael Boteler, Jason H. Poole and Alexander Effendi
Monday, November 4, 2013
Debt Collection Employee and Son-in-Law Sent to Prison for Identity Theft Tax Scheme
Quentin Collick of Montgomery, Ala., and Deatrice Williams of Duluth, Ga., were sentenced Nov. 1, 2013, to serve 85 and 51 months in prison, respectively, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama George L. Beck Jr. Collick and Williams were previously found guilty by a jury in the Middle District of Alabama of conspiring to file false claims, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Collick was also convicted of three counts of theft of public funds. Corey Thompson, a co-conspirator, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve 30 months in jail.
Based on evidence introduced at trial and court filings, Williams worked for a debt collection company located in Norcross, Ga. As an employee, Williams had access to a database that stored names, social security numbers and dates of birth of individuals who owed medical debts. Williams stole the identities of a number of these individuals and provided the stolen information to Collick, her son-in-law.
Collick and Thompson used stolen identities to file false tax returns and fraudulently claim tax refunds. In 2011 and 2012, Thompson worked as an independent contractor for a cable company installing cable and internet access for customers. To conceal the filing of the false tax returns, Thompson used his specialized knowledge and equipment to shut down and hijack his customers’ internet service, and along with Collick, filed false tax returns using the customers’ internet access, making it appear as if the false tax returns were being filed by the customers. Thompson and Collick then directed the tax refunds to be placed on pre-paid debit cards, which were mailed to Montgomery, Ala. However, those cards were intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service. Several tax refund checks were also mailed by the IRS, based upon the fraudulent returns, which Collick retrieved and cashed.
This case was investigated by special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Tax Division Trial Attorneys Michael Boteler, Jason H. Poole and Alexander Effendi
LA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO TAX CRIME RELATED TO CONCEALING BANK ACCOUNTS IN ISRAEL
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, November 4, 2013
Los Angeles Businessman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the United States by Concealing Israeli Bank Accounts
Defendant is Latest in a Series of Defendants Charged with Failing to Report Income from Undeclared Accounts in Israel
David Raminfard of Los Angeles pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) announced.
According to court documents, Raminfard, a U.S. citizen, maintained undeclared bank accounts at an international bank headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, identified in court documents as Bank A. The accounts were held in the names of nominees in order to keep them secret from the U.S. government. One of the accounts was held in the name of Westrose Limited, a nominee entity formed in the Turks and Caicos Islands. To further ensure that his undeclared accounts remained secret, Raminfard placed a mail hold on his accounts. Rather than having his account statements mailed to him, Raminfard would receive them from an international accounts manager with Bank A in Israel, who brought the statements to Los Angeles and reviewed them with Raminfard during meetings at a hotel.
In or about 2000, Raminfard began secretly using the funds in his undeclared accounts as collateral for back-to-back loans obtained from the Los Angeles branch of Bank A. Raminfard used one of the loans to purchase commercial real estate in Los Angeles. By using back-to-back loans, Raminfard was able to access his funds in Israel without the U.S. Government finding out about his undeclared accounts. These loans also enabled Raminfard to claim the interest paid on the loans as a business expense on his companies’ business tax returns, while not reporting the interest earned in Israel as income on his individual income tax returns filed with the IRS. For tax years 2005 through 2010, Raminfard failed to report approximately $521,000 in income. The highest balance in Raminfard’s undeclared accounts was approximately $3 million.
Raminfard is the latest in a series of defendants charged in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California with conspiring to defraud the United States in connection with using undeclared bank accounts in Israel to obtain back-to-back loans in the United States.
U.S. citizens and residents who have an interest in, or signature or other authority over, a financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 are required to disclose the existence of such account on Schedule B, Part III, of their individual income tax returns. Additionally, U.S. citizens and residents must file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Reports (FBAR) with the U.S. Treasury disclosing any financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 in which they have a financial interest or over which they have signature or other authority.
Raminfard faces a potential maximum prison term of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000. In addition, Raminfard has agreed to pay a civil penalty to the IRS in the amount of 50 percent of the high balance of his undeclared accounts for failing to file FBARs.
Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California André Birotte Jr. thanked special agents of IRS-CI, who investigated the cases, Tax Division Senior Litigation Counsel John E. Sullivan and Assistant Chief Elizabeth C. Hadden, who prosecuted the cases, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra A. Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who assisted with the prosecutions.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Los Angeles Businessman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the United States by Concealing Israeli Bank Accounts
Defendant is Latest in a Series of Defendants Charged with Failing to Report Income from Undeclared Accounts in Israel
David Raminfard of Los Angeles pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) announced.
According to court documents, Raminfard, a U.S. citizen, maintained undeclared bank accounts at an international bank headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, identified in court documents as Bank A. The accounts were held in the names of nominees in order to keep them secret from the U.S. government. One of the accounts was held in the name of Westrose Limited, a nominee entity formed in the Turks and Caicos Islands. To further ensure that his undeclared accounts remained secret, Raminfard placed a mail hold on his accounts. Rather than having his account statements mailed to him, Raminfard would receive them from an international accounts manager with Bank A in Israel, who brought the statements to Los Angeles and reviewed them with Raminfard during meetings at a hotel.
In or about 2000, Raminfard began secretly using the funds in his undeclared accounts as collateral for back-to-back loans obtained from the Los Angeles branch of Bank A. Raminfard used one of the loans to purchase commercial real estate in Los Angeles. By using back-to-back loans, Raminfard was able to access his funds in Israel without the U.S. Government finding out about his undeclared accounts. These loans also enabled Raminfard to claim the interest paid on the loans as a business expense on his companies’ business tax returns, while not reporting the interest earned in Israel as income on his individual income tax returns filed with the IRS. For tax years 2005 through 2010, Raminfard failed to report approximately $521,000 in income. The highest balance in Raminfard’s undeclared accounts was approximately $3 million.
Raminfard is the latest in a series of defendants charged in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California with conspiring to defraud the United States in connection with using undeclared bank accounts in Israel to obtain back-to-back loans in the United States.
U.S. citizens and residents who have an interest in, or signature or other authority over, a financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 are required to disclose the existence of such account on Schedule B, Part III, of their individual income tax returns. Additionally, U.S. citizens and residents must file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Reports (FBAR) with the U.S. Treasury disclosing any financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 in which they have a financial interest or over which they have signature or other authority.
Raminfard faces a potential maximum prison term of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000. In addition, Raminfard has agreed to pay a civil penalty to the IRS in the amount of 50 percent of the high balance of his undeclared accounts for failing to file FBARs.
Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California André Birotte Jr. thanked special agents of IRS-CI, who investigated the cases, Tax Division Senior Litigation Counsel John E. Sullivan and Assistant Chief Elizabeth C. Hadden, who prosecuted the cases, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra A. Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who assisted with the prosecutions.
EDUCATION TO INFORM STUDENT BORROWERS OF REPAYMENT OPTIONS
FROM: U.S. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
U.S. Department of Education Announces Additional Efforts to Inform Student Borrowers of Repayment Options
NOVEMBER 4, 2013
As part of the Obama administration's agenda to make college more affordable, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) is announcing today an outreach campaign to groups of federal student loan borrowers to make sure they know and understand all their repayment options. This past weekend, FSA began contacting groups of borrowers via e-mail to ensure they are enrolled in the best available repayment plan.
This new outreach augments the day-to-day communications provided by borrowers' student loan servicers. FSA's campaign is aimed at reducing borrower delinquency and default, and improving awareness of income-driven repayment plans. Income-driven repayment plans allow borrowers to repay their student debt on a sliding scale that adjusts their payments based on their income and family size.
"Reaching out to borrowers to ensure that they have the information they need to manage their student loan debt is an important part of the administration's proposals to improve college value and affordability," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "Thanks to this outreach, coupled with ongoing outreach provided by student loan servicers, borrowers have the opportunity to learn more about their options to lower monthly loan payments and stay on track of their student loans."
The outreach will target federal student loan borrowers who can benefit the most from an income-driven repayment plan. Approximately 3.5 million borrowers will be contacted from now until mid-December. Concurrent with this outreach, FSA will conduct a social media campaign on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter geared toward recent college grads and borrowers. The campaign will focus on loan repayment options, common mistakes and general student loan advice.
The outreach campaign will target borrowers whose grace periods will end soon, borrowers who have fallen behind on their student loan payments, borrowers with higher-than-average debts, and borrowers in deferment or forbearance because of financial hardship or unemployment.
Borrowers who are contacted via e-mail will be prompted to access resources designed to educate them on repayment options, apply for an income-driven repayment plan, or contact their federal student loan servicer for additional information.
In addition to contacting groups of borrowers, FSA will soon launch a "one-stop shop" financial aid toolkit aimed at guidance counselors and other advisers who assist students through the process of selecting and financing their higher education, like staff or volunteers at community-based organizations. The toolkit will include resources covering the entire financial aid lifecycle, from applying for financial aid to repaying loans. The toolkit will also offer professional development information such as training opportunities and resources for self-instruction. More information about the toolkit will be provided closer to its launch date later this year.
