Kyiv, 20 May 1997 (RFE/RL) - Poland's President Aleksander Kwasniewski arrived in Kyiv today at the start of an official visit to Ukraine aimed at heralding a new era in friendly bilateral ties.
Kwasniewski and Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma plan to sign a "reconciliation declaration" which they hope will overcome a history of rivalry and bloodshed dating from the 17th century. Among the most sensitive issues are the 1943 killing of tens of thousands of Poles by pro-Nazi Ukrainian nationalists and communist Poland's expulsion of ethnic Ukrainians in 1947.
Kwasniewski is also due to speak to Ukraine's Supreme Council, attend an economic gathering in Odessa, and visit the western community of Zhitomir, Ukraine's largest settlement of ethnic Poles.
Kwasniewski and Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma plan to sign a "reconciliation declaration" which they hope will overcome a history of rivalry and bloodshed dating from the 17th century. Among the most sensitive issues are the 1943 killing of tens of thousands of Poles by pro-Nazi Ukrainian nationalists and communist Poland's expulsion of ethnic Ukrainians in 1947.
Kwasniewski is also due to speak to Ukraine's Supreme Council, attend an economic gathering in Odessa, and visit the western community of Zhitomir, Ukraine's largest settlement of ethnic Poles.