Victor Ashe, United States ambassador to Poland, talks to Dena R. Gurgul.

■ How does this posting differ from your previous positions, including 16 years as mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee?
As ambassador I am representing my country, while as mayor I represented my city. I think being mayor has been a good background for my posting in Poland because I see the mayors in Polish cities as an increasingly influential group of individuals. Three years ago, for the first time in Polish history, mayors were elected by the people instead of the city council. Anyone who has been a mayor recognizes it as a difficult position. The issues are very practical and immediate. Being an ambassador, one deals with ongoing issues and closure seldom occurs. I make a point of meeting mayors throughout Poland. I have visited all 16 Polish provinces.

This is a large embassy but smaller than city government—in Knoxville I had a staff of 1,600 and in Warsaw there are approximately 520 embassy employees, of which 130 are American.

It also differs obviously in the issues I deal with, which are more international than local. On the other hand, I find mayors of Polish cities—both large and small—are interested in economic investment. Many U.S. cities handle these issues themselves instead of relying on the government.

Also, as ambassador, one of the responsibilities is to continually work on American-Polish relations. As a mayor or state legislator, my focus was more on local relations. As mayor I established a sister city relationship with Chełm in Poland, where I’ll be visiting on the 4th of July weekend.

■ What is your personal assessment of U.S.-Polish relations?
During my 11 months here, we’ve had visits from the U.S. President, two secretaries of state, the attorney general, an associate justice and the secretary of the Treasury. The president and prime minister of Poland, in August and February respectively, have also paid visits to the United States. Presidents Bush and Kwaśniewski have an excellent relationship, not only officially but personally. They enjoy each other’s company and have a frank, candid and direct way of communicating. I know President Bush values President Kwaśniewski’s advice and thoughts on a variety of issues that affect Europe.

American investment in Poland continues to increase, which is a sign of good relations. Moreover, Poland is a respected participant on the world stage.

■ Has Poland’s EU accession changed those relations for the better or worse?
Certainly, Poland’s EU membership is not incompatible with its friendship with the U.S. In fact, we believe it to be quite consistent. The United States has noted with great interest and respect Poland’s active participation in the EU during its first year of membership. Poland did not accept advice that it should sit quietly, but rather decided to be the mature, full-fledged member of the EU that it was entitled to be. More importantly, I think Poland was almost single-handedly responsible for the EU’s active endorsement of free elections in Ukraine. We have watched with admiration the way in which Poland joined the EU and how it has become such an important figure within the organization.

■ What is your perspective on the visa issue?
First, let me say that contrary to what the public may believe, 75 percent of all visa applications are approved. Many people may think that this proportion is exactly reversed, but having said that, a 25-percent rejection rate is still relatively high. However, that does reflect the high unemployment or underemployment and relatively low incomes of many of our applicants.

It is certainly an issue that President Kwaśniewski raises frequently and directly with President Bush because of the heartfelt views that Poles have on this issue. During their last meeting in February, the presidents agreed on a road map to move Poland into the visa waiver program. This will take concerted effort to implement on both sides, but both countries appear to be committed to it. I am hopeful that at the end of the day, Poland will be eligible for the visa waiver program. A lot of the things that Poles disagree with in the visa program are really requirements of our national law in the United States.

■ What are your plans as ambassador in Warsaw?
As I said, I’ve been here just short of a year and it’s gone by very quickly. It’s been a fabulous experience. My family and I have been very grateful for the warm and hospitable manner in which we have been received. I can’t think of any country I would rather be in than Poland.

My goals involve working on and continuing to explain the American point of view on many issues, while at the same time augmenting or bringing together U.S.-Polish relations in whatever area I am able.

Secondly, while I have visited all 16 provinces, there are many areas of Poland that I have not seen with anywhere near the depth that I hope to. I hope to spend the next year concentrating on areas beyond the centers of major cities, mainly in the Tricity and Mazuria regions as well as in the south near Wrocław and in the vicinity of Białystok. Poland is a large country with 40 million residents. There are 2 million in Warsaw alone, but that still means that 38 million live somewhere else.

We are looking forward to hosting our first Independence Day celebration as well.