The outreach this fall builds on ongoing efforts by the administration to improve college affordability. Thanks to President Obama and Secretary Duncan's leadership, Congress ended student loan subsidies for private financial institutions and banks and shifted billions in savings back to students; capped loan repayments at 10 percent of monthly income for many borrowers who are trying to responsibly manage their federal student loan debt; and worked with Congress to keep student loan rates from doubling this year -- saving typical undergraduates more than $1,500 for this year's loans.
Additionally, borrowers can use existing resources, like the Department's online IBR calculator and repayment calculator, to determine how best to pay back their student loans.
As part of the administration's overall agenda to address rising college costs and make college more affordable for American families, the Department announced last week that it will host four public forums across the country to gather public input about its proposals.
U.S. Department of Education Announces Additional Efforts to Inform Student Borrowers of Repayment Options
NOVEMBER 4, 2013
As part of the Obama administration's agenda to make college more affordable, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) is announcing today an outreach campaign to groups of federal student loan borrowers to make sure they know and understand all their repayment options. This past weekend, FSA began contacting groups of borrowers via e-mail to ensure they are enrolled in the best available repayment plan.
This new outreach augments the day-to-day communications provided by borrowers' student loan servicers. FSA's campaign is aimed at reducing borrower delinquency and default, and improving awareness of income-driven repayment plans. Income-driven repayment plans allow borrowers to repay their student debt on a sliding scale that adjusts their payments based on their income and family size.
"Reaching out to borrowers to ensure that they have the information they need to manage their student loan debt is an important part of the administration's proposals to improve college value and affordability," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "Thanks to this outreach, coupled with ongoing outreach provided by student loan servicers, borrowers have the opportunity to learn more about their options to lower monthly loan payments and stay on track of their student loans."
The outreach will target federal student loan borrowers who can benefit the most from an income-driven repayment plan. Approximately 3.5 million borrowers will be contacted from now until mid-December. Concurrent with this outreach, FSA will conduct a social media campaign on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter geared toward recent college grads and borrowers. The campaign will focus on loan repayment options, common mistakes and general student loan advice.
The outreach campaign will target borrowers whose grace periods will end soon, borrowers who have fallen behind on their student loan payments, borrowers with higher-than-average debts, and borrowers in deferment or forbearance because of financial hardship or unemployment.
Borrowers who are contacted via e-mail will be prompted to access resources designed to educate them on repayment options, apply for an income-driven repayment plan, or contact their federal student loan servicer for additional information.
In addition to contacting groups of borrowers, FSA will soon launch a "one-stop shop" financial aid toolkit aimed at guidance counselors and other advisers who assist students through the process of selecting and financing their higher education, like staff or volunteers at community-based organizations. The toolkit will include resources covering the entire financial aid lifecycle, from applying for financial aid to repaying loans. The toolkit will also offer professional development information such as training opportunities and resources for self-instruction. More information about the toolkit will be provided closer to its launch date later this year.
The outreach this fall builds on ongoing efforts by the administration to improve college affordability. Thanks to President Obama and Secretary Duncan's leadership, Congress ended student loan subsidies for private financial institutions and banks and shifted billions in savings back to students; capped loan repayments at 10 percent of monthly income for many borrowers who are trying to responsibly manage their federal student loan debt; and worked with Congress to keep student loan rates from doubling this year -- saving typical undergraduates more than $1,500 for this year's loans.
Additionally, borrowers can use existing resources, like the Department's online IBR calculator and repayment calculator, to determine how best to pay back their student loans.
As part of the administration's overall agenda to address rising college costs and make college more affordable for American families, the Department announced last week that it will host four public forums across the country to gather public input about its proposals.
REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY WITH POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Joint Press Availability With Polish Foreign Minister RadosBaw Sikorski
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Warsaw, Poland
November 5, 2013
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) John, welcome to Warsaw and Poland. We’ve known each other for a very long time. I knew you when you weren’t the Secretary of State and I personally wasn’t a Minister of Foreign Affairs with the Republic of Poland, actually. I’m very glad to keep in touch with you, and I mean keep in touch not only when it comes to Syria and our bilateral relations.
Today’s meeting is proof and confirms the good strategic relationship between the United States and Poland. An example of the close link can be the political cooperation and our military cooperation. What’s more, we have common economic interest and we conduct democratic dialogue.
When we recall our common actions, I would like to thank you cordially for your yesterday’s visit. You visited the resting place of Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the first non-communist prime minister of the Republic of Poland, thanks to whom we are where we are, who paved the way for Poland to the EU, to NATO, the way to freedom, the way for Poland to become a secure and safe and wealthier country.
Next year, the summit of NATO takes place in London. We will sum up our joint operations in Afghanistan and we will set directions for further operations of NATO for common security.
As for the topic of Afghanistan, I’d like to say that this topic is personally – it’s very close to me, and I’d like to recall to the Polish media the person of Sergeant Michael Ollis, who on the 28th of August during (inaudible) of a Polish base in Ghazny sacrificed his life to save a Polish soldier. I think this is the best proof of the fact that Poles and Americans are brothers in arms. So my condolences go to the family of Sergeant Ollis. And I’d like to thank you for our military cooperation in Afghanistan.
We have spoken about the ongoing issues that are on the international agenda. John is just returning from the Middle East, but we’ve not only spoken about the southern neighbors of the EU but also about the eastern neighbors of the EU. We are approaching the Eastern Partnership Summit, and there still is the question of signing association agreement with Ukraine.
Poland, for obvious reasons, supports the signing of a free trade agreement between the EU and the U.S. We promised ourselves that we would consult each other in that matters. Poland is one of the countries who think that for the sake of environment and for the sake of our economies in Europe and in Poland, we should explore and produce shale gas, and gas should flow to our NLG terminal also from the United States.
So John, once again a very warm welcome in Poland, and I hope the rest of your visit will be very fruitful. Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Radek, thank you very, very, very much. Witam serdecznie. I’m very honored to be here with all of you, and I am particularly grateful to revisit with my friend, the Foreign Minister of Poland. We have collaborated on a number of different issues and engaged in a number of important and close, constructive dialogues. And he has visited with me in Washington; I’m now privileged to visit with him here. And together we have met at a number of other multilateral meetings.
It’s a pleasure for me to be back in Poland. I’ve had the privilege of being here a number of times, particularly for environmental conferences, and we applaud Poland’s extraordinary leadership with respect to the environment and environmental issues. And it’s no accident that I chose to be here in Poland for my first bilateral meeting in Central Europe. In less than 25 years, since the restoration of democracy, the Polish people have turned the country into an economic and security powerhouse, and the progress that has been made is really quite extraordinary. And the impact of Poland is really felt now throughout the transatlantic community.
Last night, as Radek mentioned, I had the privilege of standing at the gravesite of former (inaudible) Minister Mazowiecki. It was a very moving moment. It was very beautiful in that cemetery with the birch trees and the aroma of the birch trees and the flowers on the graves and the lights of all the various candles. It was really mystical and spiritual, and I was very proud to lay a wreath from the people of the United States to recognize the extraordinary contribution of this man to the cause of freedom and independence and human rights. It is a great story.
I also, knowing the history of this great city and of Poland itself, cannot help but come here with a sense of respect for the remarkable journey of the Polish people. Warsaw – the name Warsaw is associated with so much: the Warsaw Pact, the Warsaw Convention, the Warsaw Uprising. The resistance and the incredible rebuilding of an entire country has come out of the remarkable spirit of the Polish people. And so I feel privileged as an American, and as an American Secretary of State who has great appreciation, having run for President of the United States, for the vast diaspora of the Polish people that contribute to the United States now as Polish Americans.
So I’m glad to come back here, and I am struck by how much has changed in just one generation, and frankly, how much of that change came from the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Mazowiecki and also of other great polish leaders whose names are known around the world. Prime Minister Mazowiecki was obviously an advocate for the best of human rights, the best of democracy, and he launched Poland’s extraordinary aspirations that now neighbors and friends around the world can touch and appreciate.
I’m also proud that in this march of progress, the United States and Poland, as allies and friends, continue to promote our shared values and our shared aspirations. And our partnership, quite frankly, is growing stronger because of that.
On the economic side, today the Foreign Minister and I discussed the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership, TTIP as it’s known, which can lead to even further economic and political transformation. In addition, as a NATO member now for almost 15 years and as an EU member for nearly 10 years, Poland’s influence in both organizations has grown significantly over that time.
And that is because of the smart choices that the Polish people continue to make. You are opening markets, you are embracing transparency, you are continuing with your defense modernization and building the strength of the country, you are continuing to diversify your energy marketplace, and you are generously supporting the democratic EU and have begun negotiating and recognizing our shared interest in a comprehensive economic agreement that can grow both of our countries and all of the region. Europe and the United States joined together in an economic association would be one of the most powerful economic forces on the planet, and it will raise the standards by which all countries are engaging in economic activity.
Poland is also the largest commercial partner of the United States in Central Europe, and our bilateral trade has quadrupled over the course of the last 10 years. We think we can do even better, and we believe that the TTIP is the key to being able to do that.
