**Ukraine Agrees to Exhumation of Volyn Tragedy Victims**
The Polish Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, met with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha. After their talks, Sikorski announced that Ukraine has agreed to let Poland conduct exhumations for the victims of the Volyn tragedy.
The Volyn tragedy happened in 1943-1944 when the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) killed around 30,000 Poles and attacked 10,000 Ukrainians. Poland sees this as genocide while Ukraine says it was a complex event with many motives.
Poland has said that it will block Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union until these historical issues are resolved. The Polish Prime Minister has stressed that Ukraine must acknowledge and fix these problems if it wants Poland’s support for its EU membership.
**Agreement Reached**
Sikorski said that Sybiha confirmed there are no obstacles to conducting exhumations in Volyn. He also mentioned that a declaration will be issued soon regarding the matter.
Sybiha, on the other hand, stated that both Ukraine and Poland want to resolve their misunderstandings about historical issues. He said they’re working together to find practical ways to search for and exhume victims’ remains.
**Previous Plans**
The Institute of National Memory in Ukraine had already planned to include the search and exhumation efforts in Rivne Oblast in 2025 due to requests from Polish citizens.
**Time is Crucial**
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, head of the Parliament Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, emphasized that time is important for Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.