Here is Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski yesterday in Washington:

Events in the Middle East show that we are fast entering a new phase in the spread of democracy, or at least a new pluralism.

People living under dictatorships are finding out who they are. They are realising that the only thing they have to fear is fear itself

Helping build pluralist societies is back on the agenda.

We need to help countries where political parties, rule of law, ideas of separation of powers scarcely exist.

Poland has learned the hard way how to move from oppression to freedom.

Free elections are the easy bit. Then comes the slow slog. Building democratic institutions and democratic practices — above all self-discipline — to make democracy work.

There are no short-cuts.

Poland and its people are now six times richer than we were in 1989. A major improvement. But a long way to go before we catch up with countries not held back by communism.

Tunisia, Egypt, Libya are all starting out on that long journey. One day Belarus, Cuba and North Korea will start too.

We can’t tell them what they want. Or try to impose an outcome. These days that just won’t work.

What we can and must do is offer a principled, generous helping hand.

Poland is ready to lead Europe as an active partner for the United States in exporting the technology of democracy, wherever it is needed and welcomed

Poland is a country of success – embracing freedom, ready to share it

Poland knows about sequencing key reforms.

We know about dismantling oppressive army intelligence structures.

We understand the moral dilemmas in opening up secret police archives.

We know about honest money — our national position on government debt is one of the strongest in the Western world.

Above all, like Senator McCain we understand the pain of reconciliation between people who were oppressed, and those who did the oppressing

Because reconciliation brings confidence. Reconciliation allows a society to stop looking back at hatred and mistrust, and look to the future instead