On the environmental front, as I mentioned earlier in my comments, Poland is not only hosting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change for the 19th conference of the parties next week, but Poland continues to send a signal for all of us that we need to demonstrate our commitment to a cleaner energy base and to live up to our responsibilities to lower emissions on a global basis.
As NATO allies, our security partnership, from Afghanistan to Kosovo to Lask, all of these – right here in Poland at the air base – make our relationship even more important and stronger. I look forward to going to Lask later in the day and saluting the work of our armed forces and the work that they accomplish together.
I also want to commend Poland for its $45 billion investment in defense modernization. The United States defense industry, which we believe is the most innovative, creative, and technologically advanced in the world, is going to compete vigorously here with our government in support of the goals and the upgrades that Poland seeks.
Poland is a very important part of the European phased adaptive approach on NATO missile defense, and we will deploy a missile defense site in Poland in the 2018 timeframe.
We’re also enormously proud of our work together to promote democracy on this continent and around the world. I want to commend Minister Sikorski for his tireless efforts in particular for mentoring the Eastern Partnership countries in advance of the meeting in Vilnius. This is a very important opportunity for everybody, and I think Poland has been front and center in its efforts to help advance all of our interests through that association.
The bottom line is this: Poland is thriving and our alliance is thriving. And I look forward to celebrating here today the economic and security benefits with the leaders of Poland, and I particularly look forward to continuing to grow this partnership. We’re respectful, enormously respectful of the extraordinary history of the people of Poland, of this city, of this region; mindful that we always have to be vigilant. We know that things can change. The march of democracy is important. We believe in it, but it takes work; it takes nurturing. And all of us have a responsibility to continue to do our part in order to live up to the legacy left us by those who weren’t as lucky as we are today, some of whom gave their lives, many of whom were dislocated, all of whom have been through an extraordinary history to arrive at the place we are today. We have work to do, but the journey of the past convinces us we can get that work done.
Thank you.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen, the time for questions. Mr. Cegielski from Polish Radio.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Good morning The question goes to both of you gentlemen. Several days ago, Minister Sikorski spoke on the Polish Radio and said that there will be a chance to ask a question about the invigilation. My question is: Have you spoken about NSA (inaudible) and what has been said?
And the question to Secretary Kerry: Have the Americans – are the Americans eavesdropping on Polish politicians?
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Yes, we have spoken about it and we have agreed on closer consultations between our services on combatting common threats.
SECRETARY KERRY: Happy to say to you that this is a subject, obviously, of concern – and we understand that – to people. First of all, we need to understand, as the Foreign Minister does, we’re all in this together. We are all in the effort to try to be able to provide protection to our citizens, and we have to strike the right balance between protecting our citizens and, obviously, the privacy of all of our citizens. That is a balance that we do try to strike. The President of the United States has ordered a complete review of all of our activity, and we will work very closely with our friends in order to make certain that the road ahead is one that is understood and that is mutually agreed upon.
MS. PSAKI: The next question will be from Jo Biddle of AFP.
QUESTION: Excuse me, sorry about that. Could I just follow up on the NSA allegations and with respect to how this might – how the fallout from all these revelations might affect the TTIP talks which are going to resume from November the 11th in Brussels? It was announced yesterday.
Secretary Kerry, how do you think the trade talks would be affected by these revelations which have left some of the European leaders in very political difficulties back home?
And Foreign Minister Sikorski, also how concerned is Poland about the fallout on U.S.-EU relations as a result of this?
And If I could just ask one more to Foreign Minister Sikorski on the CIA – the allegations of the CIA prison in Poland. There’s a European Court of Human Rights hearing next month, and I believe that the Polish Government has asked for this to be closed to the public and press. Why is that? And how is your own government investigation to this going, and are the Americans participating?
Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me just say, first of all, we are very appreciative of the Foreign Minister’s and Poland’s strong support for the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership. This is a trade partnership that has the ability to lift all of our countries. Europe has obviously been having a very challenging economic time. The United States has also had its challenges; we’re starting to come back and get a lot stronger.
But the Transatlantic Trade Partnership is really separate from and different from any other issues that people may have on their minds. This is about jobs. It’s about the economy. It’s about economic competition in a global community that competes sometimes by rules that are very questionable and shaky.
If the United States and the European Community can come together around this Transatlantic Trade Partnership, we have the ability to raise the standards by which countries around the world are doing business, and we will have one of the most powerful economic marketplaces on the face of this planet. Together, that can have a profound positive impact for our people. It will put millions of people to work, create new jobs, more opportunities, and it’s worth pushing for.
Now, that should not be confused with whatever legitimate questions exist with respect to NSA or other activities. And as I have said previously, we want to hear from our allies, we want to have this conversation. President Obama welcomes this opportunity to work with our allies. And ultimately, if we get it right – which we will – we can not only alleviate concerns, but we can actually strengthen our intelligence relationships going forward and we can all be more secure and safer as a result, as well as protecting the privacy of citizens. We will work together very effectively on this.
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) The TTIP, the deepened foreign trade agreement, is an agreement between the EU and the U.S. Let me remind you that we are represented by the European Commission in these talks. The Commission has the sole competence in this respect. The EU has no competences when it comes to cooperation of intelligence services. Intelligence services cooperation is very important. It is also vital to make sure that our rights and regulations and procedures keep up with the technological progress so that our citizens can feel safe and the alliances are not threatened, are not over-burdened by such incidents as the escape of Mr. Snowden.
But these are two separate things, two separate orders: One belongs to Europe itself, to the Community; the second one is rather national in character; it depends on individual and states vis-a-vis the U.S. And as I promised, as I mentioned, we promised that we will have closer cooperation between our services so that we can make certain that the cooperation is based on frankness, openness, and transparency, but also so that our citizens can feel safe, can be sure that their personal life is not the object of some unjustified interest.
As for the second question, you, Madam, answered your question yourself. Poland is the only country, actually, that is currently running an investigation on the alleged activities. The investigation is closed in nature; therefore, the materials have to be classified. They are not open to the public, so whatever we would like to communicate on an international basis is classified.
Thank you very much.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Mr. Wronski from Gazeta Wyborczaadsky, Polish daily. My first question goes to Minister – to Secretary Kerry. At the beginning of this year, the U.S. changed its plan related to the missile defense. You mentioned that due to lower threats, the fourth phase of the missile defense in Poland will not be carried out. In the light of the current situation, i.e., Syria and the violence there, and the (inaudible) of Iran getting different, will the plans of missile defense be changed, the plans related to Poland? Will they be reviewed, maybe?
And my second question is: How does the U.S. want to cooperate in construction of the Polish missile defense?
My third question goes to Minister Sikorski: Have you obtained any clear declaration from Secretary Kerry that Polish politicians have not been the subject of eavesdropping of NSA, have not been the target of NSA? You mentioned the word “consultations.” It was a bit worrying. It awoke some concerns. Does it mean that the Americans are to warn us that they are going to eavesdrop on us, or are we going to do eavesdropping together? What does it mean?
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Well, they are very good questions, actually, very good questions for my colleague, for Secretary Kerry.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Obviously, it’s premature to make any kind of judgment that would alter the current path, because there’s nothing that’s been altered otherwise. We don’t have an agreement with Iran, nothing has changed, and the plans for missile defense are absolutely on target. We’ve already – on October 28th we broke ground on the phase two adaptive, and we intend to provide for the next phase by 2018, and we’ll deploy that site by that period of time. That is our plan, and nothing has changed in that at this point in time. I don’t foresee it changing at this point. And obviously, we will fulfill our obligations and work together with the Government of Poland with respect to the deployment.
MS. PSAKI: The last question will be from Scott Stearns with VOA.
QUESTION: A question for both of you, if I might. With U.S. and Russian officials meeting in Geneva today on the Syria talks, Syria’s Information Minister has said that the Assad government will not take part in Geneva 2 if the goal is the removal of the Assad government. You said yesterday in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Secretary, that that was the goal of Geneva 2. So how do you move forward to a negotiated settlement where one, if not both, of the parties to the Syrian conflict are doubtful to attend a Geneva 2?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, the words “regime” and individuals and this and that get confused in this process. The Assad regime knows full well that the purpose of Geneva 2 is to implement Geneva 1. That has always been true. The Russians have accepted that. Every support group of the Syrian opposition has accepted that.
The purpose is to implement Geneva 1. What does that mean? What is Geneva 1? Geneva 1 calls for the installation of a transition government with full executive authority by mutual consent, so both parties have to agree to put in place a transition government that is neutral that will bring about a choice for the Syrian people for the long-term future.
Now, I don’t know how anybody believes the opposition is going to give mutual consent to Assad to continue. And the Syrian Government has accepted to come to Geneva. So I hope that the Syrian Government and the Russians and Iranians and others who support the Syrian regime will make certain that the Syrian regime will live up to its obligation to come to Geneva to negotiate a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria.
And we and others have already indicated we are prepared to be there and the opposition is. The opposition received a very significant boost yesterday from the Arab League, which overwhelmingly stated a very strong resolution saying that the opposition must go to Geneva, Geneva is important, and Geneva will provide a way to have a negotiated solution here.
