The Eastern Partnership foreign ministers meeting on 24 May provided an opportunity for a working visit to Poland of the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, by the invitation from Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Radosław Sikorski. Issues discussed during the visit included current bilateral cooperation, as well as international and regional policy. The parties corroborated the strategic nature of the relations between Poland and Ukraine owing to joint history, convergent economic interests and European aspirations of Ukraine.

        The Ministers concurred it was necessary to stimulate political dialogue at all levels of state authorities and to perform a review of bilateral consultation mechanisms at the level of Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs as soon as possible. Taking into account the consequences of the global financial and economic crisis and its impact on bilateral trade, the parties decided to do their best to improve trade volume and the conditions for mutual investments. Regional energy security remains an important area of mutual cooperation.

        Ukrainian partners stressed that European integration remained a top priority issue both in foreign policy and in the strategy governing implementation of systemic reforms in Ukraine. Poland confirmed its readiness to support Ukrainian efforts along those lines. The parties expressed their interest in the swiftest possible implementation of the Eastern Partnership in the field of comprehensive institution building programme (CIB), regional development and integrated border management (IBM).

       The parties laid particular stress on the necessity to solve the problems in the area of the movement of persons and opted for adoption of a roadmap for a visa-free traffic regime between Ukraine and the EU. With a view to deepening the European integration processes, the parties decided it was necessary to reinforce practical cooperation of Ukraine with the Weimar Triangle and with the Vyshegrad Group. The parties expressed their sustained interest in further actions aimed at opening of new border crossings on both sides of the border and implementing a joint system of border and customs clearance.

       The parties expressed satisfaction with the functioning of the act on small order traffic and agreed it was necessary to continue works aimed at extension of the border zone to 50 kilometres.

       The parties stressed the importance of efficient organisation of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship finals and agreed on further cooperation in this area. To this end the parties will aim to hold as soon as possible the fourth meeting of the Polish-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Committee for Preparation and Performance of EURO 2012 headed by Prime Minister of both countries. The parties agreed on the swiftest possible launch of the works of the Polish-Ukrainian Partnership Forum aimed to strengthen the dialogue between societies of Poland and Ukraine and to reinforce the process of rapprochement and reconciliation between both nations.

       The ministers discussed and approved the schedule for cooperation between foreign affairs ministries for the forthcoming two years.

Piotr Paszkowski
Press Spokesman