Ukrainian prime minister's visit to Poland confirms good relations

by Roman Woronowycz
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych made his first visit to Poland as the head of Ukraine's government on January 8, receiving confirmation from Warsaw that it had resolved to maintain a "flexible" visa policy for Ukrainians after it enters the European Union and that it will continue to cooperate on a Odesa-Brody-Gdansk oil pipeline.

"Today we held talks on those subjects that will help us to come closer to determining our [relations'] future direction" explained Mr. Yanukovych after his meeting with Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller.

Ukraine has repeatedly voiced concern that a new type of "iron curtain" could descend at the border between the two countries once Poland entered the European Union, while Poland has insisted all along that it would do everything possible to loosen stringent EU visa requirements and border controls. Kyiv has even suggested that one by-product of the new EU "border" at Ukraine's door could be an influx of illegal immigrants from South-Central Asia into Ukraine seeking to slip into Western Europe.

Mr. Miller maintained during his meeting with Mr. Yanukovych that Poland was committed to maintaining a flexible visa regime for Ukrainians desiring to travel there.

"Visas will be cheap, multi-entry and affordable. We are suggesting that certain categories of individuals, including businessmen and young people, should be allowed to enter Poland without visas," explained Mr. Miller, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

Poland is expected to become an EU member in 2004. One of the requirements it must meet is the implementation by 2003 of a visa regime acceptable to the EU. Currently Ukrainians can travel to Poland without obtaining a permit to enter the country.

The two prime ministers also discussed increasing economic activity across their 543-kilometer (about 360-mile) common border. Although the meeting included discussions on broadening what is generally considered a low level of economic turnover and investment between neighboring countries, the Ukrainian government placed an accent on receiving assurances from Warsaw that it would continue to cooperate in developing the Odesa-Brody-Gdansk oil pipeline, which the Polish side maintains must include the development of a Polish investment consortium to support the project on the Polish side.

Mr. Miller explained the importance of private Polish investment in order for the project to succeed, but emphasized that the value of the project and the demand for the oil in Western Europe needed to be quantified and specific potential suppliers identified as well.

Mr. Yanukovych, meanwhile, maintained that most important at the moment were concrete expressions of the political will to move forward on the project by both Ukraine and Poland.

The Ukrainian prime minister expressed optimism that economic activity between the two neighbors had much room for expansion, especially in the agricultural sector, and said he believed that Warsaw and Kyiv could cooperate in developing common export projects in the military-industrial sector. He also noted that Ukraine would consider purchasing Polish coal for its energy sector.

Polish Prime Minister Miller stated that Poland would continue to support its neighbor's move into the World Trade Organization and, generally, would remain a strong backer of post Soviet reforms under way in Ukraine.

"Poland supports the market and political transformations in Ukraine and is ready to share its experience if Ukraine is ready to listen," explained Mr. Miller, who underscored that a European choice for Ukraine is exclusively dependent on the will of its people.

Finally, the two sides broached the topic of the Eaglets Cemetery in Lviv. A dispute has raged for the past two years over how to represent the Polish soldiers buried there who died in the Polish-Ukrainian War of 1919-1921. Lviv residents have stiffly resisted attempts by the cemetery to memorialize the dead soldiers as heroes.

Prime Minister Miller said he believed that his Ukrainian counterpart, Mr. Yanukovych, was "interested in settling the issue," which has affected Polish-Ukrainian relations and stalled the official opening of the cemetery.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 12, 2003, No. 2, Vol. LXXI

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