Congratulatory Remarks
by
H.E. Mr. Cho Tae-yul
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
the Republic of Korea
on the occasion of
the Polish National Day Reception
May 15, 2014

Minister Marek Sawicki,
Ambassador Krzysztof Majka,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here with you today on this auspicious occasion of commemorating Poland's May 3rd Constitution Day, and say a few words of congratulations on behalf of the government and people of the Republic of Korea.

The constitution of Poland, enacted 223 years ago, is the second oldest constitution in modern history only after that of the United States and the first ever in Europe. This is not only a proud achievement of the Polish people, but also a significant legacy of mankind which has moved history forward.

Being surrounded by big powers, Poland has suffered from the countless hardships and ordeals. Nevertheless, the people of Poland never lost their national identity, lived up to the spirit of May 3rd Constitution, and eventually succeeded in building today’s Poland rejoicing in peace and prosperity. For this, I express my profound respect to the people of Poland.

“To be defeated and not submit, is victory; to be victorious and rest on one's laurels, is defeat.” This is a quote from a speech made by Poland's independence hero and first marshal, Jozef Pilsudski. What an eloquent testament to the great strength of the Polish people! Trial after trial, Poland has developed into a more mature and stronger nation throughout its history.

Poland's value from the perspective of world history is not confined to the fact that it has maintained its independence overcoming all the challenges it has been faced with. As illustrated by the famous remarks of Poland’s former President Lech Walesa, “The fall of the Berlin Wall started in the shipyards of Poland”, Poland's fight for democracy in the 1980s changed the tides of the contemporary world history.

The history of Korea -- a geostrategic outpost in Northeast Asia -- has many parallels to that of Poland. And the special friendship between our two countries stems from a sense of solidarity of sharing these historical experiences.

With their common national character of tenacity and shared aspiration for peace and prosperity, Poland and Korea have emerged as a thriving democracy and market economy in East Europe and Northeast Asia respectively, and will remain close partners as ever walking on the road towards a bright future together.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This year marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Poland. During the past quarter of a century, our relations have strengthened across-the-board. In particular, the establishment of a strategic partnership between our two countries agreed upon during President Komorowski’s state visit to Korea last October opened a new chapter in the annals of our bilateral relations.

Today, Poland is one of Korea's biggest trade and investment partners among EU members. In 2013, Korea's import from Poland increased by almost 50 percent. As such, our two-way trade has been growing not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively, moving towards a balanced expansion.

In the area of security as well, our bilateral cooperation is strong and solid. Poland is a member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), which has made great contributions to the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula for the past sixty years. It has also been a strong supporter for Korea in all our efforts to build an infrastructure of trust and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula.

As you know, during her visit to Germany last March, President Park Geun-hye presented the Dresden Initiative which set out the future vision of a reunified Korea contributing to global peace and prosperity. As Poland has transformed itself from a stronghold of communism to become today's icon of European peace, the Korean Peninsula -- the last remaining legacy of the Cold War -- will someday become an icon of peace in Northeast Asia.

I am confident that Poland will continue to be our close partner in our journey towards a new kind of Korean Peninsula.

I would like to close my brief remarks by congratulating you once again for the May 3rd Constitution Day of Poland, and wishing for an enduring partnership between our two countries.

Thank you.