One thing is certain: There is no military solution to the conflict in Syria. It can only be resolved through political negotiation. And the framework for that negotiation has been accepted by the international community. It is Geneva 2 negotiation to implement Geneva 1 transition government. And we hope that the Assad regime will live up to its already stated promise to be there and to negotiate. And I think it speaks for itself.
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Poland has been supporting the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons when that seemed to be not very likely, and today it is reality. So we are also supporting political talks because we think that this is the last chance, the last resort for Syria and for its citizens. We need to negotiate the solution for nuclear ambitions of Iran.
I’d like to thank and congratulate John Kerry for everything that he does, he’s been doing and he does to support the peace process between Israel and Palestine. Thank you very much.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Thank you, ministers. Thank you, guests.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very, very much.
Joint Press Availability With Polish Foreign Minister RadosBaw Sikorski
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Warsaw, Poland
November 5, 2013
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) John, welcome to Warsaw and Poland. We’ve known each other for a very long time. I knew you when you weren’t the Secretary of State and I personally wasn’t a Minister of Foreign Affairs with the Republic of Poland, actually. I’m very glad to keep in touch with you, and I mean keep in touch not only when it comes to Syria and our bilateral relations.
Today’s meeting is proof and confirms the good strategic relationship between the United States and Poland. An example of the close link can be the political cooperation and our military cooperation. What’s more, we have common economic interest and we conduct democratic dialogue.
When we recall our common actions, I would like to thank you cordially for your yesterday’s visit. You visited the resting place of Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the first non-communist prime minister of the Republic of Poland, thanks to whom we are where we are, who paved the way for Poland to the EU, to NATO, the way to freedom, the way for Poland to become a secure and safe and wealthier country.
Next year, the summit of NATO takes place in London. We will sum up our joint operations in Afghanistan and we will set directions for further operations of NATO for common security.
As for the topic of Afghanistan, I’d like to say that this topic is personally – it’s very close to me, and I’d like to recall to the Polish media the person of Sergeant Michael Ollis, who on the 28th of August during (inaudible) of a Polish base in Ghazny sacrificed his life to save a Polish soldier. I think this is the best proof of the fact that Poles and Americans are brothers in arms. So my condolences go to the family of Sergeant Ollis. And I’d like to thank you for our military cooperation in Afghanistan.
We have spoken about the ongoing issues that are on the international agenda. John is just returning from the Middle East, but we’ve not only spoken about the southern neighbors of the EU but also about the eastern neighbors of the EU. We are approaching the Eastern Partnership Summit, and there still is the question of signing association agreement with Ukraine.
Poland, for obvious reasons, supports the signing of a free trade agreement between the EU and the U.S. We promised ourselves that we would consult each other in that matters. Poland is one of the countries who think that for the sake of environment and for the sake of our economies in Europe and in Poland, we should explore and produce shale gas, and gas should flow to our NLG terminal also from the United States.
So John, once again a very warm welcome in Poland, and I hope the rest of your visit will be very fruitful. Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Radek, thank you very, very, very much. Witam serdecznie. I’m very honored to be here with all of you, and I am particularly grateful to revisit with my friend, the Foreign Minister of Poland. We have collaborated on a number of different issues and engaged in a number of important and close, constructive dialogues. And he has visited with me in Washington; I’m now privileged to visit with him here. And together we have met at a number of other multilateral meetings.
It’s a pleasure for me to be back in Poland. I’ve had the privilege of being here a number of times, particularly for environmental conferences, and we applaud Poland’s extraordinary leadership with respect to the environment and environmental issues. And it’s no accident that I chose to be here in Poland for my first bilateral meeting in Central Europe. In less than 25 years, since the restoration of democracy, the Polish people have turned the country into an economic and security powerhouse, and the progress that has been made is really quite extraordinary. And the impact of Poland is really felt now throughout the transatlantic community.
Last night, as Radek mentioned, I had the privilege of standing at the gravesite of former (inaudible) Minister Mazowiecki. It was a very moving moment. It was very beautiful in that cemetery with the birch trees and the aroma of the birch trees and the flowers on the graves and the lights of all the various candles. It was really mystical and spiritual, and I was very proud to lay a wreath from the people of the United States to recognize the extraordinary contribution of this man to the cause of freedom and independence and human rights. It is a great story.
I also, knowing the history of this great city and of Poland itself, cannot help but come here with a sense of respect for the remarkable journey of the Polish people. Warsaw – the name Warsaw is associated with so much: the Warsaw Pact, the Warsaw Convention, the Warsaw Uprising. The resistance and the incredible rebuilding of an entire country has come out of the remarkable spirit of the Polish people. And so I feel privileged as an American, and as an American Secretary of State who has great appreciation, having run for President of the United States, for the vast diaspora of the Polish people that contribute to the United States now as Polish Americans.
So I’m glad to come back here, and I am struck by how much has changed in just one generation, and frankly, how much of that change came from the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Mazowiecki and also of other great polish leaders whose names are known around the world. Prime Minister Mazowiecki was obviously an advocate for the best of human rights, the best of democracy, and he launched Poland’s extraordinary aspirations that now neighbors and friends around the world can touch and appreciate.
I’m also proud that in this march of progress, the United States and Poland, as allies and friends, continue to promote our shared values and our shared aspirations. And our partnership, quite frankly, is growing stronger because of that.
On the economic side, today the Foreign Minister and I discussed the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership, TTIP as it’s known, which can lead to even further economic and political transformation. In addition, as a NATO member now for almost 15 years and as an EU member for nearly 10 years, Poland’s influence in both organizations has grown significantly over that time.
And that is because of the smart choices that the Polish people continue to make. You are opening markets, you are embracing transparency, you are continuing with your defense modernization and building the strength of the country, you are continuing to diversify your energy marketplace, and you are generously supporting the democratic EU and have begun negotiating and recognizing our shared interest in a comprehensive economic agreement that can grow both of our countries and all of the region. Europe and the United States joined together in an economic association would be one of the most powerful economic forces on the planet, and it will raise the standards by which all countries are engaging in economic activity.
Poland is also the largest commercial partner of the United States in Central Europe, and our bilateral trade has quadrupled over the course of the last 10 years. We think we can do even better, and we believe that the TTIP is the key to being able to do that.
On the environmental front, as I mentioned earlier in my comments, Poland is not only hosting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change for the 19th conference of the parties next week, but Poland continues to send a signal for all of us that we need to demonstrate our commitment to a cleaner energy base and to live up to our responsibilities to lower emissions on a global basis.
As NATO allies, our security partnership, from Afghanistan to Kosovo to Lask, all of these – right here in Poland at the air base – make our relationship even more important and stronger. I look forward to going to Lask later in the day and saluting the work of our armed forces and the work that they accomplish together.
I also want to commend Poland for its $45 billion investment in defense modernization. The United States defense industry, which we believe is the most innovative, creative, and technologically advanced in the world, is going to compete vigorously here with our government in support of the goals and the upgrades that Poland seeks.
Poland is a very important part of the European phased adaptive approach on NATO missile defense, and we will deploy a missile defense site in Poland in the 2018 timeframe.
We’re also enormously proud of our work together to promote democracy on this continent and around the world. I want to commend Minister Sikorski for his tireless efforts in particular for mentoring the Eastern Partnership countries in advance of the meeting in Vilnius. This is a very important opportunity for everybody, and I think Poland has been front and center in its efforts to help advance all of our interests through that association.
The bottom line is this: Poland is thriving and our alliance is thriving. And I look forward to celebrating here today the economic and security benefits with the leaders of Poland, and I particularly look forward to continuing to grow this partnership. We’re respectful, enormously respectful of the extraordinary history of the people of Poland, of this city, of this region; mindful that we always have to be vigilant. We know that things can change. The march of democracy is important. We believe in it, but it takes work; it takes nurturing. And all of us have a responsibility to continue to do our part in order to live up to the legacy left us by those who weren’t as lucky as we are today, some of whom gave their lives, many of whom were dislocated, all of whom have been through an extraordinary history to arrive at the place we are today. We have work to do, but the journey of the past convinces us we can get that work done.
Thank you.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen, the time for questions. Mr. Cegielski from Polish Radio.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Good morning The question goes to both of you gentlemen. Several days ago, Minister Sikorski spoke on the Polish Radio and said that there will be a chance to ask a question about the invigilation. My question is: Have you spoken about NSA (inaudible) and what has been said?
And the question to Secretary Kerry: Have the Americans – are the Americans eavesdropping on Polish politicians?
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Yes, we have spoken about it and we have agreed on closer consultations between our services on combatting common threats.
SECRETARY KERRY: Happy to say to you that this is a subject, obviously, of concern – and we understand that – to people. First of all, we need to understand, as the Foreign Minister does, we’re all in this together. We are all in the effort to try to be able to provide protection to our citizens, and we have to strike the right balance between protecting our citizens and, obviously, the privacy of all of our citizens. That is a balance that we do try to strike. The President of the United States has ordered a complete review of all of our activity, and we will work very closely with our friends in order to make certain that the road ahead is one that is understood and that is mutually agreed upon.
MS. PSAKI: The next question will be from Jo Biddle of AFP.
