Shmyhal and Tusk signed a joint document in Poland

The delegation from Ukraine was headed by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and his colleague Donald Tusk was on the Polish side.

As the head of the Ukrainian government noted, the countries are strategic allies. He also noted the need to clearly understand how significant “mutual support and the potential of our cooperation are.”

According to Shmyhal, the government teams of both countries discussed a number of issues of mutual interest in cooperation.

The government press service indicates that during the negotiations, in particular, much attention was paid to such complex topics as the situation at the border and trade in the agricultural sector, and also aimed at resolving these issues.

“We expect concrete answers from Poland to the steps we have proposed. Most of them have already been completed. We expect a ban by the European Commission on the transit and export of goods from Russia and Belarus, as well as the approval of our agreement on joint control at checkpoints,” Shmyhal noted.

What was agreed upon during the negotiations?

As a result of intergovernmental consultations, a joint statement was adopted. Below is its text:

“On March 28, 2024, Polish-Ukrainian intergovernmental consultations took place in Warsaw, as a result of which the parties:

• noted the special partnership between the Republic of Poland and Ukraine, as well as the solidarity and centuries-old ties between the Polish and Ukrainian peoples;
• reaffirmed the unwavering support of the Republic of Poland to the Ukrainian Defense Forces in repelling the illegal, unjustified and unprovoked war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which violated the foundations of international law and order;
• noted the unwavering support of the Republic of Poland in restoring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders established in 1991;
• expressed full support of the Republic of Poland for the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, noted the importance of implementing this initiative to achieve a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace in Ukraine and supported the organization of the Global Peace Summit;
• agreed that the Russian Federation must bear the legal consequences of its crime of aggression, while the Russian criminal leadership will be held accountable for the international crimes it has committed, including the crime of aggression and violations of international humanitarian law;
• called on the international community to continue to provide Ukraine with all the necessary military assistance necessary to counter armed aggression and to defeat Russia, to urgently begin to use frozen Russian assets for the purposes of the defense and restoration of Ukraine, as well as to increase sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation;
• reaffirmed their continued efforts to introduce effective measures to block imports of agricultural products from Russia and Belarus into the EU market as a necessary tool to remove pressure on EU agricultural markets;
• confirmed their readiness for active cooperation in the process of restoration of Ukraine;
• emphasized that Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO is a vital interest of both countries, with the understanding that the security of Ukraine is an integral part of the security of Europe;
• launched a bilateral dialogue on European integration, which should develop in the form of regular working sectoral consultations between the relevant interested ministries, with the aim of helping to strengthen Ukraine’s institutional readiness for EU accession negotiations and supporting the gradual integration of Ukraine into the EU internal market;
• confirmed that trade liberalization measures should be designed in such a way as to have a positive impact on the economies of the Republic of Poland and other EU Member States, as well as Ukraine, without destabilizing their markets, and jointly developed mechanisms should monitor the stability of trade, taking into account the change security situation in Ukraine and;
• took note of the successful efforts of Ukraine made to unblock the Black Sea corridor;
• exchanged views on the progress achieved in the process of Ukraine’s accession to the EU, and the tools for the Republic of Poland to support Ukrainian authorities in preparation for accession negotiations;
• agreed that the Republic of Poland will endeavor to convene the First Intergovernmental Conference between the EU and Ukraine no later than June 2024;
• took note of the decisions of the NATO-Ukraine Council of 15 February 2024 on the establishment of a new NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Preparation and Training Center in Bydgoszcz;
• took note of the decision of the Republic of Poland to join the G7 initiative regarding the security of agreements with Ukraine with a view to their speedy completion;
• summarized the discussions and commitments made by the Parties during the 9th meeting of the Polish-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, which took place in Lviv on March 11, 2024, and discussed the current challenges of economic cooperation, investment and trade;
• agreed to amend the Intergovernmental Agreement of September 9, 2015 on extending the payment period for contracts by 8 years in order to extend the execution of contracts, as well as increase the volume and quality of crossing the Polish-Ukrainian state border;
• recognized that trade should be balanced and mutually beneficial for agricultural producers in the Republic of Poland and Ukraine;
• emphasized that both Parties have already made a lot of efforts to establish fair rules for trade in agricultural products between the Republic of Poland and Ukraine, and that further effective dialogue based on mutual understanding is necessary;
• agreed to take further steps to find mutually beneficial solutions, such as verification and control systems, for trade in agri-food products; The ministers responsible for agriculture and trade of both Parties will continue their cooperation on these issues;
• agreed that the Solidarity Road Action Plan has been a significant success in ensuring the unhindered transit of Ukrainian goods across the European Union in the face of ongoing full-scale Russian aggression and serious logistical problems;
• confirmed their readiness to conclude an Agreement on the provision of controls at common border crossing points and cooperation between control authorities, after its approval by the EU Commission, with the aim of launching the exchange of logistics data at individual road border crossing points in order to create and maintain a transport network that meets the needs, including through the implementation of coordinated infrastructure projects;
• emphasized that the above measures are aimed at ensuring the uninterrupted and unimpeded functioning of the common state border, which is a key infrastructure for the movement of goods and ensures connectivity and accessibility of regions between states;
• took into account the challenges existing between the Republic of Poland and Ukraine and declared their readiness to resolutely cooperate to achieve mutually satisfactory and long-term solutions;
• emphasized the need to deepen cooperation in the field of combating crime and agreed on the steps that need to be taken to sign a new Polish-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation in the fight against crime;
• confirmed their interest in the further development of cooperation in the energy sector, the development of joint projects and close cooperation on issues of mutual energy security;
• condemned the seizure of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and the ongoing massive targeted attacks on Ukrainian civilian energy infrastructure;
• confirmed the strengthening of cooperation in carrying out searches, exhumations and other measures for the dignified burial of victims of conflicts, repressions and crimes committed on the territory of the Republic of Poland and Ukraine, as well as regarding requests to the competent authorities of both Parties to carry out this type of work;
• highly appreciated the comprehensive support of the Republic of Poland, including legislative decisions taken to ensure temporary protection of Ukrainian citizens who found temporary refuge in the Republic of Poland after the start of Russian aggression;
• agreed to intensify cooperation in order to ensure the rights of the Polish and Ukrainian national minorities, as well as strengthen cooperation in the field of higher education and science;
• confirmed their readiness to cooperate in the field of digital transformation;
• confirmed support for Ukraine’s membership in the European Space Agency;
• expressed gratitude to public institutions, associations and all people of good will participating in strengthening dialogue and mutual understanding in Polish-Ukrainian relations; signed in Warsaw on March 28, 2024;
• agreed to hold the next meeting of Polish-Ukrainian intergovernmental consultations in Kyiv in 2025.