Ukraine and Poland Move Forward on Historical Cooperation with New Exhumation Permit

Ukraine has taken another step towards Poland in the matter of historical memory by granting permission to conduct search and exhumation work for the victims of the Volhynia tragedy in the Rivne region.

The Gaze reports on this, referring to a statement made by Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, on Facebook.

Vasyl Bodnar said he had signed a note transferring the permission of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications to the Polish side. The work will take place in the village of Uhly in Rivne region in response to a request from Karolina Romanowska, the Head of Polish-Ukrainian Reconciliation Association. 

The Ukrainian side invited representatives of Poland to participate in these events directly on site.

Bodnar stressed that Ukraine is ready to continue cooperating with Polish partners in the field of historical memory and exhumations, emphasizing the openness and honesty of the Ukrainian position.

“I want to emphasize once again: Ukraine and I personally are ready to continue cooperating with Polish partners in the historical sphere and on issues related to exhumations. We are open and honest. Only in this way can we achieve true understanding,” he wrote.

In his opinion, this is the only way to achieve genuine mutual understanding between the two nations.

He also expressed hope that the Polish side would demonstrate similar openness to dialogue on complex issues of shared historical past, which would become the basis for further strengthening Ukrainian-Polish relations.

As The Gaze informed earlier, Ukrainian expedition from Lviv has begun search and exhumation work in the Carpathian Mountains in Poland to locate and investigate the possible burial site of soldiers of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army from 1947.