Ukraine and Poland sign 8 documents after Wednesday consultations - PM Shmyhal

MOSCOW. June 2 (Interfax) - Ukraine and Poland signed eight intergovernmental agreements and memorandums following their consultations in Kyiv, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

This confirms "the new level of relations that Ukraine and Poland have built over the past three months," Shmyhal said at a joint press briefing with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Kyiv on Wednesday.

The eight documents signed by Ukraine and Poland include a joint statement saying that Poland supports Ukraine's EU and NATO ambitions and will make efforts to help Ukraine gain EU candidate country status as soon as June, according to Ukrainian media reports.

The two countries also pledged to increase their defense contacts and cooperation in border issues.

The two countries' Regional Policy Ministries signed a declaration, which outlines Poland's plans to help develop regional communities in Ukraine.

Another document signed at the consultations was a declaration of the interior ministers, who pledged to boost cooperation at the level of the two countries' Border Services, and to form two commissions in charge of border crossings, border infrastructure and prevention of offenses during border crossing.

The Ukrainian and Polish Energy Ministries, for their part, signed a memorandum to increase cooperation with the aim of ending dependence on Russian energy resources.

Ukraine and Poland also agreed that it is necessary to enhance cross-border trade in electricity and to put the power lines linking Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant and Poland's Rzeszow back in operation,

Another memorandum signed at the meeting paves the way for forming a joint Polish-Ukrainian commission to promote cooperation between the two countries' enterprises, Shmyhal said. The commission will draw up recommendations on establishing a Ukrainian-Polish joint venture to manufacture weapons, military hardware and other components.

A memorandum was also signed between the two countries' Ecology Ministries.

According to Shmyhal, a memorandum on national memory issues signed between the Ukrainian and Polish Culture Ministries will help resolve all issues related to the countries' past.

Specifically, Ukraine and Poland will set up a working group in charge of burial sites, memorials and commemoration projects.