GENESIS OF UKRAINIAN-POLISH COOPERATION IN FOREIGN POLICY IN 1995–2005

Abstract

The article presents the Ukrainian-Polish cooperation in foreign policy, which indicates that it was from the moment of proclamation of Ukraine’s independence that the questions of the priority development of Ukrainian-Polish cooperation began to be raised. On August 26, 1991 in the Polish government magazine “Przegląd Rządowy” K. Skubiszewski’s statement was published on this matter. This document asserted that Poland favorably treats Ukraine’s aspirations to become an independent state, and recognized the right to pursue independent domestic and foreign policies. A few days later, the Senate and the Seimas of the Republic of Poland adopted positive resolutions on this decision of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on August 24. Under such circumstances, the leadership of the Ukrainian state came up with an initiative, the implementation of which was supposed to raise bilateral relations to a new level. In particular, on September 3, 1991, official Kiev turned to Poland with a proposal to establish diplomatic relations. The logical conclusion of the extremely high diplomatic activity in the first half of 1992. was the signing in Warsaw on May 18 by presidents L. Kravchuk and L. Walesa of the “Treaty between Ukraine and the Republic of Poland on good-neighborliness, friendly relations and cooperation”. This document became the foundation on which practically the entire institutional and legal framework of Ukrainian-Polish interstate relations in various fields is based. The key in the document is Article 1, which stated: “The parties undertake in the new political conditions to develop relations in the spirit of friendship, cooperation, mutual respect, mutual understanding, trust and good-neighborliness on the basis of international law, including the principles of sovereign equality, non-use of force or threat force, inviolability of borders, territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes, non-interference in internal affairs, self-determination of peoples, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, conscientious fulfillment of international obligations”. Cooperation between Ukraine and Poland in foreign policy has acquired the character of strategic partnership and cooperation. Its formalization was the Memorandum of Strategic Partnership between Poland and Ukraine of June 21, 1996.