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Photo from Ukrinform – UATV
Historical issues remain on the agenda of Ukraine-Poland relations but are not the main negotiating points.
This was facilitated by the lifting of ban on the search and exhumation of Polish victims in Ukraine, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Andriy Deshchytsia said in an interview with Ukrinform.
“Although historical issues remain on the agenda of bilateral relations, they do not form top agenda any longer. This was facilitated by the decision to lift the ban on search and exhumation works in Ukraine, which was made after President Zelensky’s visit to Poland. This decision unblocked dialogue in many other areas and relieved tensions that existed in negotiations at the official level,” Deshchytsia said.
Prior to that, discussion of complicated historical issues was always given priority during the official meetings.
The diplomat also talked about the intention of Polish officials to arrange legal Ukrainian sites of commemoration in Poland.
“This requires certain time, procedures. After all, the statement of the President of Ukraine also did not imply an immediate unblocking of search and exhumation works. The statement was made in August and the work started in late November. There are some procedures that need to be fulfilled. And that is the position of the Polish side,” the ambassador emphasized.
According to him, the Ukrainian side wants to resume consultations within the framework of 1994 bilateral agreement on the preservation of the sites of commemoration in order to settle all the issues related to such places both in Poland and Ukraine.
