U.S. Ambassador to Poland Christopher Hill talks to Dena R. Gurgul.

During your posting a number of critical events took place, including the 9/11 attacks and the war in Iraq. What has it been like as ambassador to Poland during the past four years?
First of all, I think we've always had a close relationship with the Polish people and certainly in the last 15 years with the Polish government. I've been very privileged to be here at a time of extraordinary growth in that relationship. The United States has certain countries which are close allies and I think it's safe to say that Poland is one of them. There is a new quality in the relationship also accompanied by quality-we've had many delegations and areas of cooperation with the Polish government. This is not to say we don't have a lot of problems as well. Anyone who is ambassador here is well aware of the problems and the need to focus on those every day of the year. In the last four years, I've been really privileged to see the development of this special relationship.

Will you be leaving many friends behind when you leave Poland?
When I leave Poland I feel that Poland will not leave me. I'll always feel very much a part of Poland and I like to think I'll always be able to return here and feel at home. I do have a lot of friends here, both professional and personal, in offices, on the tennis court, many different kinds of friends and so I really don't feel as if I'm leaving Poland.

Were there any low points in your term of office?
If there were any low points, I've put them out of my mind and what I'll take with me are a lot of high points. Among those high points there were, of course, exhilarating moments of policy breakthroughs, President Bush's visits to Poland and Kwaśniewski's visits to the U.S. However, the moment which will always stay with me is the tragedy of 9/11. I think I can speak for the entire embassy when I say that we felt very fortunate to be among friends.

Could you talk a little about the New New Yorkers event?
Poland has made a contribution to many parts of the world. As someone who has spent most of my time not living in New York but in driving through the city and being extraordinarily intimidated by the sheer size and scale of New York and a sense of how difficult it must be to make it in the city, I thought it was particularly appropriate given Poland's contribution to many parts of the world to focus on the contribution of Polish artists to one of the toughest towns in the world. There's an expression "if you can make it there you can make it anywhere." The New New Yorkers event, in addition to celebrating our close ties and Polish-Americans who have made it in New York and have come back, is a kind of metaphor for Poland's success everywhere.