Ukrainian Foreign Minister Anatoly Zlenko and his Polish counterpart Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz solemnly unveiled a monument to Shevchenko on Lublin Union Square in Warsaw, not far from the Ukrainian Embassy. The ceremony took place during Mr. Zlenko’s visit to Poland, a very important one for Ukraine now that the talks on Polish admission to the European Union are expected to be completed before the end of the year, creating a new reality on Ukraine’s western border, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry press service informed The Day that Mr. Cimoszewicz praised Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic efforts, stating that Poland supports them. Incidentally, Poland was the first to make it clear that Ukraine would be welcome at the NATO summit in Prague in November to announce another round of alliance expansion.
As for visa procedures, one of the most sensitive aspects of bilateral relations, the Polish foreign minister shared the government’s view with his Ukrainian colleague, including various tourist and business visa options. Messrs. Zlenko and Cimoszewicz agreed that Polish entry to the EU and visa procedures should not result in Ukraine’s isolation from the new Europe.
The foreign ministers also discussed cooperation. Here the figures speak for themselves. Last year’s commodity exchange registered over $999 million, approximately one-tenth of the Polish- German commodity turnover, with Polish exports to Ukraine worth some $700 million. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry press service has it that the foreign ministers broached the subject of the Brody-Plock oil pipeline as a sequel to the Odesa-Brody project. The issue will be placed on the agenda of the economic cooperation commission to hold a meeting in RzeszЧw shortly. Interestingly, the phrase strategic partnership was practically absent in the latest statements and comments of the Polish leadership.
Mr. Cimoszewicz also promised to personally supervise the investigation of the killing of Ukrainian national Serhiy Kudria by a Polish policeman, as court hearings will resume. Among those present at the ceremony of unveiling the monument to Shevchenko was Dmytro Pavlychko, until recently Ukrainian ambassador to Poland, thanks to whose initiative and long-term efforts the projects have become a reality.
