Ukraine's Foreign Ministry responds to Polish Sejm resolution on Volyn tragedy anniversary

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has taken note of the Polish Sejm's adoption of another resolution marking the anniversary of the tragic events in Volyn in 1943-1944. [The Volyn (Volhynia) tragedy is a series of events that led to the ethnic cleansing of the Polish and Ukrainian populations in 1943. The tragedy was part of a long-standing rivalry between Ukrainians and Poles in what is now Ukraine's west – ed.]

Source: Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on 17 July, as reported by European Pravda; PAP, Poland's national news agency

Details: The ministry pointed out that on 11 July, the Ukrainian side paid tribute at the highest level to all victims of the Volyn tragedy. Senior Ukrainian and Polish officials on both sides of the border honour the memory of innocent Ukrainians and Poles killed in the massacres.

Quote: "Ukraine is counting on constructive and professional dialogue and on the continuation of joint search and exhumation work on the territory of both nations. The truth about the past can only be established through a scientific approach."

More details: Ukraine, the ministry added, values Poland as one of its closest allies in standing up to Russian aggression, and is convinced that the pain of the past should not divide peoples united today by shared values, a shared enemy and a shared European future.

Quote: "The Ukrainian side will continue to adhere to a parity-based approach. We call for equal treatment in bilateral relations, mutual respect for policies of national memory and pragmatic good-neighbourliness for the sake of a strong Ukraine and a strong Poland."

More details: PAP reported on 17 July that the Polish Sejm (the lower house of the Polish parliament) unanimously voted for a resolution honouring "the memory of the victims of the genocide committed against Poles by Ukrainian nationalists" in 1939-1947.

The resolution also emphasises the importance of ongoing efforts to locate, exhume and give victims a dignified burial.

The resolution also expresses gratitude and respect towards all Ukrainians who risked their lives to save Poles.

It also says the Sejm affirms its "unwavering will to live with dignity and in friendship with the Ukrainian nation". Citing the teachings of Pope John Paul II, it adds that purifying historical memory will help ensure that people prioritise what unites them over what divides them.

Background: In his speech in Volyn marking the day of remembrance for victims of the Volyn tragedy, Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz spoke about the importance of reconciliation and the unacceptability of a "spiral of hatred".

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