The talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky were the highlight of the second day of a joint visit by the foreign ministers of Poland and of the Kingdom of Sweden to Kyiv. During the meeting, Minister Czaputowicz assured President Zelensky of Poland’s support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. He declared that the Ukrainian-Russian conflict has to be resolved by peaceful means with the backing of Kyiv’s Western partners. He recalled that Poland repeatedly raised the issue of Ukraine’s security on the agendas of international organisations: the UN Security Council, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Council of Europe, the European Union, and NATO.

The situation in Donbas, especially the possible forms of support for the reconstruction of Donbas with the engagement with business and the international community was discussed at length. President Zelensky also stressed the significance of developing Ukrainian information media in the region as a counterweight to Russian disinformation‎. “We have indicated our activities in the region and our support for small and medium-sized enterprises. The EU can and should provide stronger support  for infrastructural projects in Donbas,” noted Minister Jacek Czaputowicz following the meeting.

Possible ways to expand cooperation and how Ukraine and the EU could move closer together were also discussed. Minister Jacek Czaputowicz expressed satisfaction with the fact that President Zelensky will soon visit Brussels to reaffirm Ukraine’s willingness to continue the pro-European and Euro-Atlantic direction that his country has chosen. During today’s meeting, he also confirmed  the invitation extended to Ukraine’s president to visit Poland.

The joint visit by Minister Czaputowicz and Minister Margot Wallström took place on the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership, a joint Polish-Swedish initiative, with Ukraine being its biggest and very ambitious partner.  On this occasion, the head of Polish MFA , together with his Swedish counterpart,  delivered a lecture for students of the Taras Shevchenko University on the future of the Eastern Partnership and Kyiv’s role in building a stable region.

“On the 10th anniversary of the programme, I believe we should think about how we can strengthen it structurally. How to do it? We can approximate our legal systems, institutionalise the Partnership by establishing a secretariat and a rotating presidency, as well as extend our cooperation to include new sectors, such as: the environment, energy security, digital markets and financial services,” emphasized the head of Polish MFA. “We understand very well the role and significance of Ukraine in the Eastern Partnership. Ukraine is a key country for this programme,” added Jacek Czaputowicz.

Ministers Jacek Czaputowicz and Margot Wallström also talked with representatives of political fractions in the Supreme Council of Ukraine. During the meeting, the internal political situation in Ukraine in the context of early parliamentary elections, as well as EU-Ukraine relations, also in the context of the upcoming EU-Ukraine summit, were discussed. Other issues raised included the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the Minsk Accords. 

Earlier, the chiefs of Polish and Swedish diplomacies met with representatives of Ukrainian non-governmental organisations. The meeting focused on human rights protection, the fight against corruption, and disinformation. The speakers stressed the role of the civil society in introducing reforms in Ukraine. Minister Czaputowicz also recalled Poland’s pre-accession to the EU experience.

On Thursday, 30 May, Minister Czaputowicz and Minister Wallström met with Vadym Prystaiko, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration for International Affairs and with Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin. Their talks focused on relations between Brussels and Kyiv, the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, as well as cooperation between Poland, Sweden and Ukraine in the area of security policy, as well as the reconstruction of Donbas. 

During its visit to Kyiv, the Polish delegation also visited the Neo-Gothic Church of St. Nicholas, designed by a Polish architect, Władysław Horodecki, where it met with Bishop Vitaliy Krivitskiy  and members of the Polish communities in Ukraine.

 

MFA Press Office

 

Photo Gabriel Pietka / MFA