Ambassador in Silesia

18 March 2008

Ambassador Ashe discusses city development in Opole with the Mayor of Nysa Jolanta Barska and other prominent local political figures

U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe visited Wrocław and Silesia on March 17 and 18 to meet with local officials.  He first called on newly appointed Lower Silesia Governor Rafał Jurkowlaniec before meeting with newly elected Lower Silesian Marshal Marek Łapiński.  Later in the morning, he went to the Wrocław Academy of Fine Arts where he met with Prof. Kazimierz Pawlak and toured the Academy's workshops.  Ambassador Ashe also met renowned sculptor 'Stan Wys' (Stanisław Wysocki) in Wrocław.  In the afternoon, Ambassador Ashe went to Dzierżoniów to meet with Mayor Marek Piorun, and to Bielawa to meet with Mayor Ryszard Dźwiniel.  He took the time to stop in Nowa Ruda to call upon Mayor Tomasz Kiliński before arriving in Nysa, where he shared coffee with Ms. Jolanta Barska, Mayor of Nysa.  About Silesia, Ambassador Ashe said, "Long the heart of industrial Poland, Silesia continues to grow apace and look to the future.  As Ambassador to the entire country of Poland, it's important to see Silesia first hand and witness the economic and infrastructure changes taking place."