The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Poland and Ukraine, Radosław Sikorski and Andrei Sybiha, adopted a joint statement in which Ukraine confirmed that there are no obstacles to conducting search and exhumation works on its territory.
This is according to PAP.
“Ukraine confirms that there are no obstacles to the conduct of search and exhumation works on the territory of Ukraine by Polish state institutions and private entities in cooperation with relevant Ukrainian institutions, in accordance with Ukrainian legislation, and declares its readiness to positively consider applications in these matters,” Sikorski said. He added that the Polish side will mobilize its own institutions, such as the Institute of National Remembrance, “to be sensitive to Ukrainian demands.”
As the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Paweł Wroński later explained in an interview with journalists, this is a breakthrough decision to lift the moratorium on the search and exhumation of the remains of Polish victims of the Volhynia massacre, which has been in force since 2017. He added that the exhumations could begin in the spring of 2025.
Sikorski informed that the adopted statement indicates the priority areas of Polish and Ukrainian involvement, defines the principles that both countries will follow in their actions, and is also a tangible proof of the close relations between Poland and Ukraine.
The head of the MFA also reminded that Poland has been supporting its eastern neighbour militarily and economically since the beginning of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. “Counting military, economic, financial, humanitarian support and aid provided to refugees, according to our statistics, Poland has spent more on aid to Ukraine in proportion to GDP than any other country,” Sikorski said.
“I would like to emphasize our position: Ukraine must regain its territories within its internationally recognized borders. If talks on ending the war begin – which, in our opinion, do not look like it is yet – looking at Russia’s increasingly brutal attacks (…), any solution prepared must be accepted by our Ukrainian friends. Poland will support them in this,” Sikorski declared.
The head of the MFA stressed that any solution regarding Ukraine will have direct consequences for Polish’s security. “We know from the history of Poland attempts to reach an agreement between the superpowers over the heads of the countries concerned. In the past, they did not bring anything good” – he noted.
He stated that Poland supports Ukraine’s quick and efficient accession to the European Union. He also assured that the Polish authorities will use the period of the upcoming Polish presidency of the EU Council to accelerate this process as much as possible, but “as far as the EU methodology allows”.
As he assessed, Ukraine’s membership in the EU is in the strategic interest of our country. At the same time, he pointed out that the negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the EU will be complicated and will concern sensitive issues such as transport and agriculture. “But I want to clearly emphasize that no issues unrelated to membership in the European Union will affect our position,” Sikorski assured. He announced that they would talk with Sybiha about how “Poland can provide expert support to Ukraine in the accession process.”
