Citizens Platform or PO [Maciej
PLAZYNSKI]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of
Poland) [Leszek MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK];
German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Law and
Justice or PiS [Lech KACZYNSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR
[Marek KOTLINOWSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish
Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI]; Samoobrona [Andrzej LEPPER];
Solidarity Electoral Action of the Right or AWSP [Marian KRZAKLEWSKI];
Social Movement-Solidarity Electoral Action or RS-AWS [Jerzy BUZEK];
Union of Labor or UP [Marek POL]

Political pressure groups and leaders: All Poland Trade Union Alliance
or OPZZ (trade union); Roman Catholic Church; Solidarity (trade union)

International organization participation: ACCT (observer), Australia
Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU
(applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer),
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO,
MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
20009 FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles,
and New York telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Christopher R. HILL embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540, Warsaw
P1 mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch) telephone: [48] (22) 628-30-41 FAX:
[48] (22) 628-82-98 consulate(s) general: Krakow

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red;
similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white

Economy Poland

Economy - overview: Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of
liberalizing the economy and today stands out as one of the most
successful and open transition economies. GDP growth had been strong
and steady in 1993-2000 but fell back in 2001 with slowdowns in domestic
investment and consumption and the weakening in the global economy. The
privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal
la