Saturday, December 3, 2016

Poland: Strengthening Defense Cooperation with Ukraine

Poland’s Minister of National Defence Antoni Macierewicz and the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Army General Stepan Połtorak, signed a General Agreement between the Republic of Poland and Ukraine on mutual cooperation in the area of defense.


The agreement was signed on the occasion of the State visit by President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine in Warsaw on the 25th anniversary of Poland's recognition of Ukrainian independence. Under the leadership of Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and President Poroshenko, plenary talks took place at the Presidential Palace, where representatives of both Governments attended and took part in the discussions.


The agreement between the Republic of Poland and Ukraine is the basis for the development of further cooperation with Ukraine and gives impetus to the strategic partnership that connects Kiev and Warsaw in the face of contemporary security challenges in Central Europe. The signed General Agreement sets forth 24 areas of future cooperation, which will be implemented by the parties in different forms.

After the signing of the agreement, President Andrzej Duda said that “he is very happy about the signed agreement executed by the Governments of Poland and Ukraine concerning military cooperation. It shows that Poland is still interested and active in the dimension of support for Ukraine in virtually every field. We are continuously ready to provide expert as well as financial assistance to Ukraine, which is passed on every year by the Polish authorities within the framework of the modernization of the country and the implementation of reforms,” he stressed.


Polish and Ukrainian defense ministers released a statement in which Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz said that “the signed agreement is accompanied by a Protocol, which forms the basis for an extension of the agreement between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Government of Ukraine, concerning the delivery of weapons and military technology and the provision of services of a military-technical nature. The Protocol applies to taking up industrial cooperation in the sphere of missile technology, including systems capable of launches into orbit and other technologies for the land forces.”

Defence Minister Macierewicz stressed that “this Protocol is of great importance for strengthening the cooperation of our defense industries, strengthening our army and in strengthening the independence of Poland and Ukraine.”

General Połtorak said: “today a very important event was held, marking 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and Ukraine. Today we also signed a cooperation agreement of both our military sectors, providing a legal basis for the expansion of cooperation in 24 areas, including virtually all spheres within the scope of the defense industries of our two countries. Today's events are both strong and significant. Tapping into the experience of both Ukraine and Poland, we can increase our possibilities. I would like to thank Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz for this effort, resulting in the signing of this agreement. It will be implemented not in a year’s time, but immediately.”

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Today's agreement will replace the earlier Agreement in its entirety between the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Poland and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine concerning cooperation in the field of defense, and executed in Kiev on 3 February 1993. This earlier agreement previously served as a formal-legal platform for Polish-Ukrainian military cooperation.

On 2 December 1991, Poland became the first country to recognize the independence of Ukraine. On 24 August 1991, the Supreme Council of Ukraine adopted the Independence Act, which was afterwards approved in a national referendum held on 1 December 1991.


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