Former Polish PM Urges Poland And Ukraine To Resolve Historical Disputes And Look Ahead

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Former Polish Prime Minister Jan Krzysztof Bielecki expressed this view in an interview with Ukrinform.

“Regardless of how we look at the future, the issues of the past will always weigh on us. So the only thing we can do is to 'clear' that past,” Bielecki said.

He stressed the need to conduct exhumations and provide dignified burials for the victims of the tragic events in Volyn during World War II.

“If it is important for Poles to conduct exhumations and ensure dignified burials for the victims of Volyn, then this should be done. If Poles want to carry out excavations during the war, they should be given that opportunity,” the former Polish Prime Minister said.

According to Bielecki, once these issues have been resolved, Polish-Ukrainian relations should be guided by the principle of“forgive, but remember.”

“No one expects us to agree on everything concerning the past, but everyone should remember their own history and the wrongs that were inflicted,” Bielecki said.

At the same time, he stressed that historical disputes should not become an obstacle to the development of Polish-Ukrainian relations.

“I am a pragmatist, and therefore, regardless of what politicians do, this intensive cooperation will continue because it is needed by both Poles and Ukrainians,” Bielecki said.

He noted that Ukrainians play an important role in the Polish economy.

“There are large companies in Poland where 20–30% of the workforce are Ukrainians, and if they left, it would have a painful impact on businesses,” the former Prime Minister said.

According to him, Poland and Ukraine also have close cultural ties that will not change regardless of the political climate.

Bielecki expressed hope that common sense would prevail in Poland and that incidents targeting Ukrainian citizens would come to an end.

“I think more and more politicians will have the courage to speak out about this,” he said.

Read also: Poland 's former PM explains why Warsaw was ready to quickly recognize Ukraine's independence in Decembe

The former Prime Minister also stressed Poland's strategic importance to Ukraine due to its geography and logistics.

“It is also important to look at the map: the land corridor to Europe through Poland is a natural window for Ukraine to the world, a link in Kyiv's logistics chain,” he said, adding that this was another important element uniting the two countries.

As reported by Ukrinform, Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar said that Ukrainians in Poland were increasingly defending their rights through legal means, including by turning to law enforcement agencies in cases of aggression or discrimination.

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