The ministers of defense of Poland and Ukraine, Bronislaw Komorowski and Oleksandr Kuzmuk, on Monday signed in Yalta guidelines for cooperation between the ministries of defense of both countries

The ministers of defense of Poland and Ukraine, Bronislaw Komorowski and Oleksandr Kuzmuk, on Monday signed in Yalta guidelines for cooperation between the ministries of defense of both countries, the spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense [MON], Col Eugeniusz Mleczak, has informed. The guidelines for planning cooperation for the years 2001-03 anticipate a deepening of political dialogue, consultations on security issues, granting support for Ukraine in carrying out defense system and armed forces reforms, deepening contacts between military units and cooperation between soldiers of both countries. "The agreement was concluded under the Partnership for Peace program. It emphasizes the role of military cooperation for mutual ties", Mleczak said. Within the framework of military-political dialogue, the agreement envisages expert consultations concerning instruments for supporting peace, studies on security in Central and Eastern Europe, on armed forces reform in its legislative, organizational and social aspects, the creation of the defense budget and civil control over the armed forces. Military cooperation will consist of further exchange of experiences in battle preparedness, preparation of a Polish-Ukrainian battalion for peace missions, improvement of army mobility and privatization of the defense industry. Military-technical cooperation will consist of the exchange of experiences in standardization, adapting the armed forces to NATO standards, and also joint activity in the supply of materials and spare parts, refurbishment and the modernization of armaments and military technology. "The minister emphasized that experts of both countries are seeking opportunities for equipment modernization, for instance MiG-29 and Su-22 planes and Mi-24 helicopters, in Poland. Modernization could take place with the participation of Western and Ukrainian enterprises, however only after an agreement on the protection of secret information has been signed," the spokesman said.