History

In February 2008, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski met with members of the Washington D.C. Polish-American community to ask their opinion on the state and future direction of U.S.-Polish relations. Motivated by this discussion, those who met with Minister Sikorski decided to consolidate and formalize their responses in a written document. That document became a memorandum on U.S.-Polish relations which was presented to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during his official March 2008 visit to the United States.

The drafting of that memorandum launched an effort to unite the community of professional Polish-Americans in Washington D.C., which culminated in the creation of the American Polish Forum (APF). From the initial group that partook in writing the memorandum, APF has grown to include individuals from across the professional spectrum of Washington—including governmental, policy, legal and academic communities.

In addition to continuing to provide a forum for the discussion of issues important to U.S.-Polish relations, APF is committed to promoting the professional development of its members and future leaders. Members of the American Polish Forum include Congressional staff, executive branch officials, attorneys, academics, and media and private sector professionals. They are individuals who are already influential in their fields, and will be tomorrow’s senior American officials, opinion-makers, and Polish-American community leaders. APF members all hold one thing in common: their desire to strengthen and promote the transatlantic bond between the United States and Poland.