QUESTION: Excuse me, sorry about that. Could I just follow up on the NSA allegations and with respect to how this might – how the fallout from all these revelations might affect the TTIP talks which are going to resume from November the 11th in Brussels? It was announced yesterday.
Secretary Kerry, how do you think the trade talks would be affected by these revelations which have left some of the European leaders in very political difficulties back home?
And Foreign Minister Sikorski, also how concerned is Poland about the fallout on U.S.-EU relations as a result of this?
And If I could just ask one more to Foreign Minister Sikorski on the CIA – the allegations of the CIA prison in Poland. There’s a European Court of Human Rights hearing next month, and I believe that the Polish Government has asked for this to be closed to the public and press. Why is that? And how is your own government investigation to this going, and are the Americans participating?
Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me just say, first of all, we are very appreciative of the Foreign Minister’s and Poland’s strong support for the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership. This is a trade partnership that has the ability to lift all of our countries. Europe has obviously been having a very challenging economic time. The United States has also had its challenges; we’re starting to come back and get a lot stronger.
But the Transatlantic Trade Partnership is really separate from and different from any other issues that people may have on their minds. This is about jobs. It’s about the economy. It’s about economic competition in a global community that competes sometimes by rules that are very questionable and shaky.
If the United States and the European Community can come together around this Transatlantic Trade Partnership, we have the ability to raise the standards by which countries around the world are doing business, and we will have one of the most powerful economic marketplaces on the face of this planet. Together, that can have a profound positive impact for our people. It will put millions of people to work, create new jobs, more opportunities, and it’s worth pushing for.
Now, that should not be confused with whatever legitimate questions exist with respect to NSA or other activities. And as I have said previously, we want to hear from our allies, we want to have this conversation. President Obama welcomes this opportunity to work with our allies. And ultimately, if we get it right – which we will – we can not only alleviate concerns, but we can actually strengthen our intelligence relationships going forward and we can all be more secure and safer as a result, as well as protecting the privacy of citizens. We will work together very effectively on this.
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) The TTIP, the deepened foreign trade agreement, is an agreement between the EU and the U.S. Let me remind you that we are represented by the European Commission in these talks. The Commission has the sole competence in this respect. The EU has no competences when it comes to cooperation of intelligence services. Intelligence services cooperation is very important. It is also vital to make sure that our rights and regulations and procedures keep up with the technological progress so that our citizens can feel safe and the alliances are not threatened, are not over-burdened by such incidents as the escape of Mr. Snowden.
But these are two separate things, two separate orders: One belongs to Europe itself, to the Community; the second one is rather national in character; it depends on individual and states vis-a-vis the U.S. And as I promised, as I mentioned, we promised that we will have closer cooperation between our services so that we can make certain that the cooperation is based on frankness, openness, and transparency, but also so that our citizens can feel safe, can be sure that their personal life is not the object of some unjustified interest.
As for the second question, you, Madam, answered your question yourself. Poland is the only country, actually, that is currently running an investigation on the alleged activities. The investigation is closed in nature; therefore, the materials have to be classified. They are not open to the public, so whatever we would like to communicate on an international basis is classified.
Thank you very much.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Mr. Wronski from Gazeta Wyborczaadsky, Polish daily. My first question goes to Minister – to Secretary Kerry. At the beginning of this year, the U.S. changed its plan related to the missile defense. You mentioned that due to lower threats, the fourth phase of the missile defense in Poland will not be carried out. In the light of the current situation, i.e., Syria and the violence there, and the (inaudible) of Iran getting different, will the plans of missile defense be changed, the plans related to Poland? Will they be reviewed, maybe?
And my second question is: How does the U.S. want to cooperate in construction of the Polish missile defense?
My third question goes to Minister Sikorski: Have you obtained any clear declaration from Secretary Kerry that Polish politicians have not been the subject of eavesdropping of NSA, have not been the target of NSA? You mentioned the word “consultations.” It was a bit worrying. It awoke some concerns. Does it mean that the Americans are to warn us that they are going to eavesdrop on us, or are we going to do eavesdropping together? What does it mean?
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Well, they are very good questions, actually, very good questions for my colleague, for Secretary Kerry.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Obviously, it’s premature to make any kind of judgment that would alter the current path, because there’s nothing that’s been altered otherwise. We don’t have an agreement with Iran, nothing has changed, and the plans for missile defense are absolutely on target. We’ve already – on October 28th we broke ground on the phase two adaptive, and we intend to provide for the next phase by 2018, and we’ll deploy that site by that period of time. That is our plan, and nothing has changed in that at this point in time. I don’t foresee it changing at this point. And obviously, we will fulfill our obligations and work together with the Government of Poland with respect to the deployment.
MS. PSAKI: The last question will be from Scott Stearns with VOA.
QUESTION: A question for both of you, if I might. With U.S. and Russian officials meeting in Geneva today on the Syria talks, Syria’s Information Minister has said that the Assad government will not take part in Geneva 2 if the goal is the removal of the Assad government. You said yesterday in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Secretary, that that was the goal of Geneva 2. So how do you move forward to a negotiated settlement where one, if not both, of the parties to the Syrian conflict are doubtful to attend a Geneva 2?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, the words “regime” and individuals and this and that get confused in this process. The Assad regime knows full well that the purpose of Geneva 2 is to implement Geneva 1. That has always been true. The Russians have accepted that. Every support group of the Syrian opposition has accepted that.
The purpose is to implement Geneva 1. What does that mean? What is Geneva 1? Geneva 1 calls for the installation of a transition government with full executive authority by mutual consent, so both parties have to agree to put in place a transition government that is neutral that will bring about a choice for the Syrian people for the long-term future.
Now, I don’t know how anybody believes the opposition is going to give mutual consent to Assad to continue. And the Syrian Government has accepted to come to Geneva. So I hope that the Syrian Government and the Russians and Iranians and others who support the Syrian regime will make certain that the Syrian regime will live up to its obligation to come to Geneva to negotiate a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria.
And we and others have already indicated we are prepared to be there and the opposition is. The opposition received a very significant boost yesterday from the Arab League, which overwhelmingly stated a very strong resolution saying that the opposition must go to Geneva, Geneva is important, and Geneva will provide a way to have a negotiated solution here.
One thing is certain: There is no military solution to the conflict in Syria. It can only be resolved through political negotiation. And the framework for that negotiation has been accepted by the international community. It is Geneva 2 negotiation to implement Geneva 1 transition government. And we hope that the Assad regime will live up to its already stated promise to be there and to negotiate. And I think it speaks for itself.
FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI: (Via interpreter) Poland has been supporting the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons when that seemed to be not very likely, and today it is reality. So we are also supporting political talks because we think that this is the last chance, the last resort for Syria and for its citizens. We need to negotiate the solution for nuclear ambitions of Iran.
I’d like to thank and congratulate John Kerry for everything that he does, he’s been doing and he does to support the peace process between Israel and Palestine. Thank you very much.
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Thank you, ministers. Thank you, guests.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very, very much.
INVESTOR PLEADS GUILTY IN PUBLIC FORECLOSURE AUCTION BID RIGGING CASE
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, November 4, 2013
Northern California Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging at Public Foreclosure Auctions
Investigations Have Yielded 37 Guilty Pleas to Date
A Northern California real estate investor pleaded guilty today for his role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California, the Department of Justice announced.
Kuo Hsuan “Chuck” Chang, of San Francisco, entered his guilty plea in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. Felony charges were filed against Chang on Oct. 9, 2013.
Chang is the 37th individual to plead guilty or agree to plead guilty as a result of the department’s ongoing antitrust investigations into bid rigging and fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.
According to court documents, Chang conspired with others not to bid against one another, but instead to designate a winning bidder to obtain selected properties at public real estate foreclosure auctions in San Francisco County, Calif. Chang was also charged with conspiring to use the mail to carry out schemes to fraudulently acquire title to selected properties sold at public auctions, to make and receive payoffs, and to divert co-conspirators’ money that would have otherwise gone to mortgage holders and others. Chang is charged with participating in these conspiracies beginning as early as October 2009 and continuing until about November 2010.
“The Antitrust Division will continue to vigorously prosecute anticompetitive schemes that compromise local markets and cause financial harm to consumers,” said Bill Baer, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Collusion at foreclosure auctions harmed both lenders and distressed homeowners in an already struggling real estate market, and the conspirators must be held accountable.”
As described in the charging document, the primary purpose of the conspiracies was to suppress and restrain competition and to conceal payoffs in order to obtain selected real estate offered at San Francisco County public foreclosure auctions at non-competitive prices. When real estate properties are sold at these auctions, the proceeds are used to pay off the mortgage and other debt attached to the property, with remaining proceeds, if any, paid to the homeowner. According to court documents, these conspirators paid and received money that otherwise would have gone to pay off the mortgage and other holders of debt secured by the properties, and, in some cases, the defaulting homeowner.
“We urge anyone with information regarding fraudulent anticompetitive practices at foreclosure auctions to contact the FBI or our partners at the Antitrust Division,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the community to root out and bring to justice those individuals who undermine the real estate market and victimize legitimate consumers.”
