Kuchma and Kwasniewski discuss peacekeepers, visa regime, other issues (07/06/03)

Kuchma and Kwasniewski discuss peacekeepers, visa regime, other issues

by Maryna Makhnonos
Special to the Ukrainian Weekly

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine and his Polish counterpart, Aleksander Kwasniewski, meeting on June 23-24 discussed their troops' activities in the U.S.-led post-war stabilization process in Iraq, the introduction of a visa regime and bilateral cooperation after Poland's accession next year to the European Union. The two met in Odesa during the sixth economic forum of Ukrainian and Polish business circles.

The presidents discussed the operations and safety of 1,800 Ukrainian and 2,000 Polish peacekeepers destined for central and southern Iraq, where they are expected to arrive in August.

"Ukraine-Poland cooperation is a commitment to the program of stabilization in Iraq and its further revival," said Mr. Kwasniewski, according to the Interfax news agency. He added that the program will be beneficial both for Iraq and the countries involved in its post-war stabilization.

Last week an advance group of Ukrainian soldiers left for Iraq to pave the way for deployment of their units. The troops will join a Polish-led contingent and will be responsible for maintaining order and helping set up new civilian authorities in a zone between the British-run area in southern Iraq and the U.S.-controlled sector in the north.

During their meeting in the Black Sea port city, the two presidents also discussed a new visa regime agreement, which officials plan to sign in mid-July. To enter the EU, Poland committed to establish visa regimes with non-EU countries along its borders.

"The European dimension of our partnership with Poland is filled with specific content," Mr. Kuchma said, as quoted by Interfax. "In particular, we managed to find an optimal, in our opinion, visa formula for the Ukrainian-Polish border."

According to the draft document, Ukrainian citizens would be granted Polish entry visas free of charge, while Poles would enter Ukraine without visas. The state secretary of Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Ministry, Oleksander Chalyi, said on June 23 that the agreement is also expected to establish the same customs and border control procedures on the Ukrainian-Polish frontier as those now used on the Polish-German border. He added that other EU candidates - Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia - expressed interest in the planned Polish-Ukrainian visa regime.

"After Poland enters the European Union, its cooperation with Ukraine should be activated, and borders should not put obstacles in the way of economic and trade ties," President Kwasniewski observed.

Touching on economic cooperation, President Kuchma urged both countries' business institutions to implement "joint economic and energy, transport and scientific projects on a large scale."

Speaking at a gathering of the business elite, both presidents promised to personally support their activities. Mr. Kuchma also called for the development of bilateral economic ties taking into account Poland's forthcoming membership in the EU, as well as Ukraine's increased engagement in trans-European processes.

The presidents also discussed some sensitive issues between their nations, including the matter of the Polish soldiers' burial ground at the historic Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, whose opening was postponed after a row of negative remarks by both Ukrainian politicians and Polish diplomats.

Another issue concerned preparations for the 60th anniversary of Ukrainian-Polish clashes in the Volyn region. Some 20,000 Ukrainians and up to 100,000 Poles were killed during the conflict, according to estimates by both countries' historians.

"We will leave this (issue) to historians, and we will work for our common future," Mr. Kuchma said.

His words came against the backdrop of a small protest outside Odesa's regional administration building by Ukrainian nationalists, who held posters that read: "No excuses for defending our land."

Meanwhile, both countries' Parlia-ments are working on preparing a joint statement aimed at mutual reconciliation between the two nations.

Before departing Presidents Kwasniewski and Kuchma met with officials of the Odesa regional administration, visited the Ukrainian-Polish Cooperation Center, and attended the opening of Poland's General Consulate - its fifth in Ukraine. Mr. Kuchma said the next year will be dedicated to Ukraine-Poland links within the framework of the "Year of Poland in Ukraine" project.

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