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UPDATE: Polish, Ukrainian officials meet in Kyiv

14.03.2023 07:30
A senior aide to the Polish president and two government ministers have visited Kyiv for talks with their Ukrainian counterparts on topics including Russia’s invasion, European integration and Poland’s role in the postwar reconstruction of Ukraine.
Polish officials including Marcin Przydacz, a senior foreign policy adviser to President Andrzej Duda (first from right), and Minister for European Affairs Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk (second from right), meet with Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanishyna (second from left), in Kyiv on Monday.
Polish officials including Marcin Przydacz, a senior foreign policy adviser to President Andrzej Duda (first from right), and Minister for European Affairs Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk (second from right), meet with Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanishyna (second from left), in Kyiv on Monday.KPRP/Jakub Szymczuk

Marcin Przydacz, foreign policy advisor to President Andrzej Duda, Minister for European Affairs Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk and Cabinet Minister Michał Dworczyk arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Monday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

The Polish delegation met with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna, among other officials.

Przydacz also held talks with Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the PAP news agency reported.

Security issues, military support for Ukraine, postwar reconstruction

Following that meeting, the Polish presidential aide told PAP: “We discussed security issues and the situation on the front, especially the events around Bakhmut.”

He added: “We also talked about joint efforts on Ukraine's path to European integration and diplomatic efforts to ensure continued military support for Ukraine.” 

Przydacz also announced that he and Yermak agreed that "the Consultative Committee of the Polish and Ukrainian Presidents would resume work to improve bilateral cooperation in the context of the future reconstruction of Ukraine." 

“We would like Polish companies to be very well positioned to take part in this process,” he added.

Support for Ukraine’s bid to join EU, NATO

Meanwhile, the Polish delegation's talks with Kuleba and Stefanishyna focused on Ukraine’s integration with the EU and NATO, as well as continued political dialogue, including "contacts at the highest level," reporters were told. 

Przydacz told PAP: “We would like this dynamic to be maintained to ensure that the exchange of opinions and knowledge between Warsaw and Kyiv is as comprehensive as possible.”

‘Active support for Ukraine’s EU bid is important for Polish security’ 

Poland’s Szynkowski vel Sęk told reporters that the meetings in Kyiv "took place almost exactly a year after the historic visit to the Ukrainian capital" by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, then-Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński, the Czech Republic's Petr Fiala and Slovenia's Janez Janša, who he said were "the first leaders of EU countries to come to Ukraine after the Russian invasion.”

That visit in March 2022 “was an act of political and personal courage in supporting Ukraine” and “paved the way to Kyiv for many other leaders, but also for the unprecedented Western military, humanitarian and political assistance,” according to Szynkowski vel Sęk.

Meanwhile, Monday’s visit of the Polish delegation “stemmed from a conviction that active support for Ukraine’s European aspirations is an important part of building the security of our country,” Szynkowski vel Sęk said. 

Referring to his talks in the Ukrainian capital, Szynkowski vel Sęk told reporters: “I came here with concrete proposals to tighten sectoral cooperation as part of Ukraine’s preparations to open accession negotiations, as well as during these negotiations.”

He added: “I came to Kyiv also to consult initiatives regarding children abducted from Ukraine and to exchange views about negotiations regarding sanctions.”  

Szynkowski vel Sęk also said that the Polish delegation's talks in Kyiv focused on “the role of Poland and Polish companies in the rebuilding of Ukraine” and “various issues to do with security and trans-Atlantic cooperation,” as well as “the current war situation.”

Tuesday is day 384 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. 

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, prezydent.pl