A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals. The maximum fine for the Sherman Act charges may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims if either amount is greater than $1 million. A count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
The charges against Chang are the latest filed by the department in its ongoing investigation into bid rigging and fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, Calif. These investigations are being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the FBI’s San Francisco Office. Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions should contact the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco office at 415-436-6660, visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html or call the FBI tip line at 415-553-7400.
This case was brought in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants, including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Northern California Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging at Public Foreclosure Auctions
Investigations Have Yielded 37 Guilty Pleas to Date
A Northern California real estate investor pleaded guilty today for his role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California, the Department of Justice announced.
Kuo Hsuan “Chuck” Chang, of San Francisco, entered his guilty plea in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. Felony charges were filed against Chang on Oct. 9, 2013.
Chang is the 37th individual to plead guilty or agree to plead guilty as a result of the department’s ongoing antitrust investigations into bid rigging and fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.
According to court documents, Chang conspired with others not to bid against one another, but instead to designate a winning bidder to obtain selected properties at public real estate foreclosure auctions in San Francisco County, Calif. Chang was also charged with conspiring to use the mail to carry out schemes to fraudulently acquire title to selected properties sold at public auctions, to make and receive payoffs, and to divert co-conspirators’ money that would have otherwise gone to mortgage holders and others. Chang is charged with participating in these conspiracies beginning as early as October 2009 and continuing until about November 2010.
“The Antitrust Division will continue to vigorously prosecute anticompetitive schemes that compromise local markets and cause financial harm to consumers,” said Bill Baer, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Collusion at foreclosure auctions harmed both lenders and distressed homeowners in an already struggling real estate market, and the conspirators must be held accountable.”
As described in the charging document, the primary purpose of the conspiracies was to suppress and restrain competition and to conceal payoffs in order to obtain selected real estate offered at San Francisco County public foreclosure auctions at non-competitive prices. When real estate properties are sold at these auctions, the proceeds are used to pay off the mortgage and other debt attached to the property, with remaining proceeds, if any, paid to the homeowner. According to court documents, these conspirators paid and received money that otherwise would have gone to pay off the mortgage and other holders of debt secured by the properties, and, in some cases, the defaulting homeowner.
“We urge anyone with information regarding fraudulent anticompetitive practices at foreclosure auctions to contact the FBI or our partners at the Antitrust Division,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the community to root out and bring to justice those individuals who undermine the real estate market and victimize legitimate consumers.”
A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals. The maximum fine for the Sherman Act charges may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims if either amount is greater than $1 million. A count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
The charges against Chang are the latest filed by the department in its ongoing investigation into bid rigging and fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, Calif. These investigations are being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the FBI’s San Francisco Office. Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions should contact the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco office at 415-436-6660, visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html or call the FBI tip line at 415-553-7400.
This case was brought in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants, including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants.
ISRAEL TO BUY 6 V-22 OSPREY AIRCRAFT
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Israel Will Buy 6 Osprey Aircraft, Hagel Announces
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2013 – Calling Israel’s self-defense capabilities and its qualitative military edge “central to both Israel and U.S. security interests,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced tonight that Israel will buy six V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for its air force.
Hagel made the announcement during his keynote address at the 100th annual Anti-Defamation League meeting in New York.
“Israel will get six V-22s out of the next order to go on the assembly line, and they will be compatible with other [Israeli defense force] capabilities,” he said. “The Israeli and American defense relationship is stronger than ever.”
With Afghanistan -- the second of America’s two longest wars -- winding down, Hagel said, “we continue to face a complicated and volatile world. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Middle East, where the United States and our allies are facing an unprecedented set of complex challenges.”
For Israel, the secretary noted, progress with one neighbor tends to bring new threats from other directions. “There are no margins for Israel,” he said.
One challenge that threatens U.S. and Israeli security interests is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Hagel said.
“Iran is a state sponsor of terror, responsible for spreading hatred and extremism throughout the region,” the secretary said. “But foreign policy is not a zero-sum game. If we can find ways to resolve disputes peacefully, we are wise to explore them.”
Ridding the world of hatred takes more than just work, imagination and songs, Hagel told his audience; it also demands commitment, sacrifice, and courage.
“It demands that we must continue to march our armies of tolerance, equality, and justice around the globe.” Hagel said. “And it demands that we remember the timeless questions of Rabbi Hillel: ‘If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?’”
Israel Will Buy 6 Osprey Aircraft, Hagel Announces
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2013 – Calling Israel’s self-defense capabilities and its qualitative military edge “central to both Israel and U.S. security interests,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced tonight that Israel will buy six V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for its air force.
Hagel made the announcement during his keynote address at the 100th annual Anti-Defamation League meeting in New York.
“Israel will get six V-22s out of the next order to go on the assembly line, and they will be compatible with other [Israeli defense force] capabilities,” he said. “The Israeli and American defense relationship is stronger than ever.”
With Afghanistan -- the second of America’s two longest wars -- winding down, Hagel said, “we continue to face a complicated and volatile world. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Middle East, where the United States and our allies are facing an unprecedented set of complex challenges.”
For Israel, the secretary noted, progress with one neighbor tends to bring new threats from other directions. “There are no margins for Israel,” he said.
One challenge that threatens U.S. and Israeli security interests is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Hagel said.
“Iran is a state sponsor of terror, responsible for spreading hatred and extremism throughout the region,” the secretary said. “But foreign policy is not a zero-sum game. If we can find ways to resolve disputes peacefully, we are wise to explore them.”
Ridding the world of hatred takes more than just work, imagination and songs, Hagel told his audience; it also demands commitment, sacrifice, and courage.
“It demands that we must continue to march our armies of tolerance, equality, and justice around the globe.” Hagel said. “And it demands that we remember the timeless questions of Rabbi Hillel: ‘If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?’”
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY MAKES REMARKS IN WARSAW TO MEMBERS OF AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks to American Chamber of Commerce Participants
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Bristol Hotel
Warsaw, Poland
November 5, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Thank you very much, Joseph. Thank you. Appreciate it. Let me see if I can make this Kerry-sized. (Laughter.) Anyway, there we go. Thank you. Good morning, everybody – or good afternoon. What is it? I don’t know anymore. (Laughter.)
PARTICIPANT: Afternoon.
SECRETARY KERRY: What?
PARTICIPANT: Afternoon.
SECRETARY KERRY: Afternoon. Good afternoon. And you haven’t eaten yet, right? (Laughter.) Anyway, and it’s very dangerous because I think I’m all that stands between you and your food. (Laughter.) Is it true you’re having a meal?
PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible.)
SECRETARY KERRY: Beg your pardon?
PARTICIPANT: Yes.
SECRETARY KERRY: Okay, once I let you sit down. (Laughter.)
Well, I will not keep you too, too long, but I want to tell you, first of all, what a great honor it is for me to be here in Warsaw, in Poland. Joseph just talked about the remarkable transformation taking place here. It really is extraordinary. And in fact, it’s encouraging and inspirational. I got to walk down the street, the main street this morning, heading towards the old city. And the Ambassador, our good Ambassador, was relating to me sort of the care that went into the rebuilding and the thought about replicating what was. And so you see the beauty even though it’s more modern, obviously, it is reflective of what was there originally and a great, great statement about the spirit of this country and the sort of stubborn refusal, if you will, to be beaten down by history.
So I think it’s a great statement. It’s a great metaphor for a lot of countries today for the possibilities of what can come out of great conflict and tragedy through the determination and the imagination of the human spirit. And that’s kind of part of what we’re here to talk about here a little bit today – the story of Poland, a story really of resistance in many ways to so many different conflicts and occupations and challenges.
And I was saying just a moment ago over at the Embassy that when you hear the name Warsaw you don’t just think of that abstractly, but you think of the Warsaw Pact, the Warsaw Convention, the Warsaw Uprising, the Warsaw Ghetto. I mean, there are great moments of defiance and of transformation affiliated with the name, and more particularly with the spirit and the history. And of course, we in Massachusetts, because of Casimir Pulaski and his historic letter to George Washington when he wrote of his willingness to be there to fight for our own independence, began a great tradition of our countries being unified in our depth of commitment and belief in the human spirit, demonstrated so much through democracy and through the commitment to the power of individuals to be able to make a difference. So we celebrate that, and I thank you because I’ve been in Cairo and Riyadh for two days, so you have given me weather much more accustomed to Massachusetts and my hometown – (laughter) – than 90 degrees at this time of year.
I’m going to try to – let me just talk for a bit about sort of what really brings all of you together, because I have great respect for the work that the Chamber has done. And the companies that have invested here and the relationship at a corporate level in business is really essential to what has helped Poland to be able to be the powerhouse economically that it is today.
When this organization, the Chamber, opened its doors not too long after Communism collapsed, the country –and indeed the continent and the world – were full of hope for what the future of free markets might be able to be able to bring. But I don’t think any of us could have predicted that it would have been as unbelievably successful and rapid as it has been here in Poland. The economic strength of this country now is truly nothing less than remarkable. And just as – I mean, if you think about it, one generation after the Gdansk shipyard strikes, Poland has become – as Joseph reminded us a moment ago – the sixth largest economy in Europe. It is one of the best places to invest in the world, and it is one of the economic powerhouses of the EU. It is also one of the few transatlantic economies to grow despite the global recession, which is a testament to the Polish people’s innovation and resilience.
