NEWS ANALYSIS: Poland calls on Ukraine to control its borders (10/04/98)

NEWS ANALYSIS

Poland calls on Ukraine to control its borders

by Jan de Weydenthal
RFE/RL Newsline

Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Bronislaw Geremek has called on Ukraine to impose full control over its eastern borders as an important step toward preserving visa-free travel to Poland and providing for easier contacts with the West.

Speaking at the Kyiv Institute of International Relations on September 16, Mr. Geremek said Poland intends to resist Western pressure to introduce visas for Ukrainians. But, he said, Ukraine must take firmer steps to counter the smuggling of weapons and drugs from the East across Polish territory.

Poland has been under pressure from the European Union to tighten control over its eastern border. German Interior Minister Manfred Kanther told Polish officials during a visit to Warsaw last month that the government should bring its visa policies into line with those of the EU. He added that this is a condition of Poland's membership in the EU.

Warsaw has signed agreements with Kyiv on visa-free travel and on the re-admission of illegal migrants. But it has restricted entry for Russians and Belarusians, whose governments failed to reach similar accords.

Ukraine has been concerned that any restriction on travel to Poland would adversely affect its economy. Poland is an important source of trade and employment to thousands of Ukrainians. During a meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Geremek, Ukraine's Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko said that Kyiv might set up several free economic zones along the border with Poland to further promote economic contacts.

Polish-Ukrainian bilateral trade turnover reached almost $1.7 billion (U.S.) in 1997 and has grown rapidly so far this year.

Trade with Poland has become even more important for Ukraine since the onset of Russia's economic crisis. Russia is Ukraine's main trading partner, accounting for 40 percent of trade turnover, and Russia's financial crisis has disrupted those ties with Ukraine

Mr. Geremek emphasized in his speech that the Russian crisis provides a reminder of the need for speeding up reforms and expanding contacts with the West. He said that Poland would like to see Ukraine in all European institutions and is ready "to support Ukraine at this difficult moment."

The economic decline in Russia is certain to affect Ukraine's economy. In addition, the continuing political uncertainty in Moscow does not augur well for many unsolved problems in Ukrainian-Russian relations.

The Russian State Duma has failed to ratify a Ukrainian-Russian friendship treaty recognizing Ukraine's independence. And there is still no agreement on delimiting borders between the two states, seven years after Ukraine's declaration of independence. Influential Russian politicians still talk about what they call the "inherent" unity of the two countries within Russian-dominated Slavic nationhood.

This state of affairs has not been lost on Ukrainian leaders. During Mr. Geremek's visit to Ukraine there were frequent mentions of a strategic partnership between Kyiv and Warsaw. Stricter control over Ukraine's borders with Russia and Belarus appears to be an important element in the future development of such a partnership.

Following talks with Mr. Geremek, Volodymyr Horbulin, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said, "We have to stop the smuggling of drugs, stop organized crime and illegal immigration through our eastern border."

Such a program would have important political implications in reinforcing Ukraine's national and territorial separateness from Russia.

Poland is to enter NATO next year and is currently in accession talks with the European Union. Mr. Geremek said Poland's membership in these institutions could benefit Ukraine. Currently, the main problem is visas, and resolving that problem depends on how Ukraine seeks to tighten its eastern borders, he said.

Jan de Weydenthal is an RFE/RL senior correspondent.

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