Seven years ago, Americans lit candles in support of Poland's freedom in the hope that darkness of repression would someday be lifted. Today Solidarity signed accords which will lead to its relegalization and which will allow it to resume its rightful place in Polish life.
This is a great day for the Polish people and for freedom. The discussions have been long and arduous. We welcome the roundtable accords and see them as an historic step towards pluralism and freedom which we hope will eventually take Poland far from totalitarianism and towards a better political and economic future.
We are following the developments in Poland closely and are consulting with Congress and our friends and allies on this issue. In September 1987, then Vice President Bush visited with Lech Walesa and General Jaruzelski concerning the Polish political situation. The Vice President at that time urged dialog and reconciliation to bring about economic growth and political freedom.
The President today is very pleased by the accords that started Poland on this new path of reconciliation.
Note: Marlin Fitzwater read the statement to reporters at 1:32 p.m. in the Briefing Room at the White House.
George Bush, Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the Polish Roundtable Accords Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/248063
