We present an interview with Bart Bagniewski, a U.S.-born Pole living in the United States, one of the first leaders of the Warsaw Institute Foundation. The materials kindly provided and recommended by the Warsaw Institute Foundation.

To strengthen and deepen its partnership with the US

Warsaw Institute Foundation: What was the main intention of The Warsaw Institute Foundation, Poland’s first geopolitical think tank in Washington?

Bart Bagniewski: As a U.S.-born Pole living in the United States, I think it is necessary to set up think tanks and institutions that would back Poland’s efforts also outside its borders and I notice a demand for communicating the needs of our country and region. I consider myself to be a patriot actively involved in the affairs of the Polish diaspora. I was one of the four Poles who filed a lawsuit in federal court over the Katyn monument in Jersey City. Such is an example of my hitherto activity in the United States. Remarkably, the Polish diaspora numbers as much as 10 million people while their representatives seem rather unlikely to be appointed to any lucrative posts in public administration or in judicial institutions. Their voice has not always been powerful enough to exert any influence on the local reality. This has to be changed. It is therefore high time we established a strong group that would be in charge of representing the Polish raison d’état in the United States. Such necessity pushed forward the idea of setting up The Warsaw Institute Foundation, a think tank being also the U.S.-based association.

Why are you so engaged in Poland’s affairs?

Frankly speaking, such an attitude is tightly linked to my personality. I do not like to lose, I am a man of action. I like to act and I feel emotionally tied to Poland while the country’s great potential is not always appreciated and certainly not fully exploited. My aim is to offer knowledge and business experiences so as to remodel the hitherto state of affairs, to set up a positive image of Poland and to enhance the country’s national interests in the United States.

Speaking of the foundation’s goals, what are your plans related to its future activity?

Poland’s priority is to strengthen and deepen its partnership with the United States in all domains. It is crucial to launch an effective communication with the U.S. administration while pursuing a policy which is in accordance with the American interests, regardless of current regimes or political conditions in Poland. Our goal is to convince American politicians, officials, diplomats, and entrepreneurs that such close cooperation between Poland and the United States is both necessary and beneficial for our countries. Being a strategic ally of the United States in this part of Europe as well as one of the region’s leader, Poland keeps playing a key role in the international order. The need to deepen good relations between Poland and the United States has been repeatedly pointed out by President Donald Trump, both during his visit to Warsaw as well as on several occasions when he called on the Poles to establish an even greater cooperation. We are also conscious of this issue as exemplified by The Warsaw Institute Foundation that seeks to constitute our answer to President Trump’s appeal.

Source: Warsaw Institute Foundation