Admiral Eric T. Olson Meets with Polish Minister of Defense Bogdan Klich

April 7, 2009

Photo courtesy of Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej (Ministry of Defense)

Admiral Eric T. Olson, Commander of the U.S. Special Operations, headed a delegation of the U.S. Special Operations Command who came to Poland at the invitation of General Włodzimierz Potasinski, Commander of Polish Special Operations. His visit is a follow up of the bilateral agreement "Memorandum of Understanding" signed by Secretary Robert Gates and Minister Bogdan Klich in Krakówon February 19, 2009. The agreement set a partnership between Polish and the U.S. Commands of Special Operations. In an interview for Polish Press Agency (PAP), General Potasinski said the relations with U.S. Special Operations were very important. "We need troops for strategic and operational tasks but we do not have such experience," he said. "So the only solution is to learn from the best." On Monday, April 6, Minister Klich chaired a meeting in which both Commands discussed the basis of bilateral cooperation and the U.S. support in training of the Polish combat troops. Consul General of the U.S. Consulate in Kraków, Anne Hall, joined the U.S. delegation and Polish hosts for dinner and more talks later that day.