And that’s why the United States made our bilateral trade such a priority, because trade has quadrupled here just over the last 10 years. So I just came downstairs from a meeting with a group of young people who represent young Polish innovators, a group that is part of this alumni program of young people chosen by the Ministry of Education. The Polish Government supports them to go and take part in a program at Berkeley and at Stanford. And they’re collaborating with American partners on creative solutions to today’s challenges. And it seems to me that they are a symbol of the way in which the aspirations of young people really unite us rather than divide us, as they do in some other parts of the world. Entrepreneurship, competition, open markets, these words were never associated with Poland’s economy 25 years ago, but today they define it.
That’s the measure of the transformation and that’s what the world means when it talks about an economic miracle which has taken place here. I’m Catholic; I happen to believe in miracles, but this is a different kind. (Laughter.) And it has been really nothing short of phenomenal. It’s taken hard work, and an awful lot of you here in this room really get credit for what is happening here. Several hundred – I think at least 100,000 jobs have been brought here through the companies that are here and represented.
The fast rise – but it’s symbolic of something else, if I can just spend a minute on this. I was recently in South Korea, in the Republic of Korea, and there it struck me how this country that 15 years ago we were giving aid to, is now a donor country giving aid to other countries in the world. We go back to the Marshall Plan, which obviously Poland, because of the occupation, didn’t take part in, but you look at the rest of Europe where it did take hold, and we see how investment and rules of the road and belief in the possibilities of that investment to turn a corner, in fact, produces transformation. And the same is true for Japan. Now all of those places are not just donor countries, but they’re vibrant democracies in places that are contributing to a set of values that the world really respects and admires.
I think that if you look in other places – I was privileged to lead the effort over 10 years to open up our new economic relationship with Vietnam. Back in 1990, when we began that effort, nobody believed it was possible. Now Vietnam is one of the economic powerhouses of the world. We have vibrant investment, and it is a vibrant marketplace, a capitalist marketplace, which is very different from the place it was envisioned to be when I was there in the late 1960s.
So right now, right here in Europe, we believe we’re on the doorstep of another great transformation that could actually make trade more open, make markets more free, make competition stronger, and create more opportunity for jobs. And it even can make a broader base of economic prosperity the hallmark of the next generation in the way that we want it to be.
And of course, I’m talking about the possibilities of TTIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Now, it’s ambitious, but its potential benefits are enormous. I talked this morning with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister about it. This market could integrate the world’s largest market, the EU, and the single largest economy, the United States, and create a consortium, if you will, of nations all adhering to the highest standards, not the lowest, creating a race to the top, not a race to the bottom.
And a market of that size can have a profound impact on the choices that other countries must begin to make with respect to transparency, accountability, corruption, all of the things that are really the key to attracting investment with the kind of confidence that money seeks, as it has many choices around this planet as to where to go and where to invest. TTIP will improve the rules that govern trade and it will level the playing field.
And by strengthening the rules-based trading and promoting greater transparency and regulations and standards that become more compatible, we will break some of the resistance to trade that exists and encourage this very, very important standardization, which is, in the end, I think, in the interest of everybody. If you know what the rules of the road are and you know the rules of the road are top level, you are much more prone to invest and locate and do business than you are at a place where you know you can’t get a decision from the government because they don’t have those rules or getting that decision from the government may require all kinds of hoops you have to jump through. And for our companies that adhere to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, that can be a particular challenge against countries where they don’t.
So this is a chance to really even the scale, and I’ll give you a few examples of why it’s important to try to do this, leaving out the question of corruption practices. One of Poland’s most successful retailers in the United States is a company called Inglot Cosmetics. And it has a successful brand of breathable nail polish, something I don’t know anything about, folks. (Laughter.) But I am told that while cosmetic regulations between the EU and the U.S. are similar, they’re still just different enough in order to raise production and administrative costs that make it more difficult for people to be able to sell or compete. In TTIP, we actually save this cosmetic company time and money so that it could focus on developing more innovative products and actually engage more in selling and sales, rather than reacting to a regulative marketplace.
You can take Poland’s famous hams, which are enjoyed at dinner tables all across the United States, or you can look at Massachusetts cranberries and California grapes, which have found a growing market here in this country. These foods could be traded much more easily and cheaply than they are today, and that’s if we ease the tariffs and ease the barriers that make it harder to be able to trade. TTIP will do exactly that.
So more compatible standards could also help auto manufacturers, like General Motors, which produces more than 2 million cars a year in the southern city of Gliwice. And these companies and others like them here in Poland would greatly benefit from an increased, two-way transatlantic capacity.
So bottom line, this really is an historic opportunity. And as you come here today and you break bread in a few minutes and have a chance to talk with each other and everything, think about what you can do to help us energize this process across Europe. For those of you who travel, and most of you do, those of you who engage in a daily basis here, get people excited about this possibility, because TTIP is a political and strategic bet that we’re willing to place on one another.
And more and more – I said this during my nomination hearings, and I believe it to the core, and I’ve watched this evolution over the years in terms of foreign policy – more and more foreign policy is economic policy. And more and more, as countries have less and less cash that they’re throwing around, we will need to partner with the private sector in order to leverage change in countries. And if we can help create the framework by which countries invite companies to come and invest and be involved and streamline decision making, and help with economic zones, qualified economic zones, tax incentive, whatever it takes to create fast decisions, effective availability of workforce, all those kinds of things, that will be the greatest development to policy that there will be.
In the absence of an age when hundreds of billions of dollars would be thrown into a Marshall Plan, the new plan is really the private sector and its investment as people are competing globally to create more middle class. And as more middle class are created, more people will travel, more people will share the purchasing of goods, and more people will, in the end, have a stake in their communities that will lower the threshold of terrorism and the option that people take to choose to be violent in the choices that they make with respect to how they can define their future.
I’m telling you folks, that food vendor in Tunisia who burned himself to death was not part of a religious extremist group. He was not part of any ideology. He wanted to be able to sell his fruit without corruption, without government interference. He wanted to touch his own sense of what the brass ring was. And the same thing in Tahrir Square. Those Egyptian kids, none of them were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, none of them came there with any ideology. They were texting each other and Googling, and using FaceTime and tweet and talking and trying to figure out how to really have part of the future. The same thing in Syria: It began as an effort by young people to be able to touch the future, and then it was co-opted by others with other intent.
So building these bridges of opportunity for people is going to define the future. And I believe that the private sector, business, chambers of commerce, and others are vital instruments of global policy, not American policy, that have ways in which we will reach global aspirations and be able to meet this growing demand by unbelievable numbers of young people bursting, a new baby boom generation, that are going to demand part of that future. Sixty five percent of many countries are under the age of 40, in some countries 60 percent under the age of 25. And if we don’t educate them and provide jobs for them and opportunities, we’re going to have great difficulties.
So I thank you for the privilege of being here with you today. We’ve come a long way in one generation. And for the sake of the next generation, we clearly cannot be satisfied. There’s a huge task ahead of us. Poland is really helping, and you – all of you in this Chamber – are helping to define that road ahead. And we look not just to lecture you or to talk at you, but to partner with you in the effort to make sure that we meet your needs, and through that together meet our needs as global citizens.
Thank you all for the privilege of being with you today. Thank you. (Applause.)
Remarks to American Chamber of Commerce Participants
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Bristol Hotel
Warsaw, Poland
November 5, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Thank you very much, Joseph. Thank you. Appreciate it. Let me see if I can make this Kerry-sized. (Laughter.) Anyway, there we go. Thank you. Good morning, everybody – or good afternoon. What is it? I don’t know anymore. (Laughter.)
PARTICIPANT: Afternoon.
SECRETARY KERRY: What?
PARTICIPANT: Afternoon.
SECRETARY KERRY: Afternoon. Good afternoon. And you haven’t eaten yet, right? (Laughter.) Anyway, and it’s very dangerous because I think I’m all that stands between you and your food. (Laughter.) Is it true you’re having a meal?
PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible.)
SECRETARY KERRY: Beg your pardon?
PARTICIPANT: Yes.
SECRETARY KERRY: Okay, once I let you sit down. (Laughter.)
Well, I will not keep you too, too long, but I want to tell you, first of all, what a great honor it is for me to be here in Warsaw, in Poland. Joseph just talked about the remarkable transformation taking place here. It really is extraordinary. And in fact, it’s encouraging and inspirational. I got to walk down the street, the main street this morning, heading towards the old city. And the Ambassador, our good Ambassador, was relating to me sort of the care that went into the rebuilding and the thought about replicating what was. And so you see the beauty even though it’s more modern, obviously, it is reflective of what was there originally and a great, great statement about the spirit of this country and the sort of stubborn refusal, if you will, to be beaten down by history.
So I think it’s a great statement. It’s a great metaphor for a lot of countries today for the possibilities of what can come out of great conflict and tragedy through the determination and the imagination of the human spirit. And that’s kind of part of what we’re here to talk about here a little bit today – the story of Poland, a story really of resistance in many ways to so many different conflicts and occupations and challenges.
And I was saying just a moment ago over at the Embassy that when you hear the name Warsaw you don’t just think of that abstractly, but you think of the Warsaw Pact, the Warsaw Convention, the Warsaw Uprising, the Warsaw Ghetto. I mean, there are great moments of defiance and of transformation affiliated with the name, and more particularly with the spirit and the history. And of course, we in Massachusetts, because of Casimir Pulaski and his historic letter to George Washington when he wrote of his willingness to be there to fight for our own independence, began a great tradition of our countries being unified in our depth of commitment and belief in the human spirit, demonstrated so much through democracy and through the commitment to the power of individuals to be able to make a difference. So we celebrate that, and I thank you because I’ve been in Cairo and Riyadh for two days, so you have given me weather much more accustomed to Massachusetts and my hometown – (laughter) – than 90 degrees at this time of year.
I’m going to try to – let me just talk for a bit about sort of what really brings all of you together, because I have great respect for the work that the Chamber has done. And the companies that have invested here and the relationship at a corporate level in business is really essential to what has helped Poland to be able to be the powerhouse economically that it is today.
When this organization, the Chamber, opened its doors not too long after Communism collapsed, the country –and indeed the continent and the world – were full of hope for what the future of free markets might be able to be able to bring. But I don’t think any of us could have predicted that it would have been as unbelievably successful and rapid as it has been here in Poland. The economic strength of this country now is truly nothing less than remarkable. And just as – I mean, if you think about it, one generation after the Gdansk shipyard strikes, Poland has become – as Joseph reminded us a moment ago – the sixth largest economy in Europe. It is one of the best places to invest in the world, and it is one of the economic powerhouses of the EU. It is also one of the few transatlantic economies to grow despite the global recession, which is a testament to the Polish people’s innovation and resilience.
And that’s why the United States made our bilateral trade such a priority, because trade has quadrupled here just over the last 10 years. So I just came downstairs from a meeting with a group of young people who represent young Polish innovators, a group that is part of this alumni program of young people chosen by the Ministry of Education. The Polish Government supports them to go and take part in a program at Berkeley and at Stanford. And they’re collaborating with American partners on creative solutions to today’s challenges. And it seems to me that they are a symbol of the way in which the aspirations of young people really unite us rather than divide us, as they do in some other parts of the world. Entrepreneurship, competition, open markets, these words were never associated with Poland’s economy 25 years ago, but today they define it.
That’s the measure of the transformation and that’s what the world means when it talks about an economic miracle which has taken place here. I’m Catholic; I happen to believe in miracles, but this is a different kind. (Laughter.) And it has been really nothing short of phenomenal. It’s taken hard work, and an awful lot of you here in this room really get credit for what is happening here. Several hundred – I think at least 100,000 jobs have been brought here through the companies that are here and represented.
The fast rise – but it’s symbolic of something else, if I can just spend a minute on this. I was recently in South Korea, in the Republic of Korea, and there it struck me how this country that 15 years ago we were giving aid to, is now a donor country giving aid to other countries in the world. We go back to the Marshall Plan, which obviously Poland, because of the occupation, didn’t take part in, but you look at the rest of Europe where it did take hold, and we see how investment and rules of the road and belief in the possibilities of that investment to turn a corner, in fact, produces transformation. And the same is true for Japan. Now all of those places are not just donor countries, but they’re vibrant democracies in places that are contributing to a set of values that the world really respects and admires.
I think that if you look in other places – I was privileged to lead the effort over 10 years to open up our new economic relationship with Vietnam. Back in 1990, when we began that effort, nobody believed it was possible. Now Vietnam is one of the economic powerhouses of the world. We have vibrant investment, and it is a vibrant marketplace, a capitalist marketplace, which is very different from the place it was envisioned to be when I was there in the late 1960s.
So right now, right here in Europe, we believe we’re on the doorstep of another great transformation that could actually make trade more open, make markets more free, make competition stronger, and create more opportunity for jobs. And it even can make a broader base of economic prosperity the hallmark of the next generation in the way that we want it to be.
And of course, I’m talking about the possibilities of TTIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Now, it’s ambitious, but its potential benefits are enormous. I talked this morning with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister about it. This market could integrate the world’s largest market, the EU, and the single largest economy, the United States, and create a consortium, if you will, of nations all adhering to the highest standards, not the lowest, creating a race to the top, not a race to the bottom.
And a market of that size can have a profound impact on the choices that other countries must begin to make with respect to transparency, accountability, corruption, all of the things that are really the key to attracting investment with the kind of confidence that money seeks, as it has many choices around this planet as to where to go and where to invest. TTIP will improve the rules that govern trade and it will level the playing field.
And by strengthening the rules-based trading and promoting greater transparency and regulations and standards that become more compatible, we will break some of the resistance to trade that exists and encourage this very, very important standardization, which is, in the end, I think, in the interest of everybody. If you know what the rules of the road are and you know the rules of the road are top level, you are much more prone to invest and locate and do business than you are at a place where you know you can’t get a decision from the government because they don’t have those rules or getting that decision from the government may require all kinds of hoops you have to jump through. And for our companies that adhere to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, that can be a particular challenge against countries where they don’t.
So this is a chance to really even the scale, and I’ll give you a few examples of why it’s important to try to do this, leaving out the question of corruption practices. One of Poland’s most successful retailers in the United States is a company called Inglot Cosmetics. And it has a successful brand of breathable nail polish, something I don’t know anything about, folks. (Laughter.) But I am told that while cosmetic regulations between the EU and the U.S. are similar, they’re still just different enough in order to raise production and administrative costs that make it more difficult for people to be able to sell or compete. In TTIP, we actually save this cosmetic company time and money so that it could focus on developing more innovative products and actually engage more in selling and sales, rather than reacting to a regulative marketplace.
You can take Poland’s famous hams, which are enjoyed at dinner tables all across the United States, or you can look at Massachusetts cranberries and California grapes, which have found a growing market here in this country. These foods could be traded much more easily and cheaply than they are today, and that’s if we ease the tariffs and ease the barriers that make it harder to be able to trade. TTIP will do exactly that.
So more compatible standards could also help auto manufacturers, like General Motors, which produces more than 2 million cars a year in the southern city of Gliwice. And these companies and others like them here in Poland would greatly benefit from an increased, two-way transatlantic capacity.
So bottom line, this really is an historic opportunity. And as you come here today and you break bread in a few minutes and have a chance to talk with each other and everything, think about what you can do to help us energize this process across Europe. For those of you who travel, and most of you do, those of you who engage in a daily basis here, get people excited about this possibility, because TTIP is a political and strategic bet that we’re willing to place on one another.
And more and more – I said this during my nomination hearings, and I believe it to the core, and I’ve watched this evolution over the years in terms of foreign policy – more and more foreign policy is economic policy. And more and more, as countries have less and less cash that they’re throwing around, we will need to partner with the private sector in order to leverage change in countries. And if we can help create the framework by which countries invite companies to come and invest and be involved and streamline decision making, and help with economic zones, qualified economic zones, tax incentive, whatever it takes to create fast decisions, effective availability of workforce, all those kinds of things, that will be the greatest development to policy that there will be.
In the absence of an age when hundreds of billions of dollars would be thrown into a Marshall Plan, the new plan is really the private sector and its investment as people are competing globally to create more middle class. And as more middle class are created, more people will travel, more people will share the purchasing of goods, and more people will, in the end, have a stake in their communities that will lower the threshold of terrorism and the option that people take to choose to be violent in the choices that they make with respect to how they can define their future.
I’m telling you folks, that food vendor in Tunisia who burned himself to death was not part of a religious extremist group. He was not part of any ideology. He wanted to be able to sell his fruit without corruption, without government interference. He wanted to touch his own sense of what the brass ring was. And the same thing in Tahrir Square. Those Egyptian kids, none of them were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, none of them came there with any ideology. They were texting each other and Googling, and using FaceTime and tweet and talking and trying to figure out how to really have part of the future. The same thing in Syria: It began as an effort by young people to be able to touch the future, and then it was co-opted by others with other intent.
So building these bridges of opportunity for people is going to define the future. And I believe that the private sector, business, chambers of commerce, and others are vital instruments of global policy, not American policy, that have ways in which we will reach global aspirations and be able to meet this growing demand by unbelievable numbers of young people bursting, a new baby boom generation, that are going to demand part of that future. Sixty five percent of many countries are under the age of 40, in some countries 60 percent under the age of 25. And if we don’t educate them and provide jobs for them and opportunities, we’re going to have great difficulties.
So I thank you for the privilege of being here with you today. We’ve come a long way in one generation. And for the sake of the next generation, we clearly cannot be satisfied. There’s a huge task ahead of us. Poland is really helping, and you – all of you in this Chamber – are helping to define that road ahead. And we look not just to lecture you or to talk at you, but to partner with you in the effort to make sure that we meet your needs, and through that together meet our needs as global citizens.
Thank you all for the privilege of being with you today. Thank you. (Applause.)
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